Moving is one of the Top 5 move stressful Events in a persons Life. Organization is key in any successful & Stress-Free move! Sorry in advance because there is a ton of information here, but you will be glad you read it all.

6 Weeks to Moving Day

• Make a Moving Binder & Box*
  • The “Moving Binder is for keeping all your must have items for your new house and moving day so you can find it when you need to. I have another blog post where I lay out what should be in your moving binder and box, but some examples are: Locks for the truck and storage unit, checkbook, first aid kit, medications, calendar, moving checklists like this one 🙂
• Sell or Donate or Trash
  • Decluttering and downsizing can save you a lot of money on a move. It could help you go from 2 trucks down to 1. Also there is no better time to do these three things then when you are going through everything to start packing it. So I suggest you create 3 piles in your garage or a space you have open and start sorting through things. If you have a moving company lined up you can hire them once you have your piles made and they can do a few hours one day taking things to the dump and donation center. Keep in mind if you are moving interstate moving companies charge by cuft or lbs so the more you get rid of the cheaper your move will be.
• Request Work Off
  • We know this is not always possible especially if you are starting a new job, but do what you can so that you can be there that day to oversee everything. Also beware of trying to move the day you are closing on a house. Things happen and having everyone at your house waiting for you to close can be a lot of stress on you.
• Make or Fill Out a Packing Game Plan
  • Set a goal of how many boxes to pack everyday or what rooms need to be packed by when. I would suggest something like after dinner every night pack 3 boxes. You can always adjust as the date gets closer. Also plan around rooms that have stuff you won’t need, like the ski gear that you wont need till next winter.
• Plan Out your New House
  • If you have an idea of what your new house will be like then you can plan out where rooms will go or major furniture items. For example you might plan on your new couch going to the basement of the house you move into because you are getting new couches. You might also plan on your sons sharing a room so you can start labelling the boxes in that room as boy’s room or bedroom 2.
• Plan on How to Move Plants and Pets
  • Most moving companies won’t move plants or pets so look at your options. This might be a friend flying our with your dog or finding a mover that will put your plants in their truck, or having someone take care of a plant for you till you can get it moved in the right weather.
• Schedule Vaccinations & Grooming
  • Getting these items taken care of before the crunch time of moving hits will relieve a lot of stress. This also helps because if you wait till after your move it might take time to find a vet and grooming place that can get you in their schedule.
• Find Pet Care for the Day of Your Move
  • Sometimes getting friends to help you move is hard, but they might gladly watch your dog for the day. Also you might be able to have your dog scheduled to get groomed the day of your move and that will give you a day of free boarding. I have personally been on moves with dogs that have gotten out and run away or a mover gets hurt tripping over a dog they didn’t see.
• Find Child Care for the Day of Your Move
  • This should be done in advance so if you need to fly family out you can get cheaper tickets, or if you need to work around other people’s schedules this can allow you flexibility. Although it is totally possible to move with small kids, it often is a long a boring day for them and I have seen it where parents yell a lot at their kids because they are stressed and the kids are simply bored and curious.
• Plan out Your Meals
  • Food is a pain to move. Planning out your meals to use up food in your fridge and freezer will simplify your move in a lot of ways especially if you are moving across the country. Also the more you eat the less you have to pack up. That saves you money on boxes. Try using sites like http://www.allrecepies.com to select meals by the food you need to use up.
• Research New Area
  • If you are moving around the corner you don’t need to worry about this, but in your moving binder it is good to keep a sheet of places you might need to know the address and phone number of when you get to your new home. For example if someone gets hurt unloading the truck, knowing where the nearest urgent care in your insurance network would be helpful.
• Address Change Checklist*
  • I have made a whole checklist with organizations and place you might need to change your address with before you move, even if you are moving locally. Examples of where you need to change your address is: your bank, Amazon, post office, automobile insurance, and schools to name a few.

