10 TIPS HOW TO PREPARE YOUR PLACE FOR MOVING DAY

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Moving locally? There are a lot of steps to check off after you scheduled your moving company. No matter how organized you are or how amazing a planner you are, moving can be overwhelming and exhausting. In all that mess it’s easy to forget something. Fortunately, there are ways to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible. Besides preparing your moving strategy, your belongings and yourself, you will have to prepare your home before your movers arrive. If you do this step right, you will ensure stress-free move.

Inventory your entire home

Let’s face it, you are not going to move everything that you own. That is why it is important to list your belongings so you could know what you want to take to your new home, what to sell or give away and what to get rid of. This is a very important step even if your local moving company is going to pack your belongings, because you will avoid this process in your new location when you have to unpack your items. If you make a moving inventory, you will save yourself a lot of time. Not to mention that this will help you to keep constant track of your belongings throughout the relocation. Try to take a lot of pictures of your items, that’s how you will have the proof about the condition of your items before the move in case something gets damaged during your move. Make sure to get rid of unwanted stuff – sell them online or organize pre-move sale, gift them to your friends or family, donate them to the charity or simply throw them away. You don’t want to stuck unneeded items in your new home.

Pack your belongings

Now that you have decided what you want to have in your new home and what not, it’s time for packing. If you hired a moving company that will also pack your personal belongings, feel free to skip this step. First, you should find quality packing material. Don’t try to save money when you are buying packing boxes, because they are protection for your valuable family memories, your dishes and china. Besides the boxes, you will need tape and packing paper, so make sure you get those as well. Bubble wrap, old towels or clothes might be great if you run out of packing paper. The easiest way to pack is room by room. You will be grateful to yourself when it comes to unpacking.

Few tips for packing:

Dish packing is probably the biggest nightmare to anyone who ever moved locally. Make sure to wrap every glass, every plate and cup with packing paper. Don’t overpack the boxes. It’s going to be heavy for the movers and boxes might break. Either way, you will end up with damaged items. Place heavier items on the bottom and lighter on top of them. Close the box and shake it gently to check if there is any movement inside the carton. If so, add more cushioning in the box. Double or even triple tape the box to make sure it is sealed. Don’t forget to label boxes.

Don’t forget to leave your essentials (clothes that you are planning to wear, toothbrush, few cups for your morning coffee) out of the box, so you can use them on your moving day. You should take your important paperwork and valuables with you. P.S. Start your packing as early as possible. If you scheduled a standard, self-pack moving service, your local movers will expect you to have your smaller items ready to go once they arrive at your current location.

Moving company’s policy on moving specific items

Moving alcohol, flammable items, liquids etc. If you are not sure about your moving company’s policy – check your confirmation email, agreement (if it’s sent in advance) or just simply call them. Due to everyone’s safety you shouldn’t try to move what is against the company’s policy. You can always pack those items in your car and transport it safely that way. Set aside cleaning supplies Hopefully, you have already finished your deep clean. Still, make sure to set aside cleaning supplies to clean after your movers have finished loading everything. Once everything is out, you will be able to see if any last-minute cleaning is needed.

Reserve a parking spot for the moving truck

You should know that every customer is responsible to provide the moving company with a parking spot for the truck. If you are not living in the house with the driveway, you should probably get the parking permits. You can easily apply for a parking permit in the City Hall. If you don’t have time to get one, you can always block one parking spot with your car in order to save it for the movers.

Clear walkways

It is very important to make it safe and easy for your movers to get in and out of your house while carrying your items. Make sure to move potted plants, door and floor mats, rugs. Remove low hanging items such as hanging plants or wind chimes. Try to keep the door open, it will make things easier for the movers.

Organize a sitter for your kids or pet

Moving itself can be very complicated. If you have a baby or toddler things can suddenly get even more complicated. The kids cannot understand what is going on around them, they will be nervous, confused and also, you don’t want to worry about their safety because you will have to be there to coordinate the move. The number one safety rule is to keep both small kids and pets away from the moving action. When it comes to pets, they can be on the way for the movers and that is unsafe for both, movers and pets. Get the friendly help you need from your family members or from your friends.

Make sure your phone is available and charged

Turn up the volume on your phone and charge the battery for the day. Probably your moving company will give you a call before they arrive at your location. Movers might need your help to find the exact house or the apartment. Or maybe you have your to do list written in your cell phone. If you are moving to the new building complex, movers might need instructions on how to get there. There are a lot of reasons why you might need your phone on your moving date, so it’s best to keep your charger in your essential bag.

Fill up your cooler with water and snacks

Sometimes moving can last for more than 5 or 6 hours, you can never know. Moving itself requires a lot of heavy lifting that requires a lot of energy. We understand that you are busy, but that is not an excuse to forget to eat or drink enough water. Fill up your cooler with high-protein snacks like bags of nuts, dried fruit, sandwiches. You might consider packing a little bit extra for your movers, it is a nice gesture and will be warmly received.

One last walkthrough

After you prepared everything, go through your home one more time. Check all shelves, cabinets and drawers just in case you forgot something in there. Oh yes, don’t forget to bring your essentials bag. Don’t forget to do a walkthrough after the movers finish loading in the truck. It’s better safe than sorry because it might be difficult to get back. Hopefully we helped you with this text. Bear in mind that it is impossible to anticipate everything that can happen on your moving date, so make sure you have enough time for planning, organizing and packing. If you find an excellent local moving company, it can be less complicated and less stressful than you think.