Essential Moving Tips For A Smooth Transition
Congratulations on your new home! To ensure a stress-free moving day, preparation is key. Follow these tips and recommendations for a seamless experience:Being prepared ahead of time can keep you from getting too overwhelmed on moving day. Take precautions to protect vulnerable surfaces such as hardwood or resilient floors. Cover rails with moving pads or blankets. Remove doors where furniture might be a tight fit. You can protect carpet with ribbed, plastic runners. There are two ways you can handle your move: Using Professional Movers: Professional movers should have insurance for any damage they might accidentally cause. Friends and relatives will not. They are also unlikely to have the training and practiced skills of professional movers. Obtain several estimates from professional moving companies and compare their proposals:
- Costs for services such as packing and unpacking
- Costs of packing materials and boxes
- Distance and weight charges
- Insurance
- Availability and notice needed. Reserve a moving truck far in advance
Doing it Yourself: If you are moving yourself, organize the schedule to avoid rushing and include rest breaks. People who are tired or in a hurry are more likely to hurt themselves or your belongings. Make sure you don’t forget to do the following:
- Make truck reservation early (6–8 weeks, or more) Costs of packing materials and boxes
- Include a reservation for a dolly and moving pads
- Reconfirm one week prior
- Be ready to return the favor to your friends.
Helpful Tips:
- A few weeks prior to your move, pack items you won’t need or rarely use, as this will give you time to be more organized
- Use clean boxes and unprinted newsprint paper to pack your possessions
- Pack one room at a time, ensuring that you don’t mix different rooms, as this will make locating items easier
- Mark each box on the top and front clearly indicating contents and room name at your new house
- Use small boxes to pack heavy items by placing them at the bottom and lighter items at the top
- Carefully pack items such as gasoline, bottled gas, aerosol cans and flammable or corrosive
- Keep valuable items, such as jewelry, legal documents, bank statements, photos, etc. in your possession at all times
- If you have pets, arrange to have them away during moving day to ensure their safety and the safety of the movers
- If you have children, involve them in planning and preparing for the move
- Create a file for storing documents about your home and manufacturer literature
- Retain receipts for tax purposes because moving costs may be deductible
- Send change-of-address cards to magazines and book clubs six weeks prior to your move
- Give the forwarding order to your old post office one month prior to assure uninterrupted service
- Register children in their new schools
- Transfer medical and dental records, if necessary
- Arrange for homeowner insurance and obtain the certificate you need for closing
- Order checks with your new address; update financial records
- Update your driver’s license, car and voter registration
- Properly dispose of flammable or hazardous materials that should not be moved
Packing Materials Checklist:
- Boxes of various sizes; cartons for mattresses
- Packing tape and heavy string
- Packing paper, Unprinted newsprint, bubble wrap
- Labels to identify boxes (include a number, room/name); “Fragile” labels for special items
- Markers to label boxes
- Master packing list (list each box by number with name/room and brief description of contents)
- Masking tape to tape wrapped items
- Scissors
- Furniture pads, blankets, rugs
Moving Day Necessities:
- Children’s toys and games
- Toilet paper
- Beverages and snacks
- Paper towels
- Soap and hand towels
- Trash bags
- First aid kit
- Prescription medication
- Medical supplies for special needs
- Pad and pen
- Shelf liners
- Small tools: Tape measure, scissors, screwdrivers, hammer
- Ice maker hook-up kit
- Dryer vent flex hose
- New hoses for washing machine
- Picture hangers
- Plant hooks
- Scratch cover
- Phone and phone book