How to Get Ready for a Move
Moving can be stressful and overwhelming, but only if you don’t prepare accordingly. With a plan in place, moving can be a chance to refresh, restart, and enjoy a new home or apartment. So how do you make the most of the moving process? You plan, of course.
How do I plan for a move?
Planning is essential if you want to ensure moving day has the least amount of stress as possible. Here’s how to plan for moving day while staying organized.
Preparing for an office move? Read “How to Prepare Employees for Your Office Move”
Step 1: Declutter
Decluttering and organizing a few weeks or months before your move is the easiest way to clear out any unnecessary items you don’t want to have to move. From closets to attics to kitchen cabinets, there are several sneaky locations that may be hiding plenty of things you don’t want or need, so why try to move them to a new location rather than getting rid of them now.
READ MORE: 15 Things to Declutter Before a Move
Step 2: Hire a Professional Moving Company with Great Online Reviews
If there’s one thing that can make the process of moving all of your heavy furniture, appliances, and moving boxes from one location to another, it’s hiring someone else to do it. Moving companies are an affordable way to ensure your heaviest items make their way to your new home without the possibility of injury to you or a friend or family member. Plus, your loved ones will thank you for sending in the professionals so they can spend their weekend relaxing on the couch rather than moving yours across town.
Plus, many moving companies also offer the option of taking extra items to a storage unit for you, so you don’t have to worry about moving what you don’t need to your new home. Just make sure your moving company is all -inclusive like My Town Movers and offers this option.
READ MORE: Hiring an All-Inclusive Moving Company
Want to know whether or not a moving company offers great service and a great price? Don’t take their word for it; check Google reviews to see what real people are saying about their experience. If a moving company has more negative reviews than positive reviews, chances are you don’t want to trust them to move your valuable items. If, on the other hand, a moving company has plenty of reviews detailing great customer service, an affordable price, and professional movers, give them a call.
MY TOWN MOVERS ONLINE REVIEWS →
“From start to finish, they made this move the least stressful move in my entire life. They were extremely quick, took apart my furniture and put it all back together without a single hiccup. Their prices are very fair and the brothers that helped us move were very friendly and assured me that everything was going to be taken care of and they did just that. Will be using again for my future moves!“
– Breanna R.
How do I pack for a move?
Packing for a move doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Give yourself plenty of time to organize your belongings by room or type long before moving day to cut down on clutter you don’t need or want to move. Then, utilize sturdy and efficient packaging and create a system for labeling to keep you organized. Consider color-coded stickers to organize boxes by room, or go the old-fashioned route and stock up on sharpies to make sure movers and family members know which boxes go to which room.
Where do I find moving boxes?
When you’re preparing for a move, boxes are an essential item to have on hand. So where do you find sturdy and reliable packing boxes?
Moving Companies
Many moving companies offer a variety of packing boxes of all shapes and sizes which are sturdy, clean, and ready for use. At My Town Movers, we even store our packing boxes in a clean storage room used solely for this purpose to protect them from dirt, debris, and damage. We even deliver in order to save you time, money, and damage to your car’s interior.
Where should I get packing boxes?
Unlike our clean packing boxes intended to be used for carrying large and fragile items, boxes you’ll find at grocery stores, liquor stores, and bix box are:
- Used, and you don’t know what has been in them
- Kept in unclean locations with insects, dirt, and dust
- Potentially transferring critters and creatures to your home and car (Fleas, bed bugs, spiders, roaches, rats, and other insects and rodents like to make their homes in boxes.)
- Not always sturdy and may tear easily or have weakened from the use of tape and folding
Who do I notify of a change of address?
Next to packing, notifying anyone and everyone of your new address just may be the biggest hassle. From aunts and uncles to insurance companies and physicians offices, there are a lot of people who wish to know or need to know where and when you’re moving. Here’s how to begin forwarding your mail and notifying the right people of your new address:
Step 1: Notify the USPS of a Change of Address
The United States Postal Service makes it much easier for individuals and families who are moving to a new location to notify multiple parties of a change of address. Simply fill out a change of address form from your local post office, or complete the USPS change of address form online. You may have to pay a small fee, typically $1, in order to verify your identity through a debit or credit card, but otherwise there is no fee for using this service.
The postal service will forward your mail for an individual or your entire family to a new location starting on a date of your choosing for up to six weeks. Organizations who request mail forwarding notifications will be notified of your change of address, but not all businesses request this, so it’s a good idea to follow up with anyone who needs your address just in case.
Step 2: Notify Friends and Family of a Change of Address
Notify friends and family of your new address to ensure holiday greeting cards, birthday cards, and packages do not make their way to the appropriate location. To make it more fun, consider creating a greeting card online at minted.com or other online greeting card creator. Add a photo of the family or your new house, and make sure the new address is included.
BUY MOVING ANNOUNCEMENTS ONLINE →
Step 3: Notify Businesses and Organizations of a Change of Address
After notifying friends and family of your change of address, you’ll want to ensure all appropriate organizations have your address for shipping and billing purposes. This includes:
- Newspaper + Magazine Subscriptions
- Physicians Offices + Medical Providers
- Medical Insurance Companies
- Car Insurance Companies
- Vehicle Registration Offices
- Department of Motor Vehicles
- Voter Registration
- Utility Companies
- Banks + Financial Institutions
- Employers + Freelance Opportunities
- Monthly Subscription Services + Boxes
- Netflix, Hulu, Etc.
- Birchbox, Ipsy, Etc.
- Shipping Services
- Amazon, FedEx, etc.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION OFFICES
Your local county clerk will need to be notified of your new address in both the county you’re moving from and the county you’re moving to in order to issue you a new license plate. Often this requires a bit of paperwork on your end, including two forms of proof of new address such as a utility bill or lease agreement, the name and location of the lender your vehicle’s loan is with, and proof of insurance.
Check with your local clerk’s office beforehand to ensure you have all of the necessary paperwork in order when you arrive. Note that in most states and counties, you have a limited window of time to complete this process before being charged a late fee.
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
The dreaded visit to the DMV is one that unfortunately has to be made after a move. Chances are you’ll end up receiving a new license, however, so think of it as an opportunity to enhance your driver license photo! You’ll want to register your vehicle with the local county clerk before visiting the DMV, since they’ll likely request proof of registration at your new address before issuing you a new license.
You’ll want to have your new license on hand soon after registering your vehicle, since you’ll be issued a citation if you are found driving with a driver’s license and license plate registered at two different addresses.
UTILITY COMPANIES
You’ll want to notify your current utility company of your move long before your moving date, since most require advance notice to turn off utilities. You’ll also want to leave a forwarding address to ensure any final bills and any deposit returns make their way to your new mailbox.
You’ll also want to register with your new location’s utility company, or notify your existing one of a change of address if you’ll be using the same provider. It may take several days or weeks to complete a credit check, process a deposit, and connect utilities, so you may want to take care of this 2-4 weeks before your move to ensure you’ll have running water and electricity when you arrive.
Step 4: Use a Spreadsheet to Keep Track
Chances are you won’t be able to notify everyone who needs your new address in one afternoon. Using a spreadsheet can help you keep track of who you’ve notified already and who you have left to contact.
Step 5: Prepare for Moving Day
Check your mailbox or PO box one last time before moving to your new location, and check your new mailbox for any forwarded mail or important notices from your new utility company, county clerk, etc.
