If you are changing house in no distant time, you understand there is a lot of work to perform. You need to plan all parts of your home when it comes to moving. It is a good thing that we’ve got you covered.
We will be straightforward and realistic; we understand that there is a lot to do to get ready. You will appreciate you started early and had this ultimate moving checklist to make sure you remain on top of your task list. We offer moving tips to provide you an easy list to stick to all through the day.
This checklist will help ensure you are organized and navigate as smoothly as possible all through the relocation process.
Essential Moving Guide and Checklist for Household
This is a better time to understand that every move is different. That implies that the approach you need to take to make it a convenient move is possibly different depending on individual situations and needs. With that in mind, check this checklist and use it as your starting point. Make adjustments to it as you deem necessary and skip steps that don’t seem necessary to your move.
Getting Started (Normally 11 Weeks to Your Move)
- Kick-start by making a binder or large folder for your moving documents, notes, receipts, records, inventory lists, rental agreements, and contact information. This is called a ‘moving binder’.
- Confirm when the old residents will be leaving, and when the keys to your new home will be given to you.
- If you are determined to renovate your new home, it is perfectly done before you move in. If the place is still occupied by someone, you may not be able to do this. If there is a need to replace things like an air conditioner or furnace get it done too.
Planning a Budget (Normally 10 Weeks to your Move)
- Plan a workable moving budget: Print a moving budget template and start working on planning a budget. If you don’t have much money, think of ways to save money on your move
- Monitor your expense: Immediately you have a budget, you need to devise a system for monitoring your expenses all through your move. Some make use of a spreadsheet, while others use an envelope filled with receipts. Regardless of what you use, create time once a week to access your expenses. This will enable you to adjust your expenses as required to remain in your moving budget.
Vacating your Rental Home or Apartment and getting a New One (Often 10 to 9 Weeks before your Move)
- Check your lease agreement: Ensure you know the obligations in your lease contract for providing notice and receiving back your deposit. Lease agreements often feature a list of tasks you have to finish before you move out, so include those to your task list.
- Inform your current landlord: You may have notified your current landlord that you will soon leave, but it is great to inform them precisely when your moving will happen so you can receive permission to place signs on the stairwells and elevators (if necessary).
- Find out when your rental will be ready from your new landlord: Don’t forget to ask about cleaning and inspection to ensure any pre-existing damage is recorded or fixed before you move into the property.
- Research movers: The early the better. Research movers to choose the best for your needs.
Getting Ready to Move (Normally 8 Weeks to your Move)
- Speak with your moving company’s agent to book your move and confirm the necessary paperwork and processes needed.
- If applicable, take time off work for your moving day
- Many any relevant travel schedules and reservations
- Many employers give bonuses for moving employees or assist with expenses. Ensure you confirm if you qualify.
- If you have children, reach out to the new school and schedule for record and register transfer
- Protect your receipt. A lot of moving expenses are deductible from your taxes, so carefully keep a record of all the things you paid for as a result of your move. Keep your receipts inside your moving binder.
- Make necessary arrangements for kids minding and pet sitting (if necessary)
- Return any borrowed items and recover loaned items.
- Clean your oven now if it is dirty
- If you are packing yourself, begin with any occasional or seasonal items you won’t need soon
Determine what you are Moving (8 To 6 Weeks to your Move)
- Know the large items that will be sent to charity or removed to the landfill.
- Inspect your home and plan to repair or fix any required parts, especially if you plan to recover your security deposits. Ensure you take photos of the condition of things before and after.
- Check any hazardous items that need special removal or recycling. Old electronics, dangerous cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs, old paints, batteries, and other items are in this category, but your local area’s website should contain the full details.
- Figure out items that need special care and handling, such as firearms, fine art, pool tables, glass or fragile cabinets, and pianos. You will need to start collecting enough wrapping and packaging for these items and let your mover know too (especially when handling oversized and heavy/large items).
