Maybe you just purchased a new home? Perhaps you’ve found a new apartment? In any case, you’re getting ready to move.
The only problem is that you don’t have a lot of experience with this. And with all of your possessions, this could turn into a logistical nightmare. As such, you need help.
Fortunately, we can provide it to you. So, without further ado, here’s the ultimate moving day checklist.
Packing
Moving day can be broken down into two stages: packing and unpacking. We’ll discuss the packing stage first.
Confirm That the Mover is Coming
When you wake up on moving day, the first thing you should do is ensure that the mover is, indeed, coming. The last thing you want is to pack everything up only for your mover to be a no-show. Confirm not only that the movers are coming but that they’ll be there at the previously agreed-upon time.
Also, while on the phone, ask about the moving company’s payment methods. Most will allow you to pay by card, but some might require cash.
Pack Remaining Items
Ideally, you’ll have packed up many of your items prior to moving day. After all, it’s difficult to pack up an entire house in just a few hours.
The morning of moving day should be used to pack up any remaining items. These are the everyday necessities (like the microwave or coffee machine, for example) that you couldn’t afford to pack up sooner. Make sure you’re done using these items and then place them into the appropriate boxes.
Pack an Essentials Box
There are a number of items that you’ll need immediately after arriving at your new home. These include toilet paper, hand towels, and maybe even some changes of clothing. Place these in a special box and mark that box so that it can be found later with ease.
Seal Your Moving Boxes
When boxes are being moved from one place to another, they shift around and turn upside down. If this happens, and if the boxes aren’t sealed, you could have quite the mess on your hands. As such, you need to make sure to tape each box before the movers arrive.
Secure Your Pets
Do you have dogs or cats or some other type of pets in your home? If so, you’re going to want to secure them prior to the arrival of your mover. After all, your doors are going to be wide open, and you don’t want your furry friends to run away.
Leave Plenty of Space for the Movers
Moving trucks take up quite a bit of space. Not to mention, they need to be oriented so that their loading ramps are facing the house in question. So, on the morning of the move, make sure to create ample space for your mover.
Unpacking
The unpacking process can be fairly chaotic. To establish order, you’re advised to break it down into phases. These phases include the following.
Clean the New Home
Depending on the circumstances, your new home could be either clean or dirty. If it is dirty, you’re advised to clean it prior to moving your possessions in.
If you wait to clean it until after your possessions have been moved in, you’re just going to have to move them around in order to clean the home properly. This would be a major pain and would likely add hours to your clean-up efforts.
Separate Boxes into Rooms
When you were packing your belongings into boxes, you should have labeled those boxes with the name of the room in which they would be placed. Instead of unpacking these boxes from a central location at the new house, make sure to use their labels to assign them to their respective rooms.
This way, everything will arrive at its designated location with the least amount of work possible. You won’t have to walk from room to room to collect, for example, kitchen items. They’ll be in the kitchen already, and will just need you to walk them a few feet.
Position Furniture
Before you start unpacking the little stuff, you should position the big stuff. This primarily includes furniture but will also include items like TVs and desktop computers.
By positioning these big items first, you establish an outline by which you can unpack everything else. This will prevent small items from being scattered about and will help to ensure that they end up in their optimal locations.
Unpack Smaller Items
Now, you can start unpacking smaller items. Be deliberate when unpacking these items, making sure that they end up where you want them to be. Don’t just get them out of the box to get them out of the box; doing so will cause unnecessary clutter and will greatly complicate the process.
As each box is unpacked, remove it from the room, disposing of it — ideally — on the outside of the home. You don’t want to unnecessarily take up room as the process unfolds.
Set Up Utilities
If you haven’t already, you’ll also want to set up your utilities, just to ensure that you have everything you need in the coming days. This includes your gas, your electricity, and your internet/cable. Depending on the circumstances, it could mean other utilities as well.
Put This Moving Day Checklist to Good Use
And there it is, the ultimate moving day checklist. Put this moving checklist to good use and your move should proceed without a hitch.
Need further help with your move? If so and if you’re in the Chicago area, we here at Moovers Chicago can help you. We provide a variety of moving services, from packing services to transportation services, and more.
Contact us now to discuss your needs!