4 Weeks to Moving Day

• Book Movers
  • As an owner of a moving company I can say that movers are busiest during the summer months and at the end of each month they are busiest. Some moving companies charge peak moving time rates. Booking the right movers takes doing your homework. Ask friends, family, community, and look at reviews to see what moving company fits the mold you are looking for. Check their rates, ask about the additional services they offer and ask about any additional fees. There are moving companies that have stair fees, booking fees, etc.
  • Important – Do not use a moving broker. You have no control over the quality and trustworthiness of the movers they hire. Using a moving lead provider can be hit or miss as well if you rely on their reviews to be accurate. The best is to go straight to the moving companies themselves. The moving industry is known for having so dishonest companies out there that will hold your stuff for ransom so do your homework.
• Book Specialty Movers
  • Specialty Movers are movers that move items like gun safes, pianos, hot tubs, pool tables, crate items, etc. Manly Moving is a do-it-all moving service, but a lot of moving companies won’t touch specialty items and so you might have to look up piano movers to find a company to move your piano. These items require special equipment to move.
• Book Storage
  • Storage can sometimes be in short supply. Some moving companies like ours can do storage, but depending on which end of your move needs storage and the kind of storage you need and the amount might vary. So book storage in advance to make sure you can get the storage that fits your needs. Keep in mind that you might need climate controlled storage for certain items you could be storing.
• Book Moving Rental Truck
  • Moving truck rentals can vary in price based on supply and demand of trucks. Check out the moving truck rental rates, which ones have pickup and drop off locations at both ends of your move and what their insurance looks like for them. If you plan on using your own auto insurance, make sure it covers the size of moving truck that you need. Call Manly Moving (208-656-2636) and we can find you the best truck price we can and get a truck rented for you.
• Book Cleaners
  • Moving companies sometimes offer cleaning services or have a good company to refer.
• Plan Out Your Route or Transportation
  • Figure out the logistics of your move. Figure out how you plan to get to your new house with all your belongings and family and cars. If you need to get a car shipped check with you mover to see your options or find a hotshot company that will transport your car.
• Book Plane Tickets
  • Set up a price alert for your flight so if the price goes down you get notified and book your flight with tickets that can be cancelled just in the case that the house sale falls through or there is a medical emergency.
• Book Housing/Hotel/Motel Rooms
  • Depending on the amount of time between your loading date and unloading date will change the type of housing, rental space, or hotels you will book. If you can book these hotels so they are refundable in advance that will simplify things later, but if you are driving your own moving truck and it breaks down then all that planning will be wasted. I usually book my hotels on the road the each morning for the following night.
• Take Pictures of Shelves, Counters, and Display Walls
  • This is mostly for helping those that have things set up or displayed a certain way and want it displayed or set up that way at their new house and don’t want to have to try and remember it.
• Take Pictures of Electronic Hookups
  • Taking pictures like these will not only help you hook it up the right way again, but sometimes TVs may have labelled HDMI inputs and this makes it so you don’t have to relabel them.
• Take Pictures of Furniture, Walls, and Flooring
  • Sometimes before moving it is good to know what the pre-moving condition of things was in the case of claims with a service provider and moving company.
• Purchase Packing Supplies & Materials
  • Talk to your mover to see if they will deliver for free and check box prices. I suggest going with U-Haul boxes because they allow for the tightest pack in a truck. If you do end up getting used boxes, try to get boxes that are similar in length or depth.
• Return Borrowed/Loaned Items
  • Before you move it is easier to return borrowed items and this could include things like library books. After you move it gets way more difficult to do this.
• Collect Items Borrowed/Loaned Out
  • Remember who you have lent stuff to and get it before you more or you may never see it again.
• Back Up Computer & Other Important Data
  • Moving can be hard on things. You have a truck bouncing down the road for 30 hours can take its toll on the small components. It never hurts to make sure everything is backed up to the cloud or flash drive to be safe.
• Start Packing
  • Packing is a huge undertaking and so the sooner you can start piecing away at it the better off you will be when the crunch time his in the week before moving.
• Use a Deep Cleaning Checklist
  • If you start deep cleaning, then the final cleanup before moving will be way less of an overtaking. There are some awesome deep clean checklists out there.
• Catch Pets Up on Vaccinations & Grooming
  • Hopefully you were able to schedule your vaccinations and grooming during this time so you have less to worry about when moving, but the type of pet might change when the ideal time to attack this is.

