Are you one of those people who cringe when someone mentions moving? You’re not alone.
A lot of people feel that way. Moving can be stressful for the entire family, especially if you have a large home. But here’s the thing: It doesn’t have to be.
While we don’t possess a magic wand to take away all of the stress of moving, we have a method that will minimize it and help make the process as painless as possible when making a large home move in the Lowcountry.
Moving Checklist
Whether you are moving to be closer to family, for a new job, to live in a better neighborhood, or for educational opportunities, it can be challenging and incredibly stressful. One way to reduce stress is to have a plan in place. This helps with organization and gets everyone on the same page. Each person will know their responsibilities and what’s expected of them. This helps to cut down on misunderstandings and miscommunication.
The planning process is long and involved, but don’t lose hope. It’s critical to take the time to develop this plan. It helps to make moving as smooth as possible and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
This checklist should include:
- Strategy Session
- Donate and Declutter House
- Pack Household Items
- Officially Change Address
- Make Final Preparations
- Move to the New Address
- Settle In
Rely on Strategy to Help With the Move
While you might not want to think about this, moving is a marathon, not a sprint. It can take months to move, and it isn’t always easy. While that might seem daunting, it doesn’t have to be. Careful planning and strategizing will help make moving to your new home as smooth as possible.
Once you have locked in your move date, it’s essential to start talking about everything needed to have a successful move. One of the first things that needs to be done is to collect moving supplies. We have compiled a list of the most important supplies to have when preparing to move:
- Bubble Wrap: Helps protect fragile items during the move.
- Packing Peanuts/Foam Sheets: Provides extra cushioning for items packed in boxes.
- Packing Tape: Helps secure boxes and furniture during transit.
- Cardboard Boxes: An essential moving supply, so make sure to purchase fifteen more than you think you need to ensure you have plenty.
- Packing Paper: Protects delicate items from being scratched and offers an extra protective layer when items are moved to your new home.
- Markers: Allows you to properly label the boxes, which helps make unpacking much smoother.
- Stretch Wrap: Thin plastic sheets used to keep dresser draws and cabinet doors closed during the move to avoid damage.
- Ziplock Bags: Crucial when storing small parts, loose items, or screws from disassembled belongings and pieces of furniture.
- Box Cutters and Scissors: Both come in handy when cutting tape, bubble wrap, or other packing materials and can help make unpacking easy, too.
- Furniture Covers: Provides extra protection for furniture to avoid damage during the move.
Supplementary Packing Supplies That Are Sometimes Overlooked
While the items listed above are critical, there are also other moving supplies many people find helpful but overlook.
- Mattress Bags: Provide additional protection to mattresses, keeping them clean and undamaged.
- Wardrobe Boxes: A big help with moving clothes, these boxes are tall with hanging bars across the width.
- Electronics Boxes: These boxes have additional padding to protect delicate electronic components during the move.
- Dish Boxes and Cardboard Dividers: Designed to fit specific dish and glassware sizes and ensure the items won’t contact each other and break during transit.
- Picture and Mirror Transport Boxes: With thick walls and excellent built-in cushioning, these boxes ensure artwork and mirrors remain undamaged.
- Tools: Keeping an essential toolkit on hand makes it easier to disassemble and reassemble household items and furniture.
- Bungee Cords and Rope: Used to secure heavy items and keep them from shifting while in transit.
- Trash Bags: Use these to discard any items you aren’t taking with you or create a donation pile.
- Dolly: Use this to move furniture, appliances, or heavy boxes.
- Gloves: Your hands can take a beating during the move, and gloves can offer protection.
- First-Aid Kit: There are bound to be bumps and scrapes during the move, and having a well-stocked first-aid kit will help to clean any cuts or scrapes.
Pre-Move Planning
Now that we’ve gotten the checklist and supplies out of the way, talking about several other important things is crucial to help make your move as smooth as possible.
- Create a Timeline: Instead of packing the entire household in a single day, plan to pack specific rooms each day, starting with the non-essential items and areas of your home.
- Donate and Discard Items: Donating unwanted items helps to declutter your home and decrease the number of items you have to pack and move.
- Disassemble Items: Any large items that can be disassembled should be taken apart to help make moving them easier.
Doing those things can help get you ready for moving day.
Research Moving Companies
While many people choose to move themselves, hiring movers can be a lifesaver.
If you decide to hire movers, it’s essential to research them thoroughly. Ensure they have a wealth of experience and check that they have proper insurance coverage and that their employees are appropriately vetted and hold valid licenses. Once you have chosen a mover, book them as soon as possible to make sure your moving timeline and schedule are maintained.
