Planning a move can be overwhelming with so many tasks to manage, from enrolling your kids in new schools to color-coding and labeling boxes.
To help you navigate the process, we’ve put together our top tips based on our extensive experience with multiple moves, roommates, and pets.
Read on to uncover the critical tasks you need to complete before your move—you might be surprised by what’s on our list!
Table of Contents
Where do I start while I am stressing out
Let’s begin with a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Stress won’t get you closer to your goals so take a deep breath and keep the goal in mind.
De-stressing tips from our monk mover:
- Mindfulness is an important part of big life changes. When moving homes we tend to get caught up in our thoughts and jump from goal to goal without actually reaching our destination. Ensure to bring your mind back to the goals and keep them realistic.
- Nothing is more stressful than attempting to half be on a Zoom call while actually packing up your last boxes and dealing with the movers.
- Do yourself a favor and take a personal or sick day to really be present for your moving day.
- Download a free app like “Healthy Minds” that you can remain calm with even if it is just five minutes a day to keep yourself in balance.
- Decluttering your current home will save you from junking up your new home and is a simple way to calm things down. Now is the time to Marie Kondo your home! Go through those closets, get rid of those pants that aren’t actually comfortable and you never wear anyways.
- Moving has lots of ups and downs and that’s natural. Take breaks when you need it. Don’t bring yourself to the point of burn out. The move is not just physically exhausting, but also mentally. Make sure to spoil yourself a little extra during the move
What are the first important steps to take
1. Book your movers on Pricing Van Lines
Why Pricing Van Lines? Why now? We are the only platform that offers pre-vetted moving company options for the entire USA. All our movers undergo a rigorous vetting process including verification of all their licensing, insurance, and other required documents.
Save time by trusting Pricing Van Lines to work through the tedious vetting process for you. The earlier on you set this up, you will be de-stressing the process and motivating yourself to pack.
2. Gather Moving Boxes from everywhere
Having the boxes on hand is the best way to convince yourself to start packing without excuses.
You can save money by running to your local giant chain stores and asking what day they toss their extra cartons. If you don’t have patience for this, moving boxes can be purchased at your local hardware store. Don’t forget the masking tape as you’ll be putting them together.
- Bubble wrap- Enjoy the fun of this step! Don’t forget to double wrap any glass pieces.
- Use towels and blankets to wrap delicate items.
3. Slowly Begin Packing Up Each Room
Start with the lesser used rooms such as guest rooms, extra bathrooms, and laundry areas so you won’t pack up things still in use.
Don’t be that guy that thinks he’ll remember and doesn’t take the extra second to label every single side of the box.
The paperwork and backend things
Don’t forget that as with any major change there are always those that need to be updated.
1. Remember to Close Out Bills and Open New Accounts
As you close out each bill on your old home, ensure to set it up for your new residence. For example: Shut off the electric bill in the old home, and on the same day give your credit card details to the electric company for your new home. This way you don’t leave any old subscriptions running.
Same goes for water, gas, internet and more.
2. Change Your Address
While this seems obvious, you will need to have this done in order to register for all local services like schools and other local services.
What is important to have done at the new place beforehand
By far the most important thing to have done is to have cleaned your whole home.
A squeaky deep clean is the way to start things off on the right foot. Either go there yourself and wash all the floors and insides of cabinets or hire a professional cleaning staff to take care of it for you. Don’t ever skip this step, as once the furniture is in place, a deep-clean just doesn’t go as deep.
After your movers have moved all your items out of your current house you likely will need to clean all floors again. Don’t forget to leave your old home looking decent and all holes in the walls filled with plaster.
Best tips for settling into the new home
- Give yourself an Unpacking Timeline.
- Leaving things in boxes for months is not the best way to get actually moved in but happens to the best of us. Avoid this by setting a 2 week unpacking goal for all bedrooms and living rooms. By the one month mark, all boxes should be out of your house.
- We recommend using this opportunity to continue decluttering and getting rid of those extra items you just couldn’t part with.
Closing the box and article
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best way to remain inspired to move?
Every time you finish packing up another box or room, take a moment to celebrate your accomplishments. Acknowledging the small milestones helps you reach the bigger ones. This will keep you motivated and boost family morale. Finishing up packing a room and cleaning it out is a bigger task than usual. Reward yourself.
How do I help my pets acclimate to the changes of moving?
Pets pick up on our energy and need a common schedule. If you are stressed, you are likely to stress out your furry friend. Try and make the experience fun for them with lots of walks and treats. Associate the move with positive things your pet loves to make the day less hard for them.
Ensure to set up their home base as soon as you get into the new home so that they can feel they have their own corner with food, water and their bed. Try and send them to doggy daycare the day of the move to avoid stressing them out.
Is tipping my movers a must?
Yes. They are hard workers helping you get from A to B. Tipping between 15-20% is expected by movers and drivers alike. Think of it as if you’ve gone to a restaurant and left without tipping- not cool. Plan ahead for these costs so you aren’t surprised. Trust us.
Why would using a packing service be a must?
Professional packers are not a must, but will work at lightspeed to get all your items packed up safely. While you might get stuck sorting through old junk, they will have your entire home packed up and bubble wrapped in no time. If you are in a time crunch, in the midst of important work projects, or just want to feel like a queen, consider using a packing full service moving option.
What is the most important thing to know about booking a mover?
Know that you are working with a trusted and honest service provider. If you have even a flicker of doubt, walk away. Don’t try to cut corners and save on an unreputable mover as we promise you, you will end up paying way more in hidden fees and damages. Or avoid all this and book with Pricing Van Lines.
