Planning to move to a new house? Get a pen and paper to start making a moving checklist as it needs a lot of preparation. The list of tasks that you have to accomplish can be overwhelming but a little planning can save your day. The best movers associated with iMoving.com explain that no matter if you are moving for the first time or you have moved many times before, each time it seems like the first time as you learn something new. A non-planned move can be chaotic and messy and will lead to a long stressful period.
So if you too are ready to move to a new house, make sure you include the guidelines given below to have a sorted and successful move.
Stay Organized
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Proper planning, execution, and organization are some significant keys to have an easy move. Make sure you stay organized all the time by scheduling and coordinating your moving-related tasks well. Also, make a folder where you should keep all the moving documents, you can create a folder on your computer or can get a binder to keep the hard copies of all the documents. Gather all your personal documents in one place to keep them handy and also add contracts, bills, and receipts in the folder assigned to moving.
Make a Moving Checklist
If you are not sure what all tasks you should add to your moving checklist, you can download one from the internet. Now, prepare a timeline and assign time to each task. Execute your timeline religiously so that you don’t miss any of them.
Decide the Type of Your Move
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Look around your house and think if you can manage a DIY move or you need a professional moving company to do the needful. We all know that moving is a complicated and time-consuming process and hiring a moving company can ease it down a lot. If you are a minimalist and are planning for a DIY, you will need a lot more understanding and planning than a normal move.
Take Inventory and Make a Budget
Take inventory of all your stuff that is to be moved. This will help you in deciding your moving cost and this inventory list can be presented to the moving company to have a moving price quote. The inventory list is very important to decide your moving budget. Make sure you add all costs including post-moving expenses too. Make sure you add up all the expenses in your moving budget related to hiring movers, packing supplies, carpet and furniture cleaning of old and new houses, utility bills due at your old home, installation of appliances and subscriptions at your new home, temporary storage if needed, and subscriptions at your new home. Don’t forget to add a ‘Rainy Day Money’ column in your budget for any unforeseen expenses.
Schedule Your Moving Time and Date
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Scheduling your moving time is a very crucial step that directly impacts your moving budget. If possible, choose midweek or mid-month for your move as weekends and month ends are often peak days for moving companies and you cannot expect any discounts and sometimes they even charge higher than usual.
Research and Do More Research When Choosing a Moving Company
Make sure you do enough homework and research a lot before you hire any moving company. You can check some companies online and/or can ask your family and friends for recommendations. Never go with the very first moving company you come across, always keep some choices open. Select at least three companies and ask for a site visit for getting a moving quote. Don’t rely on telephonic conversations and verbal moving quotes. Discuss all the doubts with the moving company representative and have a written estimated quote from him. Now, compare the services and prices quoted by all three moving companies and select the one who provides the best services in less. Don’t ever think that the company that is charging less is the best. Ask them what all is included in their quotation as many companies come up with hidden charges on the end day. Stay safe from any moving company frauds. Check the working license and physical address of the company before signing any documents with them.
Right Packing Supplies
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Though moving companies bring their own packing supplies, you may need to buy in case of a DIY packing and moving. If you too have decided that you will be packing your stuff yourself then it is important to purchase the right packing supplies. Make sure you get appropriate boxes for your goods, for example, you will need a solid cardboard box for packing books as they are heavy.
Sort Your Belongings before Packing
Sorting your stuff before packing is one very important step that is often ignored. Size of shipment decides the price of your shipment so it is a good idea to get rid of all the unwanted things before you start packing them for your new home.
You can sell, donate, or throw the unwanted stuff as per their condition and usage. Make sure you get rid of anything and everything that you haven’t used in the last year. Take pictures of things that have sentimental value and keep those pictures as memories and donate the things to someone who will use them.
Change Your Address and Transfer Your Utilities
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Make sure you change your address at all the places required including the post office, banks, subscription offices, etc. Also, get your utilities transferred to your new place in case of a local move, and in case of an interstate move, make sure you apply for a new utility connection well before time and apply for disconnection at the old home.
Home Measurements
Even if you have hired a professional moving company, it is important to take measurements of furniture, doors, and passages at both your new and old homes. This will ensure that your furniture can be moved through the doorways or not. This will save you from having trouble at the last minute.
With all these discussed topics, also, make sure you have labeled all your moving boxes well and get a list of non-allowables from your movers beforehand.