3 Weeks to Moving Day

• Keep Packing
  • As mentioned above, the more you can piece away at packing the less overwhelming it will be.
• Keep Deep Cleaning
  • Like packing this just helps make the last weeks up till your move a lot easier.
• Host a Garage Sale or Sell Stuff Online
  • Now is a good time to sell that pile of stuff you accumulated.
• Take Stuff to a Donation Center and/or Dump
  • Now is a good time to clear out the other piles to make room now for all the other boxes you are packing up so you now have more room to stage them.

2 Weeks to Moving Day

• Keep Packing
• Keep Deep Cleaning
• Reconfirm Travel Arrangements/ Reservations
  • It is always good to doublecheck now that the move is getting closer that the moving and travel dates are still accurate.
• Pack & Prep Move-out Day Cleaning Kit
  • This cleaning kit is a box of just a few basic cleaning supplies and items that you will keep out to do the final light cleaning on your moving day and the day before moving. This kit is also handy to pack last in the truck so you can unload it first at your new house and clean anything that needs touchup before you start unpacking boxes.
• Service Vehicles
  • I always like to have this done before I go on a long trip, but it is good even to take advantage of servicing your vehicles at locations you are familiar with and trust to service your vehicles right.
• Label Furniture Locations in New Home
  • Preparation is power. If you know the layout of your new home you can plan what furniture will go where. Under the situation where you have access early to the new home then if you can label floors and walls with masking tape showing where those items go, then you will be super ready for moving day.

1 Week to Moving Day

• Keep Packing
• Keep Cleaning
• Finalize Kid & Pet Care
  • Check to make sure those watching your kids and pets on the day of your move are still planning on it.
• Finalize Moving Arrangements
  • Make sure you are on the mover’s schedule. Check truck prices to see if they have changed and check any other arrangements around your move.
• Reserve Elevators & Parking
  • If you live in an apartment building or an area with reserved parking talk to the property management company to get these things reserved so you can have a quick move.
• Confirm Utilities are Scheduled
  • When moving you need to schedule your utilities to be turned off when you move out and have them scheduled at the house you are moving into so you have utilities when you move in.
• Schedule Locksmith at New House
  • Scheduling a locksmith to change your locks at your new home will keep you and your family safe since you don’t know for sure who has access to your new home.
• Schedule Internet Hookup and Service Termination
• Schedule Cable/Dish Hookup and Service Termination
• Schedule Cleaners for Both Locations
  • Cleaners are professionals in their field. They will be able to clean your house better and quicker than most people can themselves and that will not only take a lot of stress off, but it might help you get your deposit back if you are renting.
• Refill Prescriptions
  • Timelines with moving can be all over the place and this will help you be prepared if the date for unloading gets pushed way back.
• Set Aside Things for Traveling
  • Pack with one more outfit then you think you will need and bring clothes that will reflect the weather where you are and where you are going so you don’t have to buy a jacket to stay warm in the hotel. Make sure you put these things aside so they don’t get packed up on accident.
• Take Picture Down
  • Pictures are usually a time consuming thing to protect and wrap so getting this done early is a big help.
• Focus on Using Up Whatever Food you Can
  • Try to use up whatever perishable foods you can so not a lot gets thrown out. You can always gift food you can’t use to friends, family, and neighbors.
• Use up gas in Lawnmowers, Blowers, Trimmers, etc.
  • Sometimes these items need to be tipped this way or that in the truck for a tighter pack. This could make gas spill and could make everything in the truck smell like gas. It is always good to plan ahead and use up the gas you can.
• Save Paper & Plastic Dinnerware for Last 2 Days
  • Sorry for those environmentalists out there, but you need things as easy and stress-free as possible these last days before your move and so disposable everything will give you more time to focus on more important things than doing dishes.
• De-Ice Freezers and Fridges
  • These items can hold a lot of water when they de-ice. If you let them de-ice in the truck they can damage a lot of items. Imagine how a stack of wet boxes will hold up in a bouncy truck.

You are 1 week or less from your moving day. Stay calm and pace yourself. A little bit everyday adds up and all your hard work and organization will pay off. Find ways to reward yourself for accomplishing these checklist items so that you can stay focused and motivated till your moving day arrives.

