15 Mar Planning Home Moves: Important Deadlines for Your Moving Checklist
Are you among the 40 million Americans moving each year? If so, you know that home moves can be complicated to coordinate. You’ll need to bring your best organizational skills to the table to ensure everything goes off without a hitch.
Read on to learn about important deadlines you’ll want to include on your moving checklist!
Book a Moving Company
When you’re making a moving timeline, one of your first tasks is determining which responsibilities to outsource and which ones you’ll tackle yourself. Carefully consider your job responsibilities and whether you have children, and be realistic about what you can get done.
You’ll want to outsource at least some tasks to a moving company. You may want them to do everything from packing to delivering. But you might want to do the packing yourself and let them handle everything else.
In any case, you’ll need to hire a reputable moving company in Tuscon for the job. Since spring and summer can be busy seasons for moves, it pays to make a reservation early. Contact a few places for quotes before giving your business to one.
Inventory Your Belongings
Before moving, it’s wise to make a list of all belongings that will be transported. Doing this can help you get the right amount of insurance to cover your items’ value. It also can give you peace of mind, particularly with your most precious items.
Count and measure all home furniture items. If you’re transporting them on a truck yourself, accurate measurements can ensure that you don’t choose an undersized truck.
On the other hand, if you’re letting movers do the lifting and driving, a complete list helps the moving company provide a better estimate of costs. Consider taking pictures, too, to capture the items’ condition before the move.
An inventory list can help you alert movers to fragile items, too. Moving an antique armoire or lamp, for instance, might require a little extra care.
Remove Unwanted Items
Your move-in checklist should include making time to remove old, unwanted items from your previous space. After all, you don’t want to commit time or money to moving things you won’t use.
Be ruthless. If you haven’t worn several bulky coats in the past year, get rid of them. If you’re planning to redo your living room furniture in your new home, don’t let old armchairs chew up space on the truck.
You can sell some items to help finance the move. But if you’re pressed for time, donating items might make the most sense. Just be clear on when you’ll need to have everything out of your old property so you can arrange a drop-off or donation pick-up.
Gather Moving Supplies
If you plan on doing the packing yourself, you’ll need plenty of sturdy boxes and packing materials. Make sure your moving checklist reminds you to grab old boxes, newspapers, and other supplies before you’re in a bind.
You may be able to post on a neighborhood social media page to collect old boxes from people in the area. Sometimes, stores may even give them away.
Stock up on newsprint paper and bubble wrap to cushion items in each box. If you’re packing a kitchen, for instance, you will want plenty of paper to pack glassware securely. Use packing tape to reinforce the edges of boxes for a little more security.
A professional moving company will know how to situate furniture so it doesn’t tip during the drive. And they’ll have the right materials for the job.
But if you’re doing the packing and driving yourself, you’ll need to be prepared. Get wraps so you can keep furniture safe on the truck. And anchor furniture so it won’t move.
Cancel Utilities
Before you completely move on to your new home, you’ll want to cancel all utilities and services connected to your existing home. You don’t want to pay for phone lines or internet connections that you’re no longer using.
You may be able to schedule a specific date to end services. This ensures that you won’t end things too early and can help you avoid paying for a full month of service.
Along the same lines, complete a form to change your address at the post office. Otherwise, your mail won’t get forwarded to your new address. The last thing you want is for an important item, like a tax document, to go to the wrong address.
Get Personal Records
If you’re moving out of town, you’ll want to tie up loose ends with the professional services you’ve been using. And that means getting copies of all records you may need in your new community.
Collect records from your doctor and dentist. Your kids may have immunization records that will be critical to allowing them to enroll in a new school.
Similarly, get bank records and close out accounts if your new location will have different banking options. Get paper copies of records and keep them in an accessible file. You don’t want confidential personal information to get lost in transit.
Reserve Travel Accommodations
For home moves that cover lots of miles, you’ll need to stay overnight somewhere along the way. And for moves that occur during peak travel season, it can be harder to find a good hotel.
Make sure to reserve a spot at a hotel early. Find hotels that can help you decompress during what can sometimes feel like an overwhelming moving process at times.
Lastly, don’t forget to request time off from work. Especially for cross-country moves with multiple people, you’ll want to be present for support where it’s needed. This can mean getting your kids registered for school or working with an internet company to get connected.
Make Planning Home Moves Easier
Home moves don’t have to be a hassle if you’re diligent about planning. Book a moving company and sort your belongings early. Collect personal records and cancel local services, too, before hitting the road to reach your new home.
At Ralph’s Moving & Storage, we’ve been making moves easier for Tuscon-area families since 1926. We have the experience and professionalism you’d expect from an Atlas agent.
Reach out to us today to learn more about our services!
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