Moving soon?
Use our checklist.
Whether you need to secure internet or find a moving company, our checklist will get you organized and ready to move.
10 Things You Need to Do 1 Month Before You Move
Moving soon? Get organized with our free moving checklist.
In most cases, you know you’ll be moving at least a month in advance. You may think a week or two is enough to handle all of your moving logistics, but you’ll really need to give yourself a bit more leeway. Start planning your move at least a month in advance in order to comfortably hit all of your must-do’s.
1. Downsize
One big purge will significantly reduce the heavy lifting come packing time. There’s no point packing or having movers haul things you don’t want or need. Label a few large boxes as donate, sell, and trash. Go through one room at a time, and put items in their appropriate piles.
Better yet, if you’re interested in donating clothing, furniture and other household items, make sure to get a receipt from the organization you’re donating to and deduct it from your taxes (hey, it’ll help offset your moving expenses!).
2. Take Inventory
Taking inventory is an important step that most movers overlook or they simply don’t do because it’s so time-consuming. But the payoffs are big — trust us. It’ll help you determine the amount of packing supplies you need and how much insurance you need.
3. Compare Moving Companies
Don’t be fooled by “too good to be true” pricing from companies that may not be credible. As a general rule, you should have three in-home estimates to get a sense of what’s a reasonable moving quote. Pro-tip: make sure that your moving quote is guaranteed, be sure to ask about hidden fees (such as stairs adding an additional cost to your move). Looking for on-demand moving help for your apartment move or only want help moving your large items? Check out Dolly!
4. Gather Important Documents
Put all your important documents in your moving survival box. This includes mortgage papers, insurance binders, bank account information, and school, medical, and vet records.
5. Start Packing
Don’t want to leave packing until the last minute. Get your packing supplies early, and take care of a little packing every day. Talking on the phone with earphones while packing is a great way to make the packing process to fly by.
6. Change Your Address
You know you need to fill out an official mail forwarding form, but don’t forget to reach out to banks, insurance companies, magazine subscriptions, and anyone else that needs to hear about your move. We can help you with this!
7. Transfer Your Utilities & Home Services
Whether you need to start, stop, or transfer utilities and home services, such as electric and cable, this should be ordered a month in advance. Then, you should double check that everything’s still scheduled shortly before.
8. Provide Notice
If you’re not sticking at the same job, giving advanced notice to your boss is a no-brainer. But, there are also a few other people to update. If you’re moving out of a rental, you’ll need to provide a 30-day notice to your landlord, even if your lease is expiring. Moreover, if you’re part of a carpool or hold an important volunteer position with a charitable organization, give them notice to find a replacement.
9. Check Prescriptions
If you or anyone in your family takes prescription medication, you’ll want to make sure you have enough on hand before you find a new doctor. You may need to have a checkup with your doctor before they prescribe medicine, so make sure to give yourself a month or so of leeway. Now’s a good time to start comparing physicians, pediatricians, and dentists in the area, too. We love ZocDoc for this – you can find a new doctor that accepts your insurance and book an appointment in seconds.
10. Plan Your Route
Weather and road construction can affect your route by land, and flying has its own obstacles. If you’re driving, reserve hotel rooms with lenient cancellation fees, and get familiar with maps of the area so you’re not stuck driving around in a blizzard. A AAA Card is certainly worth the money for a long distance move!
With these tips, you’ll be that much more prepared to tackle the dreaded process some call moving!
Moving soon? Get organized with our free moving checklist.
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