The best movers offer unmatched experience, reliability, safety, and speed.
It’s how you organize the time you have until the move-out date that will determine how smoothly your move goes.
How much should you save for a long-distance move? Find out here!
Here’s your one-sentence moving checklist and planner for the pre-move period:
WORK OUT your moving budget: how much money can you afford to allocate to the move?
FILL OUT a free moving quote for precise price estimation and get contacted by reliable professional movers to work out the move details.
RESEARCH the online reputation of professional moving companies: check their customer reviews and overall performance ratings.
CHECK if the movers you have shortlisted are properly licensed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (valid USDOT Number).
VISIT the movers’ websites to learn more about who they are, what they do, and how they do it.
REQUEST in-home surveys from the movers for accurate moving cost calculation.
THINK twice before accepting price estimates prepared online or provided over the phone.
MAKE SURE you ask the moving companies the important questions in relation to your move.
REQUEST binding estimates of the final relocation price from the representatives who are performing a visual inspection of your household.
ASK your movers about any additional moving services if such have not been clearly stated and priced in the binding estimate.
REQUEST more information about current promotions, applicable discounts, or anything else that may bring the moving price down.
OBTAIN more information about movers’ insurance options, services offered, payment methods, dispute settlement programs, hidden fees, and so on.
COMPARE the received estimates carefully and pay special attention to the extra services and their respective charges.
REFRAIN from accepting an offer that is way lower than the rest – it could be a sign of moving fraud.
BOOK your move as soon as you have set your sights on a particular mover to cut your moving costs.
CONSIDER scheduling your move on a weekday in the middle of a month during the off-peak season (September – May) for additional reduction of the moving costs.
MAKE SURE you fully understand all the paperwork your mover provides before you agree to the terms with your signature.
DON’T MAKE the mistake of signing blank or incomplete documents.
CONTACT your moving company again about 2 weeks before your move-out date to see if everything is going according to plan.
GET in touch with car shipping companies if you need to have your vehicle transported to another part of the country – quickly and safely.
If Moving day is the most feared day, packing is the most dreaded moving task.
Packing for a move is the only task that will continue throughout your moving preparations.
Yes, packing can take forever to complete… but this one-sentence packing checklist will tackle the job faster and safer.
CONSIDER hiring professional packers, if you can afford it, for greater speed, safety, reliability, and peace of mind.
GET appropriate packing supplies, either from your movers or from an office supply store: moving boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, etc.
START packing up your things ASAP – packing is the most time-consuming task when moving.
DECIDE the fate of each and every item in your home well before Moving day.
GO through each room and compile a detailed home inventory of your entire household.
NOTE any possessions with special packing or handling requirements.
CONSIDER purchasing adequate insurance for your valuable possessions.
SELL (online or at a moving sale), give away to friends or family, donate to charity, or recycle all the items you won’t need anymore.
FOCUS on the items you’re taking with you and get them ready for packing.
START packing from the rooms you use least frequently (attic, garage, basement, guest rooms) to avoid cluttering up your home.
PREPARE your largest household goods for packing first and then think about how to pack your smaller items.
USE packing tape to reinforce the bottoms of all second-hand cardboard boxes you’ve managed to obtain.
BE careful when packing fragile items: use plenty of packing paper, bubble wrap, and padding materials for extra protection.
PACK an essentials box – an Open First box with absolute essentials that you’ll need on your last day in your old place or during your first day in your new home.
MAKE SURE you pack your valuables securely and keep them with you during all stages of your relocation.
DON’T WASTE your time, energy, or money packing any household goods that movers are not allowed to transport due to the hazardous nature of those items.
USE UP, give away, or sell such prohibited items, or find an alternative transportation method for the ones you do want to keep.
PREPARE to ship your pets to another state or get them ready for the long trip in the family car.
PACK safely the house plants you do wish to take with you for trouble-free transportation across the country.
LABELat least two sides of each packed box with vital information, such as content, destination room, or special instructions.
CONSIDER placing color codes (labels, stickers, etc.) on your packed boxes for easier identification during the sorting and unpacking processes.
MAKE SURE your large furniture pieces (beds, wardrobes, dressers, bookcases, desks, etc.) are fully or partially disassembled at least a few days before Moving day.
DON’T LEAVE any packing jobs, no matter how small they may seem, for the day when things tend to get rather chaotic – Moving day.
GET extra packing help from friends or professional packers if you happen to be behind on the packing schedule.
RECYCLE or give away any remaining packing supplies once you finish packing.
THROW AWAY all the garbage left from packing and clean up your place thoroughly.
KEEP your packing concentration high by eliminating all distractions and setting mini packing goals.
Stage 1: Before the move: Organizing the perfect move
Not too proud of your organization skills? This step-by-step moving checklist is just the thing you need for a headache-free move across the country.
The power of this easy moving checklist is to enable you to plan the perfect move – a problem-free house-moving experience until you reach the new home.
Are you ready to stay organized with a printable moving checklist?
CREATE a moving file (binder) and keep inside it all the important moving paperwork that will surely be generated: contracts, agreements, checklists, inventory lists, receipts, records, notes, etc.