2 Days till Moving Day

• Label w/ Masking Tape what Goes or Stays
  • This just helps clarify things for those helping you move. I have been on many moves where things were unclear and we accidentally packed something that was supposed to stay or forgot to pack something that was supposed to go.
• Check All Boxes are Labeled
  • It is good to double check that all the boxes are labelled before moving day. This get crazy when you have to open boxes to see what is inside. Everyone misses a box here or there and now is a good time to try and catch them early.
• Furniture labeled
  • Label furniture with masking tape with where it goes in the new house. Also if the items are wrapped and blanketed then label what furniture items are fragile or on what surfaces there is glass so those items can we loaded carefully in the truck.
• Stage Boxes
  • Staging boxes allows a lot more room to maneuver furniture and boxes around without accidentally knocking something over. If you can stage boxes in a place like the garage, then it can correlate to a quicker load and you saving money.
• Finish Packing Cleaning Box for Move-Out Day
  • Pack the final things in the cleaning box and pack the cleaning stuff you wont need.
• Finish Packing Moving Day Box
  • Get those final important things in your moving day box and label it so it is very clear that it gets packed last or not at all.
• Finish Packing New-Owner Box
  • The new owner box contains things the new owner might find helpful like the garage door opener, extra house keys, location of the water shut off along with other things.
• Sweep the Property for Forgotten Items
  • Do a good final sweep of top shelves in closets, crawl spaces, and around the shed to find all those items you might have missed.
• Forward Mail
  • Tape a card in your mailbox with your name and your forwarding address so you get all the mail you need at your new place.

Labeling with masking tape – Be sure to tape what goes or what stays, whichever is less.

Labeling Boxes – Be sure to label the box with the contents on top of the box and mark what room in goes in at the new house on all 4 sides and on top. When moving a stack of boxes you can tell where each box goes. Use abbreviations to make packing easier like “LR” for living room and “Kit” for kitchen. Lastly mark all sides of the box with “frag” if the contents are very fragile or with an arrow pointing up if the box has liquids or things that could spill.

Labeling Furniture – Furniture should be labelled with masking tape so it does not take the finish off the furniture. if you are not going to be at the unload, mark the location of where the furniture goes in the new house, give the furniture an number or name, note any worries on the tape such as it has a loose leg, or do not lift from the top. Go to http://www.ManlyMoving.com to download the “cleaning box” Checklist, “Moving Day Box” checklist, the “new owner box” Checklist, and the “Address Change” Checklist

Forward Mail – Follow the address change checklist as well as put a sticker with your name and forwarding address in the mailbox so the new owners or renters can forward mail. ONLY 2 Days left till moving day! Let us know if we can help.

1 Day till Moving Day

• Confirm Movers
  • Confirm your movers have the right address, and the right time for meeting you.
• Confirm Rental Truck & Equipment
  • Make sure the pickup location for your moving equipment hasn’t changed.
• Finish Packing
• Check Box Labels
• Carpet Protector
  • If you are worried about your carpets then purchase some sticky carpet protector and put it down. You also can see if your movers are planning on bringing any floor protectors.
• De-Ice or Sweep
  • Keeping your walkways clear and safe is so important. I have personally gotten hurt from slipping on the ice while carrying furniture. Do you due diligence by staying on top of your walkways and keep them clean and safe.
• Save Parking Pathways
  • This further away your moving truck or trailer is away the more energy and time gets added to each item you have to move and can exponentially change the difficulty of your move. Do what you can to make parking close an option.
• Pack your on the Road Bags
  • Being prepared for time on the road will keep everyone happier. No one should get hangry.
• Get Out Cash for Emergency & Mover Tips
  • Having some cash and change on hand will come in handy. Whether that cash goes to tipping your movers, being at a cash only gas station, or paying for laundry at the hotel.
• Drain Water & Garden Hoses
  • You want everything dry before it enters the truck. Boxes and water are a bad mixture and can cost you a lot of money and heartache.
• Unhook Washer & Dryer
  • Some moving companies will hook and unhook washers and dryers, but a lot will not. Unhooking these can be a timesaver on the day of your move.
• Disassemble Stuff
  • Bunk Beds, Cribs, and Ikea furniture can be time consuming to take apart. It is up to you if you want to do it on the mover’s clock or your own.
• Charge your Phone & Volume Up
  • You will get a lot of phone calls and texts on and around your moving day. Being reachable and being able to reach others can make things run a lot smoother.
• Set 2 Alarms to Wake Up
  • You are going to be tired from all the hard work moving requires. Then a lot of customers will stay up till 2:00 am packing up or cleaning up a few last things. Then you are tired enough that you sleep through your alarm. Then your mover’s call you, but you are still sleeping and they cancel because they thought you cancelled. This scenario is actually not uncommon. Try hard to be as reachable as possible.
• Get a Good Night’s Rest
  • Get your beauty rest you will need all the energy and good mental power you can have on moving day so you don’t forget something important or you get hurt because you are too tired.

