Important things to remember when moving

Once you have made the decision to move into a new home there are certain aspects of the moving process you need to focus on to make it a success. The best advice is to plan for this task carefully, and leave nothing to chance.

You need to prepare a to-do list covering all the last minute little things that will require your attention before moving day. Checklists ensure that you have covered all the angles, and that you avoid the last minute rush to take care of nagging business such as overdue utilities. A typical checklist should cover items such as the moving date, contacts for service providers you may require, ordering for boxes – the list can be quite long.

It’s important to pay your utility bills not just for your own peace of mind but also for the new occupant of your house or apartment. It is also good etiquette. Just imagine what it would be like if you found utilities disconnected in the new home you’re moving into. You wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to you no doubt.

Contact the postal service to file an address change to prevent the new occupant from receiving “junk mail” – some of this information can be quite confidential and you would not want it getting into the wrong hands. You also wouldn’t want to miss out on important mail such as bank statements and newspapers or magazines that you subscribe to.

Some people opt to move themselves, only hiring a rental truck, but this is laden with many risks. You may wish to take the strain out of moving by using the services of a moving company. Whichever the case, you should get at least 3 quotes from different service providers for price comparison purposes, but you shouldn’t stop there. Get as much information about the company as you can. Find out their reputation, as well as what their terms of service are. Remember, you are entrusting them with your worldly belongings so you need to be careful to avoid serious damage or loss of your property.

The space you pay for in the moving truck costs money, so you do not want to move out with junk if you can avoid it. Equally, moving with items that will take up unnecessary space in your new home just doesn’t make sense. It’s best to simply put aside or get rid of stuff you don’t need – you can donate this to charity or organise a garage sale.

When packing, organise your boxes early. Remember to get an adequate number that will cater for all the different types of items that will be packed away – it’s better to overestimate the number you require rather than underestimate. It is also advisable to start packing some weeks in advance, beginning with items that you seldom use. Once you have packed, you should label the cartons clearly so that locating them after moving doesn’t become a nightmare.

Once everything has been loaded, ensure you make one final inspection of all the rooms to ensure that nothing has been left behind. There’s nothing as disappointing as having to make an unnecessary trip back to your old place to collect something you left behind.

It goes without saying that leaving the house clean leaves a good impression on the incoming tenant. It also makes it easier for you to find out if there’s any stuff that might potentially be left behind.

Get someone to direct the movers on where they will take different items. This is where the labelled cartons become important. Also, don’t start unpacking immediately as this will only create clutter which can get in the way of the movers. Once again make an inspection of all the items against your checklist to ensure that everything was transported and unloaded from the truck. It is only at this point that you can sign off the paperwork for the movers.