Moving can be a hectic experience, emotionally, physically and even financially!
Amidst the different aspects of the move pulling for your attention, things can easily get out of control, leaving you even more confused and stressed out than before. Many folks now contract moving companies to handle the main aspects of their move, at least to reduce the stress. Even with this, you still need to make a lot of arrangements to ensure that the move is hitch-free. It’s little wonder that in this survey, some Americans consider moving to be more stressful than divorce and even having kids.
Giving all of the above, this article will be looking at a comprehensive moving checklist that you can adopt to make the entire process smooth.
Your Comprehensive Moving Out Checklist
Having completed all your arrangements and confirmed that indeed you’ll be moving to a new location, there are simple things you can do in an orderly manner to make sure that everything goes well. This is the section where we discuss details of the checklist you can work with.
For greater efficiency, we’ll look at this list under three broad headings – pre-move checklist, moving checklist and post-move checklist.
Pre-move Checklist
This list includes the different things you need to take care of before the actual move. They include the following:
Make Necessary Arrangements for Your Current Address
Having confirmed your move, one of the first things you should do is give notice to your landlord if you are a renter. You should also sort out your utilities and other services. You need to begin to make arrangements to discontinue these services once you leave.
Some of the services you will need to look at include:
- Gym membership
- Water, sewage treatment, electricity and other utilities
- Cable and internet subscription
- Home insurance etc.
The above are just a few ideas of things you should start making arrangements to discontinue.
Research Moving Options
It’s a good time to begin to decide on how you plan on moving. Look at the various options open to you and decide on one that will suit your needs the best. Once you’ve made this decision, you can begin to get more information about it.
If you want to use a moving company, begin to compare quotes and services to enable you choose one. Make your choice early and lock down the date with the company.
Take Inventory of Your Stuff
Moving time is usually a good opportunity to get rid of things you don’t really need. Use this time to go through your stuff and begin to sort things out, at least mentally. It’s important that you have a good idea of the things you will be taking with you and things you won’t be taking with you.
Give Notice of Your Address Change
Around a month to your move, you should have started notifying necessary agencies of your next address. Agencies that should be informed include:
- The postal service
- Your Bank
- Social Security Administration
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Newspaper home delivery
- Home delivery services (Amazon etc.)
- Voters register
- W2 forms via your employer etc.
For a more complete list of places where you need to register your change of address, visit this website.
Get Moving Supplies
It’s time to get boxes, tapes, bubble wraps and other things you may need to properly pack your stuff. If you properly took stock of your stuff as recommended above, then you will have a good idea of the supplies you will need.
Monitor Your Food Stock and Supplies
At this point, you need to be careful how you purchase groceries. Your goal now is to empty your freezer and refrigerator. Make your meals with what you have and only get few things so you don’t have to store things in your freezer. You need them empty and completely defrosted by moving day.
Start Sorting and Packing Some of Your Stuff
The biggest mistake you will make is waiting until a few days to your move to begin to pack your stuff. Having taking inventory of what you will be moving with, begin to pack the things that you won’t be using on a daily basis. Properly classify them and pack them in an orderly manner so you can easily locate them.
Moving Checklist
For this group, we include everything you need to do on the week of the move up to the actual moving day. These include the following:
Confirm Your Moving Arrangement
Contact the moving company you discussed with and confirm that all the arrangements are still on. You don’t want to be disappointed at the last moment.
Checking and Confirming the Utilities and Subscriptions for Your Old and New Address
With your move at hand, you need to confirm that the utilities and other important subscriptions will be active when you arrive at your new address. In the same vein, you need to be sure that they would be shut down, at the latest, a day after you have left your old address.
Inform Your Neighbors
This will be important if your move will inconvenience them in any way. This may not be applicable in some situations so, determine if this is important in your case.
Begin to Actively Pack Your Stuff
This is the time to practically tear everything down and pack them up. To ensure that your process is hitch free and orderly, carry out this process room by room. Pack stuff in a room into a box and label them appropriately. This will be very helpful when you begin to unpack at your new location.
Pack Essentials for Every Member of the Family as Hand Luggage
This is crucial as you may not have the time to immediately begin to unpack when you get to your new location. Have every member of your family pack essentials like they are packing for a short vacation. Stuff like toiletries, pajamas and any other things they may need immediately they arrive at the new location.
Give Out or Sell off Anything You Won’t be Using in the New Location
This is a good time to de-clutter your space. You can either give those stuff out or hold a yard sale to dispose of the stuff you don’t really need. It will be a shame to start off in your new space with a lot of stuff you won’t need.
On the actual moving day:
- Get some cash ready for any expenses that may arise until you get to your new location
- Supervise the movers
- Move items room by room
- Ensure that every member of the family have their previously packed bag of essentials
- Check every room to ensure that all items have been packed
- Confirm that your utilities will be shut off by the next day
- Arrange for the old location to be cleaned after you’ve moved
Post-move Checklist
This may not apply to everyone as most folks may have completed everything by the moving day. If however, you choose to move a day after the movers have gone with your stuff, you can do the following:
Confirm that the Old Location has been or is being Cleaned
While you may not consider this important, it’s just the right thing to do. Thankfully, there are cleaning services in NYC that will handle this task easily and professionally for you. Leaving a messy house behind reflects poorly on you.
Confirm that the Utilities have been Turned Off
You most certainly do not want to be shocked with bills for utilities in a house you’ve already vacated. You should therefore avoid this by ensuring that they’ve been turned off.
Conclusion
There’s no doubt that moving can come with a lot of stress. However, with the checklist we’ve shared in this article, you can simplify the entire process, reduce your stress while also increasing the efficiency of the move. Rather than being a memory you can’t wait to forget, your move can become a fun activity for the entire family.
