How to organize an emergency move?

by Ethan Greenfieldon Aug 2, 2016.

Haste makes waste, as the wise men say. Yet, sometimes haste is not a matter of choice but of necessity – circumstances beyond your control may call for prompt action and quick decisions. Emergency moving is a fine example of such a dire situation when an agile mind and a swift response can make all the difference between success and failure.

Whatever your reason to move out on a short notice (an unexpected opportunity for a better job in another location, a sudden change in your family’s situation or in your financial status, etc.), you’ll have to harness all your energy and skills in order to ensure a smooth and trouble-free relocation. To avoid critical moving mistakes and reduce the enormous stress ensuing from the hectic moving preparations, you need a proven emergency moving strategy that will help you stay on top of things, no matter what.

Adopt the right approach

However little time you may have left until Moving day, hitting the panic button will do you no good. The calmer you are, the greater your chance of ensuring a successful relocation. So, make every effort to accept the imminent change in your life in a positive way, concentrate on the arduous tasks ahead, and get down to work as soon as possible. Do not waste time thinking about the events that led to your emergency move or the uncertainties that lie ahead of you – just roll up your sleeves and start the moving preparations immediately!

Manage your time wisely

Time will be ticking away faster than ever in the few days before your move, so you’ll have to find a way to organize every minute of every hour for maximum efficiency and minimum havoc. Create a customized moving timeline, prioritize your moving tasks and set clear deadlines to make sure that all the important work will be finished on time (less fundamental and easier to accomplish tasks should be left for last). Be very specific when setting your objectives and see to it that they get done on schedule. This way, you’ll be able to check on your progress, take corresponding measures whenever necessary, and alleviate the moving stress – every time you cross out a task as completed, you’ll know that you’re moving in the right direction.

Find reliable help

You can’t possibly perform an emergency relocation all by yourself. If you are moving locally and have previous relocation experience, you can venture a DIY move, of course, but make sure you have reliable friends to help you out at every stage of the relocation process – from packing your belongings to transporting them to your new place.

In all other scenarios, consider hiring professional moving services. The experienced emergency movers will handle your last-minute relocation with enviable speed, efficiency and safety. Just make sure you find trustworthy professionals who will be available for the time period of your move and will be able to complete all the work within the time limits you define.

Good to remember: When pressed for time, you may be tempted to use the first available emergency moving services you come across. Doing so, however, will be a great mistake on your part. You risk falling victim to moving scams or dealing with incompetent, uninsured or unlicensed movers if you hire a moving company without researching it first. Reading online reviews, verifying the company’s USDOT number, and checking its complaint history is a must-do, no matter how little time you have at your disposal. Remember that skipping this essential phase may cost you lots of money and severe headaches.

Organize and pre-pack your belongings

Organizing and preparing your items for shipment is the most time-consuming and laborious task you’ll have to deal with when moving house. You need to go through your possessions and decide what exactly to take with you and what to do with the items that are not worth moving to your new home – sell them, donate them to charity, give them away to friends, or discard them. While sorting out your belongings, make sure you create a detailed inventory list of all the articles you intend to relocate – this way you will save plenty of time (your packing list will be ready), will better assess your needs and requirements (type and amount of packing supplies, auxiliary moving services), will get an accurate estimate of your final moving costs, will be able to determine the value of your belongings and the kind of liability coverage you need, and will have indisputable evidence in case some of your items get lost/stolen or damaged while in the movers’ custody.

Depending on how much time you have before your move you can pre-pack some of your possessions – easy-to-pack personal items and valuables you’d rather not entrust to the movers. However, you are strongly recommended to hire professional packers to take care of your large household items and delicate belongings as you won’t have the time to pack them as safely and efficiently as the short notice movers will.

Good to remember: Make sure you gather all your documents and pack a box of essentials that will help you survive for several days without the rest of your belongings.

Take care of the paperwork

You can change your address and update your driver’s license and your car registration after having settled in your new home, but certain issues need to be taken care of prior to your move:

notify your employer (and your landlord, if relevant) of your imminent relocation as soon as possible and take care of the related paperwork (end contracts and lease agreements, get letters of reference, etc.);
contact your children’s school and your family physician and retrieve all the necessary school records and medical records;
transfer utilities;
put your financial documents in order (transfer your bank accounts, notify your insurer and your credit card company of your move, etc.);
arrange for the shipment of your pets and your motor vehicles;
buy plane tickets for your trip to your new home or have your car serviced in case you are going to drive to your final destination.

Plan in detail

Make every effort to ensure maximum safety and efficiency during the relocation process:

schedule your move and make all the necessary reservations as early as possible (emergency moving assistance, emergency moving truck, parking lots, elevators, etc.);
order take-outs so that you don’t have to shop for groceries and cook during the last few days before the relocation;
take appropriate measures to prevent accidents and injuries on moving day;
make sure there will be someone (a friend, a relative, a babysitter) to take care of your children and your pets when the movers arrive;
consider hiring professional cleaners to save your time and energy and ensure that both your old home and your new one will be impeccably clean;
allow for unexpected difficulties and last-minute changes.

Stressful as it may be, emergency moving is a challenge you can successfully overcome – just keep your cool and take advantage of our efficient tips for moving on short notice.