When hiring moving companies, it’s essential to look at the following:
- Reviews and references
- Licenses and insurance
- Better Business Bureau rating
- Clear statement of additional fees or costs
- Clarify services they provide
- Employees training and insurance coverage
Avoid Red Flags
Remember to stick with moving companies with good reputations and positive customer reviews and ratings. These indicate the company is reputable and has good standing in the community. Those companies with low ratings or few positive reviews should be removed from consideration.
It’s also important to watch out for companies that use high-pressure sales tactics. If the company suggests that if you don’t book with them on the spot, their price will significantly increase, it’s a good idea to avoid them.
Also, if they offer low prices that sound too good to be true, they likely are. In addition, companies that fail to disclose all their associate fees and costs in their quote should be avoided.
The lack of transparency on any of those fronts could be indicative of poor business practices and shouldn’t be considered.
Insurance and Licensing
While you don’t want to think about some of your belongings being damaged or destroyed during the move, it’s important to consider when hiring movers. If they don’t have the appropriate licensing or carry the proper insurance, the company might be unable to make reparations by replacing broken or damaged items.
Communicate With the Movers
Honest and open communication is essential when working with movers. Be sure to let them know if you have expensive collectibles like art, electronics, musical instruments, or knickknacks that might require special packing. This could impact the overall cost and require them to add additional staff.
You also need to let them know if there are any accessibility obstacles, such as narrow hallways, property lines, or difficult driveways.
Cancellation Policy
While we’d like to think that the move will go off without a hitch, there are times when we have to reschedule the move. Perhaps the new house can’t be occupied until a later date or inclement weather could warrant rescheduling.
Regardless, it’s important to find out how they handle cancellations. Are there penalties associated with canceling their services?
In-Person Quote
For peace of mind, it’s important to have the moving company provide an in-person assessment of what you need to move and your expectations. Nothing is more frustrating than having a moving company offer a quote only to arrive on moving day at a much different price because they underestimated the volume of items you wanted to move.
Things to Consider Before the Move
What to take care of before you move:
- Pack Valuables: It’s important to pack jewelry, documents, and other valuables separately. Keep these items with you at all times so they don’t get lost, stolen, or damaged.
- Take Care of Utilities: Make sure to contact the utility company to turn off your old home’s utilities and to turn them on for your new home on the proper dates.
- Contact the Movers: Confirm the delivery date and anything that might delay their arrival.
Most Often Forgotten Things During a Move
We all have spells of absentmindedness, don’t we? You make lists, create a timeline, make a moving plan, and still forget things. It happens to everyone.
We’ve made this list to hopefully help you not forget any of the most commonly forgotten items:
- Keys: This includes car keys, as well as the keys to both your old and new home.
- Pet Arrangements: If your pets need to be kenneled for a few days during the transition, make sure to make arrangements to take care of them before the move
- Toiletries: Make sure to pack your toiletries because there likely aren’t going to be any at your new home.
- Device Chargers: There is nothing worse than your device dying and realizing you’ve forgotten the appropriate charger.
- Important Personal Documents: Birth certificates, deeds, marriage licenses, and other documents can be difficult to replace.
- Medications: If you or anyone in your family is currently taking medication, take special care to ensure you’ve properly packed their pills because trying to refill medications in your new neighborhood might take some time.
- First-Aid Kit: It’s essential to have a well-stocked kit on hand for any minor injuries that might occur during the move.
- Bedding: Make sure to pack your bedding so you can get to it easily because no one likes sleeping on a bare mattress.
Moving Day
While you’ve been planning for moving day for months and following your checklist to ensure things go smoothly, the day can still be stress-filled. It’s important to practice self-care.
Make sure to take plenty of breaks. Remember, moving is a marathon, not a sprint. Rushing while packing things can lead to damaged belongings and physical injuries. Nothing is worth that. Take your time and make sure to take breaks to give your body some rest. Also, make sure to take time to eat and to hydrate.
Do your best to keep a positive state of mind. Find the humor in moments of difficulty and remember, at the end of the day, moving is an adventure you will one day look back on with humor and perspective.
Lowcountry homeowners can trust Smooth Move to handle all their moving needs. We pride ourselves in caring for your belongings as if they were our own, packing them carefully so they arrive in pristine condition.
If you have questions regarding your move, please don’t hesitate to call. Smooth Move is always available for questions, guidance, or suggestions.
Let us help you start your moving journey this year in the Lowcountry.