Moving Day is tomorrow, but believe it or not you are ready and you have got this. Things are going to go wrong on moving day, but everything will work out. Today is all about doing the little things and about taking care of things so moving day runs as smooth as it can. The most important thing is to get a good night sleep. This will help you manage the anxiety of the day and be in a mindset to make decisions.

It’s Moving Day – Origin Location

• Wake Up Early
  • Moving day is a big day and there is a lot to be done.
• Eat a Healthy Breakfast
  • Along with eating a healthy breakfast, I would add to do some gentle yoga to loosen up your body. You don’t want to get hurt. Even if you are hiring movers, most customers end up moving this or that.
• Clear Walkways & Driveways (De-Ice or Sweep)
  • Double check that the walkways are safe since there will be a lot of trips along that pathway.
• Drop Off Kids & Pets
  • If you were unable to find someone to watch them, then clear all the furniture items out of one room so they can have a room to chill in.
• Pack any Last Minute Items
• Confirm the Moving Company’s Arrival Time
  • If you are not the first move of the day they might have another move before yours. Moving is a hard thing to estimate accurately so running late happens. The moving company should be contacting you with their ETA.
• Pick up Moving Truck if Movers Aren’t Providing it
  • If you can find someone to go with you it is nice to not have to drop a vehicle off at the rental location.
• Save Parking for the Moving Truck
• Greet Movers or Moving Helpers
  • The best way to ensure whatever movers you hire take care of your belongings is to make a friendly first gesture. I love it when a customer has donuts for us or tips us a portion before the move. One of my favorite customers always tipped before the move and he would say “I will take care of you if you take good care of me.”
• Pre-Load Walkthrough
  • This is very important. During this walkthrough of your house with anyone helping you move is when you will show them the layout of your house, point out furniture and boxes that might require special attention, you will show them what stays and what goes, and you will let them know what boxes or items might need to be loaded first or last. Remember last on is first off.
• Clean any Remaining Items
  • As the rooms get cleared out, that is the ideal time to sweep through each room and do a final clean and vacuum of the room.
• Disassemble any Remaining Items
  • If there is anything left to disassemble or take off the wall like a tv mount then be sure to do a final sweep of the house so you don’t miss anything. Also note that if anything is mounted to the walls and you are selling the home, make sure you are able to take it and it is not part of the sale of the house.
• Turn Off Utilities
  • Sometimes if there is a break between when you move out and the next owners move in, it can be smart to shut off the water to the house so nothing happens. For example if you have a waterline going to your fridge or washer with a slow leak, it can turn into a big problem after a couple of weeks. You also can turn the water heater on vacation mode.
• Direct Mover’s Where Needed
  • Remember when moving that you are really familiar with your own stuff and what needs to happen and what stays and goes. Those helping you move will try their best to remember everything, but being available to remind them not to forget the grill in the backyard will help things run smoother.
• Supply Snacks and Drinks for Everyone
  • Moving is a workout and having snacks and drinks will help keep everyone’s energy and moral up so they can keep working hard.
• Relax While the Movers do the Hard Work
  • If you hired movers then enjoy their hard work and trust them to know what they are doing. Nothing is more frustrating to a mover than someone micro managing them and telling them how to do a job they are trained to do. That being said you do know your stuff better and knowing for example not to lift a piece a certain way because it will fall apart is useful information for the movers.
• Post-Load Walkthrough
  • During this final walkthrough you are making sure nothing was missed and closing up or turning off any last things before you leave the house.
• Ensure the Mover’s have the Moving to Address
  • Double Check that your mover’s have the right address for the new house. You can try to have them follow you, but they will be carefully driving a truck that is slow moving. So they will have a hard time keeping up.

