Checklist and Tips of What You Should Do Before Moving to Your New Home

While there are plenty of things you should take care of after you’ve moved to your new home, there is also a lot you must do before the movers arrive. Moving has never been easy, even if nowadays there are specialized services that have thought of absolutely every convenience to make the moving process as convenient as possible. Regardless, moving to a new home is very time and energy-consuming, which is why there is a very long list of before-moving tips to take the edge off the transition to your new home.

With this list of tasks and tips in mind, you should have no trouble moving to your new home. And while there will be some obstacles along the way, you’ll be ready to handle any problem on the spot. 

Before Moving Day Checklist

There are a few things you need to take care of before you move out to your new home. Obviously, there are many more things that need to be done before moving out that are not listed here, but that would make this list much longer than it needs to be. The moving-out checklist below covers a wide range of responsibilities and tasks all of which you should take care of to ensure that your moving process goes as smoothly as possible. These are not listed in any particular order, nor do you have to complete each and every one of them to have a successful moving out. It’s just about taking care of the most important tasks and making sure that everything goes according to plan. 

1. Provide the Movers With Photos of Possessions

Why Having Photos of Your Belongings Matters

Moving things around, especially very valuable items, is a great risk. But you’re not going to leave your most prized possessions behind in your old home out of fear of them being damaged. Instead, hire very experienced movers who specialize in transporting valuable items, but before packing them up and letting the movers haul them away, take photos of these expensive things and give copies to the movers as well. This way if you reach the new home and find your belongings not in the same condition as you had packed them, you always have a way to prove it. Some moving companies even have this practice themselves, so you may not even have to do it — the movers may handle it. 

2. Make a List of the Inventory

The Importance of Making an Inventory

Making a detailed inventory list is one of the most crucial elements of a successful move to your new home. While moving companies have all the tools and techniques to organize and keep track of all your belongings, it’s still good to have an extra list just to be on the safe side. With the experience that professional movers have, mistakes can still be made and some of your items may be not taken into account. By keeping track of your boxes and furniture yourself, you have a more hands-on approach to moving and are less likely to make mistakes. 

3. Update Your Address for Online Markets

Online Shopping Mistakes You Can Make After Moving

Making online purchases is easier than ever. All it takes is a few clicks and that novelty clock of your favorite superhero film can be on your doorstep the next day. One-click orders are convenient, but they also turn into a habit, so you may end up ordering something for your new home, but forget to change the address. Whatever you order will be delivered to your old address and you have to go through the trouble of having someone else bring the items to your new home or may end up driving all the way there yourself. To avoid these complications, especially if you’re ordering something very important for your new home, remember to change the delivery addresses for all your online market accounts. 

4. Organize Paperwork

Benefits of Keeping Track of Documents During Moving

If you’ve ever had to purchase, sell, or change homes, you know how annoying paperwork can be. It’s a necessary evil and all homeowners must deal with it. To make your move easier, make sure to organize all your paperwork and keep track of all important documents. This goes beyond shoving every piece of paper into a folder and leaving it on your car’s dash. Have several folders, all labeled, containing various kinds of documents. Keep in mind, that this does not solely refer to property deeds or mortgage contracts — you should also organize your moving documents in case the movers ask for them.

5. Take the Opportunity to Declutter

Why Moving Is Great for Decluttering

With all your items boxed up and organized neatly, this gives you the perfect opportunity to sift through your belongings and see what’s extra. Many homeowners have a habit of keeping certain decor, pieces of furniture, and other items as they have a hard time parting with them, even though there is no practical or aesthetic use for them. This is why before the move-out day, you should take the opportunity to declutter your belongings and donate, sell, or throw away anything you don’t need. This will not only make it easier to move as you have fewer boxes to worry about, but your new home will \be less cluttered with old, useless junk.

6. Create an “Open First” Box

What You Should Have In Your Open First Box

Have you ever traveled with a lot of luggage and had to rummage through all of it when you arrive just to find your most basic essentials? Food, hygiene products, and clothing need to be as accessible as possible so that the second you arrive you have access to everything you need from the get-go. The same goes with moving. Warm clothing, snacks, hygiene products, important documents, and medication should be sorted into an “open first” box, which as the name implies, is opened first. This way you don’t have to sift through countless items just to find something that you’re going to need on the spot when you arrive. 

7. Ensure Boxes Are Undamaged

Why You Should Check All Your Boxes for Packing

Storing items into boxes when moving makes them more convenient to transport, but more importantly, it protects your belongings during transit. However, if the boxes and other storage devices are not in proper condition, this could jeopardize their safety. Before packing up and especially before loading them onto the mover truck, make sure to check all the boxes and ensure that they are in good condition. The last thing you need is to open the truck doors to find that because of a damaged box, your belongings have spilled out. 

8. Donate Extra Food

Donations You Can Make When Moving to a New Home

While smarter consumer habits are becoming more and more widespread, many homeowners still tend to purchase more food than they can ever hope to eat. If you don’t want to take countless cans, boxes, and jars of food with you, the best thing to do would be to give back to the community. Donate the food to a homeless shelter, hospitals (if they will allow for it), orphanages, or anyone else who needs it. Don’t let the last memory of your old home be wasteful. 

9. Take Photos of the Empty Home Before Leaving

Why Homeowners Take Photos of Their Empty Home

Taking photos before leaving your old home and moving to the new one isn’t done for sentimentality alone. There are many practical reasons to take photos of your empty home, especially if you’re selling it. Many buyers want to be absolutely convinced that the previous owners of the home are moving out as they may be in a rush to purchase it and move in themselves. Nothing is going to assure them more that you no longer reside in that house than photos demonstrating that the property truly is empty. Taking photos of an empty home also allows potential buyers to see for themselves if there are any defects in your home. This will make their purchase process much easier.

Tips

Here are some extra moving-out tips to consider before leaving your old home. These are small things you can do to make the moving out process much easier and more convenient for you, your household, and even the movers. 

Keep Track of the Weather

“Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” is a quote long associated with the American postal worker. When it comes to moving, however, the same does not always apply. Sure, a little drizzle or a light flurry is not going to make your move impossible, but harsher weather conditions could make it very difficult. Keep track of the weather before booking the movers as you want them, as well as yourself, to make the move as easy on yourself and the movers as possible. Don’t simply hope that the weather is going to be mild — as Murphy’s law states: if anything can go wrong, it will likely happen on the day you’re moving. This isn’t exactly what the law states, but if you’ve ever moved homes, you likely relate to it. 

Tip Your Movers

If you hate moving and find it difficult, imagine doing it for a living. Movers don’t have it easy, as not only is their job very physically demanding, but it is also a job with a lot of responsibilities. Just think about how much care they put into their work to ensure that even the most fragile item makes its way across the country unharmed. Tipping them can go a long way in showing your appreciation for their hard work and dedication to preserving all your belongings, no matter how difficult the haul. Besides tipping, you should also be courteous, as you would with any other specialist in this field. 

Pack Snacks

Even if you’re not moving too far from your old home, all that packing, hauling, and the general process of moving can take a lot out of you and your family. So, consider this a friendly reminder that you will get hungry on the way or when you arrive, and packing some light (or not-so-light) snacks could be that little boost of energy you need for a successful and comfortable move.