Local Moving Checklist – Part 1
Planning and organizing for a move is a big undertaking. There are so many different things that need to be done before you leave your existing residence and move to your new house. While local moves are less complex than those that involve long-distance travel, it is still important that you give yourself enough time to progress through all of the necessary moving preparations.
One of the biggest fears that people have when preparing for a move is failing to finish all of the pre-move tasks on time, usually due to a lack of proper preparation and organization. Since there’s so much to keep up with, our moving experts put together a checklist that will help make sure you don’t forget about the essential tasks.
2 Months Before The Move
Listen… your move date will be here before you know it. Even with a local move, it’s easier to get ahead of the game and set yourself up for an easy transition rather than playing from behind and struggling to catch up before time runs out. Two months before the move, start diving into these tasks.
Create a Moving Folder
Moving typically involves a lot of documentation. Documents that aren’t digital can be easy to lose in the shuffle of boxes and papers. To make things easier on yourself, create a folder to put these documents in when you receive them. These include moving estimates from local movers, insurance records, and your lease terms, if applicable. For easier organization, scan all hard copies of important documents and create a digital folder on your computer or external hard drive to store everything. All of these documents will come in handy come tax season!
Know the Size of Your Move
Two months out is a great time to start considering how you want to get your belongings from Point A to Point B. Do you have a friend with a pick-up truck that is willing to lend a hand and would allow you to do everything yourself? Or would you prefer to outsource the heavy-lifting to a local moving company? Start taking a mental inventory of all the things that will be going with you to your new home to get a better idea of what moving solutions you will need.
Pick a Moving Date
If you are already starting to prep, chances are you have a time frame of when you would like to move in mind. Consider whether you have to be out of your existing residence by a certain time to get a better idea of when the move needs to happen. If you plan on working with a moving service provider, it is worth reaching out to see if they will be able to work with you on your desired date.
Start Decluttering
The more stuff you have, the more difficult it will be to move. Now is the perfect time to start decluttering your home. As you declutter, only throw away stuff that you find useless. You can host a garage sale, sell items on social marketplaces, or better yet, donate items to local non-profit organizations.
Find Moving Solutions
If you aren’t going the do-it-yourself route, you need to find a moving service to help you with your move. Moving companies can be expensive, even for local moves. Find a moving solution that fits your needs and budget. At Doorage, we offer door to door moving services that make transporting your items to your new home easier than ever before.
1 Month Before The Move
It’s getting closer! You should have a moving date in mind as well as have a way to move your belongings from your current home to your new one. Make sure to get these tasks done one month before your move.
Start Packing
You may have already started to gather some things here and there, but now is the time to really get into packing mode. Develop a system for packing your belongings. It helps to go by room. If you don’t have moving boxes make sure you get some. Unless, however, you are using door to door moving services from Doorage where durable moving containers are shipped right to your door. If that’s the case, you’re good to go.
Go Crazy With Labeling
Labeling is a simple task that can go a long way in making unpacking in your new home easier. It is worth it to take the time to label, marking the room where each box came from and what is inside. Make sure you don’t forget to properly label any boxes or containers with items that are breakable. Clearly write “Fragile” (or FRA-GEE-LAY) on these boxes so that you or anyone handling your moving boxes will know to be careful.
Notify Utility Companies
Set up disconnect/reconnect dates with your phone, water, cable, internet, gas, and electricity providers. Check if your cable and internet providers are in your new city. If they are, let them know you’re moving. If not, shop around and see what other options are out there. You can also use this opportunity to pay any deposits for new utility services in advance.
Start Learning About Your New Neighborhood
You probably already know a bit about the area you are moving to, especially if it is local. However, you should still take the time to learn about your new neighborhood. Research which parks are nearby, see how long it takes to get to the nearest coffee shop and find out what the commute to work will look like. Feel free to ask friends and family who are familiar with the area if they have any recommendations.
Schedule Your Address Change
You’ll need to change your official mailing address with the post office. You can also have any mail that is addressed to and sent to your old mailing address forwarded to your new one after you move.
Don’t worry, we’re not going to leave you hanging. Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Local Moving checklist in our next blog post.
Planning a Move? Save Time and Money with Doorage
If you are planning a move, check out the door to door moving solutions from Doorage. Click to learn more about door to door moving.