Congratulations! Moving is an exciting milestone, but it takes patience, planning and heavy lifting – no pun intended. Today we’re discussing how to prepare for your move to ensure everything goes smoothly on the moving day.

Planning Ahead Before Your Move

Plan your moving day method, whether it’s a truck rental or hiring movers, ideally a month before your move. Keep in mind that you may need to add to that lead-time if you are planning to move during the busy spring season. A personal referral for a professional moving company is a great place to start, but you can also look online and double-check reviews and testimonials. Also, don’t shy away from interviewing multiple companies for the job for comparison. Here are some key things to ask your movers in-person before choosing the right company for your move:

–       a cost quote

–       if they are state licensed and/or fully insured

–       how they handle damage claims

–       what you will need to pack yourself ahead of time

–       if the truck has utility bins for items stored in your shed/garage (such as power tools, shovels, rakes, etc.) or if you need to pack those items

–       if you need to box your televisions and screens or if the movers will take them off wall mounts and box them for you

–       ask if they can make any necessary stops along the way (such as to a storage unit)

–       if they will disassemble storage shelves or any other furniture you need taken apart, and if they will reassemble them at your new home

–       availability for your move date

If your current home is within driving distance to your new home, we’d recommend taking smaller loads of breakable or awkward items that won’t fit in a box, such as table lamps, fine jewelry, silver, vases, fine china, houseplants, etc. This way you can personally unpack those items with care to make sure they arrive safely.

At the end of the day, planning ahead and hiring the right team can help take the stress out of your transition from one home to the next. Our next part of this series will cover packing up your belongings and creating a timeline for that process. Stay tuned!

Are you ready to make a move and need help finding an agent? Choose one of our professional Dickens Mitchener agents, or call Catharine Pappas, our relocation extraordinaire to pair you with someone.