Moving day has finally arrived. You’ve finished packing, hired a moving van, and are ready to start your new life in your new apartment or house. While moving can be an exciting time, it can be stressful if you don’t plan carefully. The last thing you want is to realize you’ve forgotten something crucial before settling into your new home.
Whether you move around regularly or are doing so for the first time, the whole process can be extremely overwhelming.
Lucky for you, we’ve compiled a moving checklist of handy tips to make moving day as efficient as possible. So take a closer look below to find out more about how to make your move smoother.
Moving Checklist
Wake Up Early
It’s no secret that waking up early boosts your productivity. From athletes to doctors, early rising is highly recommended for anyone who wants to get a head start on their day. Getting a head start can make all the difference when you’re planning a move.
No matter what time you’ve scheduled your moving van, waking up early on moving day is always a good idea. Even if you packed everything immaculately, an early rising gives you more time to run any checks that you may have missed.
Waking up early also helps you avoid unnecessary stress associated with waking up late and doing everything last minute.
To ensure you wake up on time, try to head to bed at a reasonable hour the night before your move. That way, you can set an early alarm knowing that you will get a full night of sleep.
Check Relevant Documents
It may seem obvious, but ensuring you have all your essential documents in one place can save you a lot of stress. Although you’ve probably done this long before moving day, it’s always a good idea to double-check that you’ve changed your address on various documents.
Here are the primary documents you will need to change your address:
- Your employer
- Utility companies
- Phone and internet providers
- Your doctor and dentist
- Insurance providers
Additionally, here’s a list of essential items to keep separated somewhere safe for moving day:
- Important documents (passport, birth certificates, marriage license, anything containing bank account information)
- Credit cards
- Medication
- Cash
- Phone and charger
Do a Final Sweep of Your Property
Before your home is filled with movers, it’s worth doing one final sweep to ensure you have everything you need for the big move. Often, people leave miscellaneous items around that they have forgotten about.
Check all storage places, including closets, drawers, and cabinets when conducting your sweep. If your home is large, make sure that you have checked the attic and basement for any extra items.
Brief Your Movers
Once the time comes for your movers to arrive, it’s a good idea to walk them through everything you’ve done so far. Be sure to inform them of any fragile boxes you might have, plus any pieces of furniture that might need to be disassembled.
To make things even easier, consider putting labels on your boxes so that movers can assess which items need to be handled delicately. Either way, it’s always a good idea to discuss these details with your movers to be on the safe side.
Ensure that you are there to moderate when the movers are loading up the vans if they have questions about the move. It’s also likely to give you more peace of mind if you watch how everything is placed in the truck. That way, you won’t need to worry about any fragile items breaking on the journey to your new apartment or house.
Additionally, movers undergo a lot of physical strain when doing their job. For this reason, make sure to have enough water ready for them. Plus, it would help to let them know where the bathrooms are in case they need to use them at any point.
Do a “Final” Final Sweep
Once everything is finally loaded into your moving van, do one final sweep of your property. It may be that you have left a garbage bag somewhere or even some leftover food in the fridge. Doing a last final sweep can help you determine the state of your property once all the furniture and other items are removed.
If possible, do a final wipe down of any bits that haven’t been cleaned. This could mean eliminating any buildup of dirt or dust accumulated on the property. Some cleaning jobs might require even more maintenance in some cases.
If applicable, it may be a good idea to contact a cleaning company to conduct a thorough job to ensure you get your full down payment given back to you.
Consider Your Pets
If you think moving is stressful for you, imagine what it’s like for your fluffy friends. It can be easy to overlook your pets with so much going on. Likewise, our non-human family members often find the whole moving process extremely worrying. To keep pets happy, you must have everything planned ahead of time.
Before moving, it’s a good idea to consult with your vet about potential calming products. For instance, artificial pheromone products such as Feliway (for cats) and Adaptil (for dogs) can reduce your pet’s anxiety levels. Additionally, always keep your pet’s food and water nearby when moving.
Once you arrive in your new property, try to uphold the same routine with your pets as you had in your previous home. Cats may find moving homes incredibly stressful because they tend to get attached to where they live.
When you’re fully moved into your new property, keep your cat indoors for up to three weeks before letting them go out. That way, they can adjust themselves to the new property.
Be Careful When Loading the Van
Although it’s recommended that movers are hired for extra precision, some people still prefer to do it themselves. If you’re among those who have decided to move without the help of movers, then make sure you are extremely careful when filling your van with items. Be sure to load it logically.
For instance, place any fragile items such as artwork or mirrors behind mattresses to ensure maximum padding when driving to your new home. Doing this will ensure that you don’t stress about specific items on the way. Plus, it helps to eliminate the risk of any damage taking place.
Communicate With Movers When You Arrive
Once you hit the road to your new place, ensure that all hired movers have the correct address. Also, make sure that you arrive at the new property first to keep anyone from waiting for your arrival.
When the movers arrive, walk them through the ins and outs of your new home so that they know where to go and let them know which room each box goes. Plus, make sure you have food and water around for this process, as it can be quite physically taxing.
Additionally, staying in touch with your movers during the process helps keep you in the loop. They may have traffic issues, take an alternate route, or have just stopped to grab a bite to eat. Communicating with your movers can help you create an estimated time frame for the whole moving process.
Tip the Movers
Once the moving job is finally complete, and all your boxes and furniture have been assembled, it’s time to say thank you to the movers (if you have hired any) by tipping them. Although this isn’t compulsory, it’s a nice gesture after they have spent all day lugging, lifting, and assembling your furniture in your new home.
Often tips are divided between the team, so it’s worth considering this when giving it to them.
Unpack Essential Items
When you move into a new house, it can be easy to get overexcited. Instead of unpacking everything all at once, take it one day at a time to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Once your movers have completed their job, unpack some essential items you may need that evening and for the following day. This usually includes toiletries, PJs, and a change of clothes for the next day.
Welcome to Your New Home!
Moving can be a very stressful time. One way of ensuring that everything goes to plan is to make a moving checklist. That way, you can guarantee that nothing is forgotten, and you can move into your new place with little hassle.
Once all the steps have been completed, you can finally put your feet up and relax in your new home. Why not bake some fresh goodies and get to know your neighbors? Or maybe, go on a walk and grab a bite to eat. That way, you can get to know your new neighborhood a little better.
We hope that this checklist has helped you better understand some moving day essentials.