- If you have children, ensure they know what is going on and when. Little kids may benefit from additional consideration, such as stories about relocation at storytime, or play activities that contain the scope of moving. You can also take time to visit your new home with them. We have a lot of ideas on making move convenient and affordable.
- Reach out to your doctor, dentist, and veterinarian and obtain copies of all records, and schedule to transfer files to your new health care providers.
Preparing for the Move (One Month to your Move)
- Confirm that all repairs mentioned in your home inspection report have been completed together with the seller leaving receipts and warranties for the work.
- Check and ensure that all the things included in the sale, such as window blinds and appliances are where they should be together with making sure all trash and construction debris from repairs have been completely removed and that the property is properly cleaned and free of damage.
- Open all doors and windows to ensure safety in your new home before you move in. Keep note of any missing window screens together with broken windows or stick when opening, which could be a prospective fire hazard.
- Check the bathrooms carefully to make sure they are not infested with mold and water damage. Carefully inspect for still water by the sink, shower, and base of the toilet together with testing the toilets to make sure they are not running.
- Confirm all showers and sinks have hot water, don’t splash or spray water, and don’t leak when in use. Inspect to make sure all sinks and tubs are not blocked and drain properly and fast.
- Check the kitchen and inspect for signs of water damage or mold under the sink, near the refrigerator, and around the dishwasher.
- Test the entire kitchen appliances to make sure the oven heats well, with no smell like gas, and the dishwasher cycle runs completely.
- Inspect the washer and dryer in the laundry room to make sure they complete their cycle with no problems. And if there is a sink in the laundry room, check that it drains properly by filling it up.
- Run the AC and heating system, even if the day is 900 when you perform your last walkthrough, as this will make sure the two are working perfectly.
Three to Two Weeks before your Move
- Schedule for connection of all essential utilities, such as water, electricity, and internet services at your new home. Give the date that these services at your old home should be cut off, and if possible, transfer your account over by notifying your provider.
- Clean up and rain gas inside equipment like lawnmowers, snow blowers, and so on.
- Professionally clean your rugs and draperies and wrap them immediately they are returned.
- Supply your new information to the Revenue Agency.
- Back up the files on your computer: Get a cheap backup drive and ensure you have copies of your entire important documents and files.
- Return cable TV equipment that is not yours.
- Notify your credit card lenders, bank, and any investment brokers of your next move. Give the new address and date to them.
- Schedule phone service at your new home (if required) and disconnect your current service.
- Ensure you contact your neighbors and/or property manager to obtain permission to park outside your existing and future moving homes for a minimum of 4 hours. Don’t forget, larger moving trucks don’t leave much space for road users. This would be the best time to meet your new neighbors.
- Schedule internet services at your new home and disconnect your current service.
- Ensure you fill all prescriptions. Switching to other doctors or pharmacies can leave you stuck with no medication. Schedule an appointment to plan your refills, and begin to find a new doctor.
- Transfer your magazine subscriptions.
- Cancel all locally centered memberships and opt-out of local associations.
Three Weeks to your Move
You are in the final month of your move now, so you can now check off items from your checklist and complete other tasks. Below is what you should do three weeks to the moving day:
- Cancel regular deliveries and services: If you accept regular home services or deliveries straight to your house, cancel them. For services that you have enjoyed so much, try leaving a specials appreciation and maybe tip them for making your time in the old house a sweet experience.
- Remind family and friends of your move: Your loved ones probably know, but this is also a perfect time to send a broadcast message to family and friends about your move. Add your new address and new phone number in the message. This is also a better chance to invite people to your moving-out party in case you’d like to throw one.
- Service your vehicles: Take your vehicle in for proper servicing, especially if you plan to drive it on a long distance to the new home. Make sure that your vehicle is perfectly prepared to transport you, the family, as well as your luggage safely.
- Continue packing: If you are yet to complete packing, continue it. Plan to be at least midway finished towards the end of this week. If you are still lacking behind, check our Best Packing Checklist When Moving
1 Week to your Moving Day
You are now in the final week of your move. Right now, your arrangement should be fixed and loaded, and all you have left to handle is to tie up loose ends. If you’ve been following the checklist up to this state, you have missed nothing to the final minute.
