There’s no better way to get organized than to create a detailed plan and list of what needs to happen when. That’s why we’ve created
this local moving checklist for you to use as a guide.
We know that you’re going to have a long, but hopefully not backbreaking day ahead of you, so we’ve broken the tasks up into four separate
phases:
Phase 1: 6 weeks before the move
Phase 2: 4 weeks before the move
Phase 3: 1 week before the move
Phase 4: The day of the move and beyond.
PHASE 1 – 6 Weeks Before The Move
· Create a master list – Start looking at each room of your house and making a list of what needs to be packed up and what you plan to leave behind. While you might think it’s necessary or important to pack everything in sight, resist the urge by thinking about what you really need and want to keep.
· Give away or sell items that you know you won’t need or use again – Give friends, family members and neighbors first dibs on extra household items before selling them at a yard sale or taking them down to your local donation center.
· Research movers in NYC – collect information about local moving services in your area. This includes getting quotes from at least three different companies, checking reviews online to ensure they have a positive rating in the community.
· Contact movers to provide an estimate – This is the time to walk through your home room by room, listing every last item that needs to be moved. If you have a question about whether something will fit in their truck or not, ask a mover, they have handled everything before including equipment moving and and can give you a close estimate.
· Finalize your moving budget – Once you have a clear idea of what a move is going to cost, decide how you’re going to pay for it all. Discuss payment options with the movers and organize the necessary funds for an on-time move.
PHASE 2 – 4 Weeks Before The Move
· Update contact lists – Update your address book to let friends and family know you’ve moved.
· Notify your NYC utility providers – It’s important to notify New York City water, electric, gas, and other providers that you’re relocating.
· Prepare your mail forwarding – If you’re hiring a mover, usually local moving services are taking care of your mail forwarding. Otherwise, send out a change of address form to your post office.
· Purchase packing supplies – At a minimum, you’ll need a few boxes and a roll of bubble wrap to get going. Enlist help from friends and family members, if necessary, especially when it comes time to transport your bigger items.
· Prepare for packing your things – Establish a staging area where you’re going to collect everything that’s going into boxes, as well as the supplies that you’ll need on a daily basis. Get a big plastic bin or tub and gather together tape, scissors, markers, labels and other items that you might need while packing household items
· Gather important documents – During this phase, it’s also a good idea to gather together all your important documents to take with you on moving day. This includes things like bank statements, tax returns, insurance policies and passports.
PHASE 3 – 1 Week Before The Move
· Prepare for babysitters or pet sitters – If you have children, pets or both that will need care on moving day, prepare now by getting them familiar with a sitter who can help you on moving day.
· Pack as much as you can – Start by labeling boxes with a black marker and adhering the labels to the outside of each box. This will be important on moving day when time is limited and mover helpers are trying to figure out how to best pack their truck so nothing gets damaged in transit.
· Finalize what you’re going to leave behind – If you haven’t done so already, this is the time to finalize what you’re going to leave behind and what will be donated or thrown away.
· Pack an overnight bag – If you can, pack a small overnight bag with toiletries and enough clothing for two nights. This way, fresh clothes will be waiting at your destination on day one of your move.
PHASE 4 – Moving Day
· Start early – A successful move starts with getting an early start on packing, loading, and transport.
· Check in with your movers – Call the company that you hired to provide an update on what time they’re going to arrive. You should also double-check that all of the items that need to go into different rooms have been labeled correctly and placed accordingly.
· Prepare children – If you have children, get them familiar with the details of moving day. Make sure they know what to expect and when you’ll be arriving at your destination (and it is a destination, not just a parking lot).
· If moving yourself – create a task list with times next to each item. This will help ensure that everything is completed in a timely manner and the move itself goes smoothly.
· If you’re hiring a moving company – make sure they arrive early as well so that the transition from one home to another is as swift as possible for everyone involved.
Conclusion
Moving is stressful process, but it doesn’t have to be a challenging one. Take the necessary time to plan ahead and you’ll find that things go much more smoothly in the end.
Our moving Moving Checklist can help you create your task list and get a clear picture of what needs to be done.
We hope these moving tips will help make the process go as smoothly as possible.
