What to Do: Week Before Moving

Posted on 16/09/2024

Moving can be an incredibly stressful experience. However, with a detailed plan and a checklist of what needs to be done, you can make the transition smoother. In this article, we'll explore the most essential tasks to complete during the week before your move to ensure everything goes as seamlessly as possible.

1. Finalize Your Moving Logistics

As your moving day approaches, it's crucial to finalize all logistic details. This means confirming dates and times with movers, ensuring your new home is ready for your arrival, and double-checking that all necessary arrangements have been made. Reach out to your moving company to confirm the move date, time, and any special instructions. Additionally, make sure to:

• Check the weather forecast: Plan for any adverse weather conditions that could impact your move.

• Prepare a parking plan: Ensure there's enough space for the moving truck to park both at your current home and your new residence.

2. Start Packing Early

Despite having possibly packed a majority of your belongings, there is always more to pack in the final week. Focus on:

• Essential items: Pack items you use daily and keep a separate bag for immediate necessities like clothing, toiletries, medications, and important documents.

• Labeling boxes: Clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs in. This will make unpacking much easier.

• Fragile items: Use plenty of padding and clearly mark the boxes as 'fragile'.

3. Handle Utilities and Services

Contact utility and service providers to schedule disconnections and reconnections. This includes:

• Electricity

• Gas

• Water

• Internet and cable

• Trash collection

Ensure the utilities at your current home are scheduled to end the day after your move and activated at your new home the day before you move in.

4. Update Your Address

One of the most important things to do is to update your address with relevant organizations and people. This includes:

• Postal service: Complete a change-of-address form with your postal service to forward your mail to your new home.

• Banks and credit card companies: Notify them of your new address to avoid any potential issues.

• Subscriptions: Update your address for any magazine or newspaper subscriptions.

• Employers: Inform your company's HR department of your new address.

• Healthcare providers: Update your doctor, dentist, and any other healthcare providers.

5. Clean and Repair

Leaving your old home clean and in good repair is both courteous and often required by leases or sales agreements. Make it a point to:

• Do a deep clean: Clean every room thoroughly, paying extra attention to the kitchen and bathrooms. Dust, vacuum, and mop all floors.

• Fix minor repairs: Patch up holes from picture frames, fix leaky faucets, and replace any burnt-out light bulbs.

• Dispose of unwanted items: Properly dispose of or donate any items you don't want to take with you. Arrange for bulk trash pickup if necessary.

6. Plan Meals and Snacks

Since your kitchen will be in various stages of being packed up, it's wise to plan easy meals for the last week. Consider:

• Using up perishables: Plan meals around the food you have to avoid waste.

• Pre-packing utensils: Keep a few essential kitchen items handy for preparing simple meals.

• Ordering takeout: On moving day, having a few takeout menus for quick meals can be very helpful.

7. Take Care of Children and Pets

Moving can be particularly stressful for children and pets. Make plans to:

• Arrange childcare or pet care: Consider hiring a babysitter or ask friends and family to help during the moving process.

• Pack comfort items: Ensure you have comfort items like favorite toys, blankets, or snacks readily available.

• Prepare travel arrangements: If you're traveling a long distance, plan for necessary stops and accommodations for your pets and kids.

8. Backup Important Files

Ensure that any irreplaceable digital files are backed up in multiple locations such as cloud storage and external drives. This is particularly important if you work from home or have a lot of personal data on your computer.

9. Confirm Moving Day Schedule

In the final days before the move, make a detailed schedule of the moving day. Share this schedule with everyone involved, including family members and the moving company. This should include:

• Arrival times: Confirm when the movers will arrive and how long the process is expected to take.

• Key contacts: List phone numbers and contact details for key people such as the real estate agent, property manager, or new landlord.

• Final walkthrough: Schedule a final walkthrough of your current home to ensure nothing is left behind and to hand over keys.

10. Double-Check Everything

As the moving day approaches, it's essential to double-check all arrangements and plans. This includes:

• Reviewing your checklist: Go through your moving checklist to see if there are any tasks you missed or need to revisit.

• Confirming travel plans: Ensure that your travel arrangements, whether by car, plane, or other, are confirmed and ready to go.

• Verifying utility setups: Double-check that all utilities will be ready and running in your new home when you arrive.