Below is what you must do one week to your move:
- Arrange utilities at the new home: Contact the utility providers for your new home and ensure that accounts are updated and you have everything turned on. Be sure to check water, gas, electricity, internet, garbage, and recycling services.
- Inspect the forecast for moving day: Be ready for the day of your move by knowing the actual thing to expect from the weather. With not up to one week to go, the forecast should be relatively reasonable, but monitor it as the moving day draws nearer. You will possibly get to your new home faster than your moving truck. You should probably delay your drive for a day or two if there is bad weather, but check this with your moving company.
- Start defrosting the refrigerator: If you are moving with your refrigerator, ensure you give it a minimum of complete 24-hours to defrost before it is loaded onto a moving truck.
- Create a checklist for your home cleanup: Now that you have packed everything and you are almost ready to vacate, keep all the moving boxes in one room, and inspect the rest of the house carefully. Thoroughly clean each room. Vacuum, sweep, mop, polish, and make the house neat as you can. For renters, this will retrieve your deposit for you. For homeowners, your staging and selling phase will be so much convenient.
- Take move-out photos or video: Before you move out, take some photos or make a video of your nice clean home. You can make the video for potential buyers, or to serve as evidence in recovering your security deposit as a renter. Moving-out photos and videos are digital evidence that the home was in good condition when you left it.
- Pack everything apart from your essential boxes: All your belongings should be completely packed up by now, without exceptions. You should be living the remaining few days out of your essential boxes until you vacate t your new home.
- Perform the last donation drop-off: Now that you have packed everything and all hazardous or unusable items are disposed of, any items you have left that you don’t want to move to your new home can be packed into a donation box. Quickly hit the nearest donation drop-off to your old home with the donation box.
Moving Day
The big day is nowhere. You are ready for a hassle-free and organized move. Below is a final checklist of important tasks on a moving day.
- Load the moving truck: You can now move all your packed boxes and furniture pieces out of your home and load them onto the moving truck. Monitor the movers if you hired them to load the moving truck for you, or if you are performing a DIY move, move and load the moving boxes into the truck yourself. Ensure you pack everything well and secure them on the truck.
- Pack the car: Load your car with your entire essential boxes, leaving space for household members who will ride in the car with you. If your pets are traveling with you, ensure they are the last to enter the vehicle.
- Arrange with your movers: Make a final confirmation of the schedule of the movers to arrive at your destination house on the perfect date. Plan to contact them for updates and in case of changes or problems. This is also a perfect time to ensure you are with cash to tip your movers.
- Perform the last walkthrough of your former home: Go round the house, each room, cupboard, closet, and ensure you don’t have anything left behind. Clean up any dusty or scuffed area as a result of the moving process.
- Get your new keys: When you get to your new home, find out how you will get in. If you are yet to collect your new keys, make a plan to get them as soon as you reach your new home. But it is advisable to get them before now.
- Close and lock your old home: Ensure each door and window is closed and locked before you and your family get in the car and hit the road. If you plan to leave your old keys with someone, now is the time to do that.
- Travel to your new home: Whether it is a fast drive to a part of town, or a several-day, long-distance, interstate road trip, be careful as you journey. Take breaks when and if you feel tired, and don’t even try to drive more in one day than you have strength for.
- Wait for the movers: We Will possibly get to your new house before the movers and moving truck. Now, unload and unpack your essential boxes to live from them while you wait for your moving truck to arrive. This period can be fin just like camping activity for the family.
- Unpack and settle in: You just completed a big move, and you can now unpack and relax in your new home after your move.
Conclusion
The process of moving doesn’t have to stress you too much. With this checklist, you can complete everything and have your new home perfectly set exactly as your moving day is here. For further ideas, use of our moving resources as provided in the blog section for a seamless move.
Whenever you are ready for your move, Trusted Moving services from Adams Van Lines make moving stress-free and affordable.
