Moving, endless piles of boxes, duck tape everywhere, kids running around, dogs barking at unfamiliar movers, things breaking. Is there a way to tame or even better avoid this whole chaos altogether? Well, believe it or not, YES! From hiring the full packing and moving service to making a few simple lists, there are actually a lot of ways to stay organized during your move. Here are a few things Seattle Pro Movers recommend you do in order to have an efficient and stressless experience while relocating.
Set up a plan and follow through with it
Setting up a detailed plan will be the key to a stressless and organized moving process. It will help you keep track of tasks, you’ll know how many you finished and how much you still have to do at any given moment. It will prevent you from doing unnecessary and time-consuming chores, because, if it’s not on the list it’s none of your business
To ensure the good quality of your moving checklist you’ll have to start early enough. Decide on the exact moving date as soon as possible and start planning around 8 weeks before the moving day. Check out how exactly your moving to-do list should look like and here are a few tips to know.
- Make it look like a timeline. What to do 8 weeks before, 7 weeks before, 6, 5, 4 weeks until the moving day, and so on.
- Include every single task in it, no matter how minor, to ensure that nothing is forgotten.
- Divide it into a few main parts. The first part will contain all logistics like budgeting, booking different service providers, address changes, and handling other important paperwork. Next will be gathering supplies together with the full packing process and last but not least, unpacking and some leftover tasks to finish it all up.
Set up a budget
Looking into your finances and setting up a realistic budget will determine the look of the whole moving process. Will you be able to hire professional movers for a full packing and moving experience, hire labor-only movers for just a partial service or will you do everything by yourself?
Besides the cost to hire movers, there are a few more expenses that shouldn’t be overlooked. Things like moving supplies, deposits, insurances, truck renting, gas, possible hidden fees, tips for motivated movers, and more, can greatly affect the amount of money you will spend while moving. Take everything into consideration and determine the budget that won’t damage your bank account but will be high enough to cover all necessary costs. Stick to the budget and follow a previously set plan and the moving process will be done in no time without any complications.
- Money-saving tip
Reuse as much as you can. There is no need for buying new moving boxes when you have many at home. Go through the house and ask your friends to do the same too. Scroll through Facebook marketplaces, Amazon, and similar sites because some people give their boxes for free after the move. Visit local stores and ask if they can give you some from the back.
Schedule necessary services on time
Hiring movers
If your plan includes hiring professional movers, doing it as early as possible is the wisest choice. Why? Well, just like every other service, the demand for pro packers and movers has its peaks and lows, and depending on your moving date, the availability of your local movers will vary.
Let’s say you are relocating because of a new job in another city and you don’t have the luxury of flexibility when it comes to the moving date. If you don’t schedule your movers on time, the chances for that exact time and date to be bookable will be significantly lower as time goes by. Avoid unnecessary and stressful complications by just one phone call and dedicate your time to other important tasks.
- A new fact to know
The highest demand for movers or “The peak of the moving season” starts around March and lasts all the way to September. If you wish to move during summer and with partial or full packing and moving service make sure everything is booked ahead of time.
Utilities
Utilities usually include cable and internet, water and sewer, gas, electricity, satellite, security system, trash, and phone. The first thing you want to do is write down the contact information of your utility service providers on one list and if you’re moving long-distance, changing providers is unavoidable so add their numbers too.
After you gather their info, it’s time to call each one and let them know you are moving. It’s a good idea to call a month ahead of time for utility services that require an installation appointment and for others, 2 weeks is just fine.
As for gas and electricity, consider scheduling the disconnect day for one or two days after you move out. In case you need to go back for some reason, the lights and air conditioning will stay on. Make sure you schedule the connection date for a day before or as soon as you move in so you don’t have to live without power for a week.
When it comes to water and sewer services, your new city or town will most likely be responsible for those. Contact your city’s public utility office a few weeks before the move to schedule the service to begin on moving day.
Make time for repairs and cleaning
Whether you’re moving your office, changing houses, and especially if you’re moving from one rented apartment to another, make sure you have enough time for cleaning and repairing.
Before you move out
Again, as early as possible, go around your place and check for damages. In case some major things should be taken care of, you might not be able to do it yourself and thus hiring someone will be unavoidable. Just like with scheduling professional movers, other service providers might not be available if you contact them at the last minute. For tackling the cleaning part, check out these tips and tricks.
As for the rented spaces, the look of the place will determine if you’re getting your deposit money back. For that reason make sure you take extra special care of all visible damages you made during your stay. For those who want to sell their old place, a clean and nicely set up environment will increase the selling chances.
Before you settle in
If you didn’t have the opportunity to deeply clean the space, handle broken appliances, paint walls, etc., doing so before you unpack is a must in case you want to avoid one horrible chaos. Mopping the floors, repairing the sink, and taking fragile things out of the boxes will most certainly end with shattered pieces of glass everywhere and possible injuries that require medical attention. Doing things in the correct order will allow you to avoid unwanted delays and stay organized until the end.
Declutter
Get rid of that chair you keep in the corner of the room, only dust sits on it. The more you have, the more disorganized you can get. Whether you lived at your current home for 2 or 20 years, you could most certainly gather at least one pile of things nobody uses or needs. Why torment yourself with full packing and then transporting process for some stuff when you’ll benefit more from throwing out or donating them. You could even earn some extra bucks by selling.
Throw a garage sale and post some of your stuff online for sale. You could use that extra cash for a nice weekend getaway to relax after. Donation is always a good choice too. Those things you don’t use anymore but are still in good condition will be more appreciated in someone else’s hands. From food to clothes and furniture, anything can be donated. Don’t forget about those unusable belongings in bad condition, they belong in the trash.
- One more perk of decluttering
Did you know most moving companies charge by the hour? The less you own the less you have to pack. This means your movers will be able to finish up everything much faster and thus the full cost to hire movers will be significantly lower too.
Pack smart
Packing is the most time-consuming and energy-draining part of the moving process. Staying organized and efficient through it will be essential for success. Let’s get right into tips and tricks to help you stay on track throughout the full packing and moving experience.
- Label
Labeling your boxes is necessary if you don’t want to get lost in one big mess. As you pack each box, write the name of the room it belongs in and list all things inside of it on the side. You’ll know where exactly everything is and where each box goes when you reach your new place.
- Pack a bag with essentials
Things like medications, chargers, toiletries, at least one change of clothes, and personal documents should be easily available throughout the whole moving process. Pack all of these in one bag or box, keep it separate from the rest of the things, and make sure it’s at arms reach at all times.
- Go room by room
The best way to stay organized is to pack room by room. Start with things you use the least and finish up with the most commonly used items. This simple thing will make the packing process less messy and make unpacking faster and easier.
- Don’t scatter your boxes everywhere
Keep the mess at a minimum. Set up the boxes as you need them and keep the packed ones in the same corner.
- Disassemble furniture
Disassembling all the furniture you can, even if you hired professional movers, is always a good idea. The less your movers have to do, the faster they’ll finish and if you’re moving on your own, carrying a few smaller pieces is much better than one bigger and heavier. Make sure all screws and micro parts are separated and labeled.
Take care of things professional movers won’t move
Seattle Pro Movers
At the very end, all we can say is we are here for you. Our relocation specialists will answer all questions torturing your mind regarding moving. Ease your headache with just one phone call. You can always email us if you prefer it or visit our site to get a free quote. Check out the moving services we offer and let us show you how easy moving can be.