The Top 20 Ways to Make a Local Move Easier:
Moving is a time in many people’s lives that brings about exciting changes and new perspectives, but it also has a tendency to cause stress. Moving is no easy feat, but helpful tips and preparation will make the process easier. Read below to learn some of the best ways to make your local move a smoother one with help from your Atlas® movers.
1. Choose Your Moving Date Wisely
Just like traveling, moving can also be cheaper and easier to schedule if you pick the right season. The moving industry is at its peak in the late spring to summer months, meaning you’ll have less availability when choosing dates and times for your move. Instead, opt for a fall or winter move if you’re able to. And if you really want to beat the rush, try to move in the middle of the month and on a weekday for even more flexibility.
2. Make a Moving Checklist, Check it Twice
There is a lot to do when moving. And we aren’t even talking about moving day itself. After you’ve selected a moving date, create a checklist that includes everything you’ll need to take care of before, during, and after moving. This could include everything from packing and enlisting extra hands to help clean up after your old home is cleared out and refilling old nail holes. Stay organized, stay on track, and stay sane.
3. Purge Your Belongings
We could all stand to declutter. Use the opportunity moving grants you to take the time to go through your closets, storage rooms, garage, and more to really take an inventory of what you have and what you no longer need or want to keep. This will not only make you feel more organized, but it will also lighten your load come moving day and save you time and money on transportation.
4. Sell What You Can, Donate What You Can’t
After going through your belongings and deciding what to get rid of, try selling nicer items either in person to local buyers, host a moving sale, or online via sites like eBay or Facebook Marketplace to make a few extra bucks. Remember, one person’s trash is another person’s treasure! For items you can’t sell, consider passing them down to your community by donating the items to local charities or thrift stores.
5. Recruit Help Early
When you’re moving locally, you hopefully won’t have to look far for help if you are going to handle your move yourself. Reach out to friends and family members (especially those who you have helped move in the past) to see who is willing to lend a hand. But don’t put off asking for help! Let your DIY crew know well in advance when they’ll be needed so they can plan their time accordingly and mark their calendars.
6. Start Packing Now
As soon as you know when you’ll be moving, start packing. If you put off packing until the last minute, you’ll likely invite unwanted stress into your life, possibly damage items if packing in a hurry, or even forget to pack a closet or two. By starting to pack items like home décor, kitchen items, out-of-season clothes, and more, you’ll be able to pack your belongings slowly and safely and be ready to start loading the truck come moving day.
7. Pack Boxes Correctly
Follow proper packing techniques to ensure your items get where they need to go safely. While packing, don’t overload or under-pack your moving boxes. Smaller boxes can be used for heavier items like books or cast-iron cookware, while larger boxes can be used for lighter items like linens, clothing, or lamps. Always be sure to secure the bottom and top of the box with packing tape, and use packing paper, bubble wrap, or household linens or old clothes as wrapping and filler for the interior contents of the box.
8. Label Every Box
After your boxes are packed and secured, grab a permanent marker, and clearly label each box with both its contents and where in your new home it is meant to go upon arrival. This will not only help your moving crew know which box goes where and how fragile the contents are but will also help you out in your new home when you are looking for your blow dryer and need to find it fast!
9. Label Large Items
We always label the boxes when moving, but what about those bigger items and pieces of furniture? Using a tape like painter’s tape that won’t harm your furniture, place labels on desks, china cabinets, and more to let your movers know which room each will go into in your new home. This way, you won’t find at the end of the day that your chest of drawers was placed in the kid’s bedroom and have to move it again later yourself.
10. Save Money on Packing Materials
If you are interested in saving money on a local move, try to source as many free boxes as possible from friends, family, or local retail stores in your area. Bars, restaurants, grocery stores, wine shops, and more all get multiple deliveries per week and are typically happy to pass them along to neighbors who are moving free of charge. This is both a budget and environmentally friendly option.
11. Call Your Utility Companies
Having your utilities and other household subscription services like cable or internet disconnected then reconnected in your new home should be a top priority on your checklist. Call your providers a few weeks before you move to schedule the switchover and avoid any overlap or extra fees that may be involved, but make sure not to have necessary services like electricity or water turned off on your moving day as you will most likely need those utilities day of.
12. Change Your Address Before You Move
It goes without saying that you should change your address on all your accounts when you move, but it is recommended to change your mailing address and forward your mail with the United States Postal Service two weeks prior to your move. This will ensure that all your packages, bills, and housewarming cards will start arriving in your new mailbox by the time you settle into your new home.
13. Pack a First-Night Essentials Kit
Pack a box or bag for you or your family for your first night in your new home that contains everything you’ll need to have a comfortable night after a long day of moving. This way, you won’t have to go on a treasure hunt for your toothbrush or pajamas in the myriad of boxes sitting around your new house.
14. Start Moving Early If Possible
When moving locally, it can come in handy to be moving to a new home that is close to your current one. If you have an overlap period of having both sets of keys after a closing date or some days left on your rental agreement, use that time to acquaint yourself with your new home, see what needs to be repaired or painted, and begin bringing some smaller items or things that professional moving companies are not permitted to transport with you when you make those trips.
15. Keep Kids and Pets Safely Occupied
If you have small children or pets, you’ll want to make arrangements come moving day to keep them safely out of the way. Since you’ll be moving locally, enlist the help of friends, family, or neighbors to keep them for the day while you and your moving crew get to work. If those options aren’t available, consider designating a special room in your home that your kids and pets can stay in together while the moving happens throughout the rest of the house.
16. Delegate Tasks on Moving Day
To make moving day run smoothly, assign tasks and jobs to specific people. Professional movers have a well-oiled system they operate by to work efficiently, and if you are moving locally yourself, your crew should follow a system too. This will eliminate people having nothing to do, will make the move go faster, and ultimately save you time and money.
17. Keep Important Items and Documents with You
Important documents like birth certificates, moving contract agreements, medical records, financial documents, and more should all be stored in one place and should always be kept with you. Anything can happen in transit, so keep these documents safe and sound in your personal possession to prevent loss.
18. Wear Durable, Comfortable Clothing
The weather and temperature can fluctuate dramatically depending on which day or time of year you move. On moving day, wear comfortable clothing that will keep you as dry as possible in rain, or warm on colder days. Clothing should be well-fitting, but still provide enough room to lift and move boxes and other belongings. Durable shoes with non-slip features are also invaluable if you’ll be moving in wet weather, or up and down flights of stairs.
19. Load Things the Right Way
There is a science to loading a moving truck. Large, heavy items like furniture or appliances should always be loaded into the cargo area first and protected with blankets or bubble wrap. After you have your base, smaller items and boxes can fill out the rest of the area. As previously mentioned, assigning tasks to your crew can ensure the right items go in at the right time.
20. Hire Professional Movers
Maybe your friends are all magically busy on your moving day and can’t help you. Or maybe you just don’t have the time or energy to handle the huge job of moving yourself. In any case, consider hiring a professional moving company for your local move to have the job done right without you lifting a finger. Even better, once you consider all the expenses moving requires when you do it yourself, hiring a moving crew may not be as expensive as you think.
Ready to Make Your Move?
If you think you may want to let someone take the heavy lifting of moving off your hands, or need more information, let Atlas® help. Find a local Atlas moving company today to discuss any of our moving services or get started on your free online quote. If you’d like to speak to an Atlas moving expert live, give us a call at 800-638-9797.
