Moving house can be a chaotic period when too many things happen at the same time. Add the notorious stress of moving to the equation and it’s easy to see why some people tend to forget to do something important when they are getting ready to move out.
The thing is that you wouldn’t want to forget to do an important task during your pre-move preparation – if you did, then you would most likely end up losing precious time or hard-earned money.
So, to avoid getting yourself into any sort of trouble, you must know what to remember to do when you’re moving out – the essential tasks that you need to take care of in order to keep things running smoothly during the relocation.
Here’s what not to forget when moving: 10 critical tasks that you should do your best to tackle in a timely manner. That is, before it’s too late.
1. To follow a moving checklist
Proper time management is critical to the success of a house move. Why? There are so many things to do when moving to a new home that it’s common for people to get overwhelmed by the excessive number of moving tasks waiting to be completed.
Therefore, what you must remember to do when moving is to create and follow a moving checklist – a detailed, personalized, and prioritized to-do list that contains all the important things you are required to do before moving out of your current place.
A good moving checklist will help you use effectively each hour of each day you have until the move-out day, thus eliminating the unpleasant scenario of you wasting valuable time simply because you have no idea what you should do best.
Must-read: Moving timeline: Interactive week-by-week moving checklist
2. To schedule the move smartly
You may not realize this but choosing a move-out date can play a big role in how the entire relocation plays out.
In fact, scheduling your move smartly can enable you to save money. How?
Moving company rates tend to be lower when the demand for moving services is low – that is, during the off-peak season (September – May) or during a weekday that’s roughly in the middle of a month. So, pick a date when fewer people are moving house and you should get a (much) better deal from a mover.
When you’re moving with children who attend school, you should also take into consideration how the move will affect their academic year. Moving during the school year may prove to be a bad decision so weigh the pros and cons in order to do what’s best for your kids.
Read also: When is the best time to move house?
3. To compare several movers
What you need to remember when moving out of state is that you should compare several moving companies so that you can pick the best one for you in terms of price and conditions.
One rookie mistake when moving to another home is to say YES to the very first moving company that makes you an offer. The thing is that you could still pick that very first mover but not until you’ve compared their bid with the ones made by a few other movers.
Use our Moving Cost Calculator to get quotes from top-rated moving companies in your immediate area. Request in-home surveys for more accurate estimates and compare the prices and conditions of their offers.
Also, read moving reviews in order to check out what former customers have said about the services and level of professionalism of each mover before you agree to hire one.
See also: What are the benefits of hiring reputable state-to-state movers?
4. To gather important documents
The thing is that you won’t have enough move-related experience if you’ve never had to move house before that moment in time.
So, what not to forget when moving out for the first time? Gather a bunch of important documents, of course.
When moving with school-age children, you will have to enroll them in a new school in the destination city or town. And to be able to do this, you’ll need to get their school records in person or arrange their inter-school transfer.
The next set of documents you should get hold of is the medical documentation from your family physician. As you can guess, you will need those medical documents in order to sign up with another healthcare provider in the destination place.
Also, make sure you keep all move-related documents in a special binder so that you always know where they are in case you need them.
Read also: How to organize documents when moving house
5. To transfer home utilities
A successful house move is all about thinking a few moves ahead.
While you’re handling the pressing tasks at hand, you will also need to look into the near future and think about what else you will need to take care of so that things go as smoothly as possible.
Hopefully, you will possess an excellent moving checklist that will do just that – guide you throughout the relocation process.
Another thing you should not forget to do when moving is to disconnect the home utilities at the current place so that you stop paying for them once you move out. Of course, you will also need to reconnect them, if applicable, at the new house or apartment so that you get electricity, water, gas, and other house utilities when you reach it.
Useful information: How to transfer utilities when moving
6. To change your postal address
What you should remember to do when moving house is to change your postal address with the USPS so that you can continue to receive your mail without any issues.
Don’t forget to initiate the change of address (COA) procedure with the United States Postal Service, preferably a few weeks before you move out. While you can technically change your address after the move, the risk of getting mail lost in the meantime will be greater that way.
Luckily, you’ve got 4 options to make this happen:
- In person at the nearest post office;
- Online by visiting the official USPS webpage;
- By phone by following pre-recorded instructions, and
- By mail (of course!) by mailing a filled-out change of address form to Postmaster, USPS.
Also, remember to notify friends and important institutions and organizations of your new address.
Step-by-step: How to change address when moving
7. To get packing materials for free
What you should definitely remember when moving out is that you don’t have to purchase all of the packing materials brand new.
As long as you have enough time and sufficient energy, you are encouraged to find free packing supplies – especially relevant for cardboard boxes. This way, you’ll be able to minimize the packing costs – after all, why should you pay for something when you can get it for free, right?
First of all, ask friends, neighbors, and colleagues if they have any packing materials that you can get for free since they don’t need those anymore. The easiest way to reach out to your pals is through a post on your preferred social media platform.
And secondly, you can initiate your own hunt for free packing materials by contacting the largest local businesses and speaking with their respective managers about getting the boxes, bubble wrap, and packing paper they no longer need.
Useful info: How to get free moving boxes
8. To declutter your home before packing
One of the most important things to remember when moving is that you should never start packing up your things unless you have already decluttered your stuff.
Why?
Moving everything you own is a serious moving mistake simply because you will be forced to pay for the transportation of some things that you won’t really need in the new home. There are always a number of household items that have become useless or obsolete over time – furniture pieces, clothes, shoes, and so on.
So, remember to inventory your home and then decide the fate of each item you own – will you take it with you or will you simply leave it behind? And if you choose not to move it, how will you get rid of it – sell, donate, or throw it away?
In addition to paying less money when you transport fewer items, the task of paring down your belongings will ensure there’s enough storage space for them in the new home.
More info: How to declutter your home when moving
9. To pack essentials boxes
People often forget to pack essentials boxes prior to Moving day. But what is an essentials box and why should you pack a few of those before moving out?
As the name suggests, an essentials box contains various important items that will help you get by until you have access to your regular boxes once more. Those survival kits will have absolute essentials such as toiletries, prescription medication, an extra change of clothes for each member of the family, important documents, valuables, and even a set of hand tools.
Don’t underestimate the critical role of Open-First boxes – they should be the ones that stay with you, the ones you load last into your vehicle, and the ones you unpack first in the new home.
Good to know: What to pack in an Open-First box
10. To label all boxes
If you’re thinking about forgetting to label your boxes properly after packing them up, think twice.
Labeling moving boxes is more important than you think – if you have an exceptionally good memory, you should still do it. How could you possibly memorize what’s inside each container when they all look almost identical from the outside?
What not to forget to do when moving is to write on each box its content, destination room, and handling instructions, if any. Remember that it’ll take between 30 seconds and 1 minute to label a box while it can take you hours of precious post-relocation time to rummage through piles and piles of cardboard containers if you fail to label them accordingly.
Follow the link below to learn more about the best ways to label boxes for moving so that you can pick the labeling method that will work out best in your case.
Good to know: What’s the best way to label moving boxes?