OBTAIN your child’s school records or arrange for their transfer directly to the respective new school in the destination town or city.
VISIT your family physician and dentist, and request any documents necessary for registering with a healthcare provider in your new city.
TAKE your pet – dog, cat, bird – for a full medical checkup and, while at the vet’s office, ask for your animal friend’s immunization record.
CHANGE your address at your post office in person or do it online to save valuable time.
NOTIFY close friends and important institutions of your address change over the phone, via email, or through your preferred social network.
CANCEL all your subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, or delivery services.
CONTACT the current utility companies (electricity, water, gas, telephone, Internet, heating, etc.) and arrange for the disconnection of the utilities at your old home.
GET in touch with the utility providers in your new city and schedule the reconnection of services, ideally a couple of days before the move-in date.
CONTACT your insurance company and cancel your soon-to-be old policies.
HAVE your car serviced at an authorized service station if you plan to drive to your new home.
COMPLETE any property repairs if you wish to sell your home for top dollar or get back your security deposit problem-free.
VISIT your new residence, if possible, and note down anything you think may be relevant to the move.
CREATE a floor plan by measuring the dimensions of your largest furniture pieces and see how they will fit into the room dimensions of your new place.
TALK with your children about the upcoming changes and discuss any moving issues that may be troubling them.
PLAN your route well and arrange for places to rest or even spend the night if you’re driving long distance to your new residence.
FIND a trustworthy babysitter to keep your small baby safe during the day when anything can happen – Moving day.
FIND someone to take care of your pet for you on the actual day of the move.
CONTACT the building management and reserve the (freight) elevator for both the move-out and move-in dates.
PAY UP any remaining bills and keep the receipts in the moving file.
RETURN any books or DVDs you may have borrowed from friends or from the library.
DEFROST and clean up your refrigerator or/and fridge at least 24 hours before Moving day.
FIND time to visit your favorite neighbors and say your goodbyes.
ASK a reliable neighbor to forward your mail to your new address and leave some cash for the postal expenses.
MAKE SURE your cell phone is operational and its battery is fully charged.
GO to bed early on the day before Moving day in order to have the stamina to survive the longest and most stressing day of a residential move.
Every driven mile brings you closer to your new life.
Moving day is the most unpredictable day in the entire house move, so you need to be very prepared for it and extremely careful on the day itself.
This quick moving checklist takes you now to Moving day:
WAKE UP early on Moving day, take a deep breath, and do your best to get in the right mental state for the most feared day of the entire moving process.
TRY to keep your energy and concentration elevated throughout the moving day.
WELCOME your movers at the agreed hour and let them do their job.
PROVIDE your moving team with easy access to water and offer to buy them lunch if you really want to.
MAKE SURE your valuable items and important documents are kept safe and away from the movers.
BE extra careful whenever you are asked to sign a document.
KEEP your small children and pets safe in a separate room away from the moving chaos.
BE present and alert when the movers are loading your household items into the moving truck.
CONFIRM that the moving company has your phone number, the exact address of the new home, and detailed directions on how to get there.
DO one final inspection of your home and make sure nothing is left behind.
MAKE SURE your place is clean and in perfect condition before you go away.
TAKE photos of your entire house or apartment as proof of its tip-top shape.
CHECK whether all the windows and doors are closed and locked securely before leaving your home for good.
CHECK whether the electricity, water, and gas are safely turned off and switched off.
Great post Joshua! This moving checklist is really going to help people through what can be a very stressful time. It really is important for people to research the moving company that they are hiring. Especially if you have lots of precious and valuable items, it can really pay off when you have a representative come in and perform a visual inspection before giving an estimate. Also, many people who are on a tight budget do not realize that they can actually pack stuff like clothing and smaller items in boxes which will in turn save them lots of money. Many people also aren’t aware that they cannot pack household cleaning products that are considered hazardous and illegal to transport. Color coding is also a great way to organize your move and make it much easier on both the movers and for the clients when they get into their new home. You would be surprised how much time can be wasted from movers having to ask where certain boxes shall go once they arrive at the destination. In my experience with my Irvine Moving Company I have found that by using these tactics you have spoken of, it helps the move go much smoother and the clients are much more pleased with the results of it. Overall, great post Joshua I think it will really help some people out!
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Great post Joshua! This moving checklist is really going to help people through what can be a very stressful time. It really is important for people to research the moving company that they are hiring. Especially if you have lots of precious and valuable items, it can really pay off when you have a representative come in and perform a visual inspection before giving an estimate. Also, many people who are on a tight budget do not realize that they can actually pack stuff like clothing and smaller items in boxes which will in turn save them lots of money. Many people also aren’t aware that they cannot pack household cleaning products that are considered hazardous and illegal to transport. Color coding is also a great way to organize your move and make it much easier on both the movers and for the clients when they get into their new home. You would be surprised how much time can be wasted from movers having to ask where certain boxes shall go once they arrive at the destination. In my experience with my Irvine Moving Company I have found that by using these tactics you have spoken of, it helps the move go much smoother and the clients are much more pleased with the results of it. Overall, great post Joshua I think it will really help some people out!