It’s Moving Day – Destination Location

• Mover Pre-Unload Walkthrough
  • When you get to the unload location you need to walkthrough with those helping you move and show them what big items go where and what your room labels mean. For example bedroom 2 is this room right here and this is where the bunk beds will go.
• Make sure all Rooms & Locations are Labeled
  • Masking tape is the best way to label since it comes off without removing paint or leaving a residue.
• Designate an Area for Unlabeled Boxes to Go
  • There are always going to be boxes you missed labelling. You need to have a plan to put all those items in a designated spot and open them later. Moves last way too long if you try to open boxes while the movers are bringing them in. It is also good to have locations designated as overflow areas. Some rooms might get overloaded with boxes and their isn’t room for everything. This happens a lot in master bedroom closets.
• Direct Traffic
  • The biggest benefit of labelling rooms is to be able to direct movers carrying furniture to the right labelled rooms. I have been at moves that have lasted hours longer than needed because the customer wants to show you where to put everything. Every time the customer leaves the main area to show you where to put something then the other movers with furniture have to wait till you get back to know where stuff goes. Staying in the main entrance area and directing traffic will save you more money on you move than you can imagine.
• Reassemble any Furniture
  • You movers are happy to reassemble furniture, but it will save you money to do it yourself. I suggest however that you have movers help assemble the beds so that if you are too tired to do it after your move then you still have a place to sleep.
• Feed your Movers
  • This gesture goes a long way and it is a common thing for customers to do for those moving them. You want your movers to have the energy to keep going. I did a move once where we were moving someone way out of town and they didn’t get us food while we pulled a 14 hr day. We were tired and moving slow and our only vehicle to go get food in was the moving truck. We had to get it done that day because they closed on the house the next morning. I wouldn’t mind never moving them again.
• Relax
  • I know it is hard to relax when you have movers working hard, because you want to help, but you have the big job of unpacking everything and so relaxing isn’t a bad thing.
• Mover Post-Unload Walkthrough
  • You can do several of these throughout the unload day. What you want to do is make sure everything is in the right room and arranged in the right way. If you need to move furniture around within the room, this is your opportunity to get everything in the right spot.
• Set up your Bed
  • You need to rest after a long day of moving so make sure your bed gets set up earlier rather than later.
• Pay Moving Company
• Tip your Movers
  • Tips are customary in the moving industry. A 20% tip is a good gratuity amount, but depending on the size of your move that can be a lot. Movers will be happy with any tip you can give them and the average tip amount in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho is $20 to $40 per mover.
• Leave the Movers a Review
  • Moving companies thrive and die on reviews. Customers are quick to leave a 1-star review if something gets broken. Reviewing your movers is the best way to ensure that good moving companies stick around
  • If you did have something break or you have a moving claim, then call the moving company before leaving a review, because all moving companies deal with claims. Things get broken all the time in moving unfortunately so give the company a chance to make things right before leaving a bad review.
• Pick up your Kids and/or Pets
  • Moving to a new home is usually really exciting for kids and they are going to have a lot of energy and want to run around lots. So expect that. Pets are the opposite. Your pets will want to explore, but a new environment can be can cause them some anxiety and their could be some accidents in your new home. Be patient with your pets and kids as they settle in to their new home.
• Unpack what you have Energy for
  • If you labelled your boxes good then you should be able to find the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom boxes that you will need to open first.
  • Ask your movers before they leave if they buy back used boxes, because our moving company does and they might too.
• Treat yourself to a Nice Meal
  • Celebrate!!! You just conquered something huge and you deserve to nice meal out.
• Spend Time w/ Family & Friends
  • Many family and friends will have sacrificed to come help you and see you so don’t get to bent on getting everything done while they are there, but make sure to spend some quality time with them as a thank you.
• Thank Everyone Who Helped You Move
  • Helping people move is usually not all that fun and some people make big sacrifices to help. So acknowledge those that came to help and thank them so the next time you need help moving you have people that are not reluctant to help again.

You made it!!! Check out our other posts and materials for more tips that can help you settle in right or help you unpack.

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