Moving to a new house or apartment is a big deal, and the prospect of packing up all your stuff to take it somewhere else can seem daunting. But with good planning and preparation, you can make your move happen smoothly.
Use this checklist to plan your upcoming move and help you minimize the hassle of relocating your household.
6 to 8 weeks before you move
Decide on your moving method: There are a few different ways to move — you can rent a moving truck and do it yourself or hire professional movers to pack and unload your possessions. Make sure you know the method you’re going to use, and start getting quotes from truck rental or moving companies to compare rates and find the best deal. Dave’s Detroit Movers makes it easy to tackle this step of your move!
Start clearing out clutter: Now is the time to start going through everything in your house and getting rid of the things you don’t need or won’t be moving to the new place. One good way to purge is to place a box or bag in each room of your home to collect anything that’s broken, unwanted, or never used, and then throw away or donate all unneeded items at once.
4 weeks before you move
Begin collecting moving boxes: When you’re moving, you can never have enough boxes. Start early, and either purchase moving boxes or ask local businesses for free boxes — you can often score boxes from restaurants, retail stores, or office supply stores if you ask the employees.
Notify companies about your move: Four weeks prior to moving is a good time to start letting utility companies, cable providers, insurance companies, and any business you deal with regularly that you’re moving, so you can arrange to have your services switched over and your mail sent to the new address.
Book your moving truck: At the four-week mark, it’s time to reserve your moving truck or professional moving services. Contact the company you’ve chosen from your quotes and get yourself on the schedule.
Start packing now: Get a head start on packing by boxing up things you won’t need for the next four weeks, such as winter clothes if you’re moving in the summer, and vice versa. Anything you can pack early will be helpful in the upcoming rush to pack!
2 weeks before you move
Service your vehicles: Make sure the family vehicles are in good shape for the move with a visit to your mechanic or garage before the move, especially if you need to find a new automotive service provider once you’ve moved.
More notifications: Two weeks prior, contact your bank, credit card companies, state DMV, local tax assessors, and the IRS to inform them about your upcoming change of address. You can also file a change of address form at the post office now.
1 week before you move
Pack in earnest: Now is the time to begin packing everything up. Tackle this massive task room by room and be sure to label every box so you’ll know right where things should go in the new place.
Create a moving day box: Set aside a box of supplies you’ll need on hand for moving day, including snacks, first-aid supplies, prescriptions, and any important daily items you’ll need to lay hand to in the confusion immediately.
Clean up: As you’re packing, do a thorough cleaning of each room (especially if you’re expecting to have a security deposit returned!).
Moving Day
By following this checklist, you should be ready to simply load your truck and drive to your new home on moving day. Remember to look through the old place thoroughly once you’ve emptied everything out, to make sure you didn’t forget anything. And then, enjoy your new home!