At Wildcat Movers, we know that moving involves a lot of planning! What seems like an easy task – getting all of your things from one place to another – can easily snowball into a catastrophic event. Even when you are just moving locally, creating a moving schedule will help you stay on top of things. Here is an easy to follow guide for the weeks leading up to your big move. You may want to follow up with our tips on packing.
- Write It Down
Pick up a cheap notebook to use exclusively for your move. Use it to keep phone numbers, to-do lists, addresses, and shopping lists all in one place. That way, you aren’t searching everywhere for that phone number you wrote down on the back of a receipt. Try to find one with a folder inside so you can keep all those loose papers together as well. - Call Your Local MoversOnce you lock down your move in date, make sure to call and reserve a time for your local movers to come do the heavy lifting. It is important to schedule at least two weeks in advance. If you are moving during a time that has high demand, like the end of the month or a weekend, it’s smarter to call about four weeks ahead of time.
- Change Your AddressEverybody knows to file the change of address form with the post office and utility companies, but don’t forget your address is attached to all sorts of things! Don’t forget about the bank, schools, attorneys, credit cards, magazine subscriptions, and anywhere else that you wrote down in your notebook.
- Collect Personal RecordsMake sure to keep important personal records and documents together in a folder or fireproof safe. Moving is the perfect time to put them all in one place. This includes social security cards, birth certificates, marriage licenses, death records, medical records, and veterinary records.
- Start Packing!Everyone seems to procrastinate on this essential step. The earlier you start packing, the easier it will be. Pack things that you don’t use often, like out of season clothing, as early as six weeks ahead of time. If you haven’t used something in six months or a year, consider purging it. Some donation centers will even pick up your items from your house, so call to schedule a time close to your moving date.
No matter where your move takes you, it helps to stay organized. At Wildcat Movers, we hope that our guide will help you break down the process of moving into manageable tasks. Check out our other articles to learn more tips and tricks!