Whether you’ve moved only once in your life or several times within the last few years, moving is overwhelming. If you don’t stay on top of the countless decisions to make and things to do, you’ll feel like you’re drowning in an ocean of moving chaos. You can prevent this from happening in full force by creating and following a plan throughout the entire moving process. Our step-by-step guide walks you through how to create a moving plan that will lower your stress and mitigate chaos.
How to Create a Moving Plan
1. Decide Your Moving Day
First, before you create your moving plan, figure out what day you need to move. Whether there’s only one day that could possibly work or you have a week’s range to choose from, have something in mind. You’ll get a bit of motivation from that end goal marked on your calendar.
2. Determine Your Budget
Once you have your moving deadline in place, it’s time to create your budget. This will determine if you can afford to hire movers or if you’ll be renting a truck and paying your friends in pizza and soda. Unexpected expenses may crop up, like extra cleaning supplies, new light bulbs, or tools to make repairs. Figure out what you can spend on the bits and pieces as well as for the moving of your belongings.
3. Choose How You’re Moving
Next you need to decide how to move. Even if your moving budget allows for hiring movers, you may still want to move yourself. Weigh the pros and cons of both methods and make the best decision for yourself by checking out our post discussing the differences between hiring movers and moving yourself.
4. Create a Moving Master List
Your moving master list tracks everything you need to accomplish before or on moving day. Organize this list by day and schedule every task accordingly. Include any deadlines or relevant notes regarding each task. Reference this master list multiple times a day and complete everything assigned to the current date.
No matter how well you plan your move, you’ll randomly remember small things you need to take care of, like purchasing a mattress bag or replacing the lightbulb in the bathroom. You might think of these things in the middle of your work day or right before falling asleep, times when you cannot complete whatever it is. Instead, add it to your moving master list. Even if you don’t have time to schedule the task, write it at the bottom of your list and take care of it later. You’re more likely to forget about it if you don’t write it down.
5. Declutter and Donate
Create a decluttering plan to get rid of any furniture or belongings you don’t want to take to your new place. Put a cardboard box somewhere in your home as your designated donation box. Any time you come across an item you don’t want to keep, put it in the box. Schedule a day on your calendar to drop off your box and/or unwanted furniture at a local charity before your move.
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to decluttering, we can help you learn how to best declutter your…
6. Create a Packing Schedule
The average room takes 1-2 days to pack. Decide which days you’ll pack up each room to avoid taking off unplanned work days for last minute packing. If you’re stuck in the unfortunate situation of packing quickly for an unexpected move, check out our guide for quick and efficient packing. But if you have plenty of time and just aren’t sure where to start, our tried and true packing tips will help kick you in to action.
7. Ask for Help
Hiring a moving company to take care of moving day doesn’t mean you won’t need help packing up your home. Don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and family and ask for assistance, even if it’s only for a few hours after work. They can help you pack, be present for moral support while you pack, or watch your kids so you can focus on packing.
8. Plan Your New Rooms
Before moving into your new home, plan the layout for each room. If you hire a moving company, they’ll need to know where you want your furniture to go. Having a predetermined layout will prevent you from doing heavy lifting and rearranging after the movers leave. And if you’re enlisting help from friends, they probably don’t want to spend hours rearranging your furniture after helping you move all day.
But don’t let this step create more stress. You don’t need to figure out the exact location of every piece; simply know which wall it needs to be against. Moving it a few inches left or right later on won’t be too much trouble.
9. Cancel & Set Up Utilities
The last thing you want for your first night in your new home is no hot water or electricity. Contact your utility companies and cancel your accounts for your old address before you move. The company can schedule cancellation so you have hot water in your old home on moving day but you’re not paying for it the day after. 1-2 weeks before you move into your new home, contact your new utility providers and schedule electricity, water, and internet to turn on or be installed on or before the day before move in day.
10. Update Your Address
You probably have a lot of services and companies with whom you’ll need to change your address. Make it easier on yourself and only update one before moving day: the USPS. You can go online and schedule mail forwarding to your new address for only $1.05. After you move, you’ll have plenty of time to update your address while you still receive all of your forwarded mail. It may take a while for your updated address to take effect with individual companies or services; updating the USPS is the only way to ensure you receive all of your mail. And when you’re ready to update your address everywhere else, make sure you include these 15 places.
After you create a moving plan, you’ll need to find a moving company if you’ve decided to hire movers. We at Moving U & Junk U believe we’re the best moving company for you. We are licensed and insured, and you can find and read our many five star reviews on Yelp, Google, and Facebook. Our movers are professionally trained to safely move your belongings from point A to point B. Whether you’re looking for assistance with moving, packing, junk removal, or a little of each, you can sit back, relax, and trust us to take care of all the heavy lifting for you.
When you’re ready to get a quote for your move, give us a call or text at 484-301-2442 or email us at info@movingujunku.com
