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How to prepare for moving day
Spring is in the air! This is a time for people in Colorado to come out of hibernation, sit on patios, and share a drink on a front porch while soaking up the sun.
That is, unless your front porch is going to be highly-trafficked because you’re moving. At least you won’t have to deal with snow (of course you never really know when the Denver winter is over). You will want a few other items on your checklist to make this a breeze. Having a plan will allow you to move with as few hiccups as possible.
In fact, that’s why we’re putting this together now so you’ll have time to prepare and be strategic.
Packing
When you pack boxes, label them with the room they go in. This seems like a no-brainer, but too often people throw things into boxes and just start stacking them. It is much easier on the back end to direct movers or friends on where things should go if they say Kitchen or Master Bedroom.
Apartment Move Checklist
If you are moving out of a unit, ask your landlord to arrange a walk-through with you so there are no surprised about hidden charges. As an added precaution, find your lease and any damages you recorded at the beginning of your move-in date so you can point to things that you did not damage and should not be charged for. If you did not do that when you moved in and you are moving to another apartment, now is the time to make up for your mistakes. Take pictures, send them to the landlord or apartment, and get a receipt documenting your NEW unit.
One simple thing that you can do to save yourself some cash is to patch holes in the wall with spackle. If you’re unsure look at the “list of damages” within your lease you could be charged for and slowly work backwards repairing them.
Also, try to budget some money to hire a few cleaners. It is exhausting to move boxes all day and then be faced with cleaning your old place and unpacking your new place.
House Move Checklist
Moving out of a house that you own might also be a cause for stress if you’re not strategic about it ahead of time. Go through all storage (including attic storage and basement storage or crawl spaces) that you might have forgotten about and start packing things up. This is also a good time to declutter your life and host a moving sale. If you haven’t used something in a few months and you just “stumble” upon it, ask yourself if you can toss it or donate it. There’s no sense in moving things that you don’t want or need.
Be sure to check your washer and dryer for clothes before you make the final moving trip! Nothing is worse than leaving your favorite onesie in the wash!
Utilities and Moving
This is an afterthought that can come back and bite you if you don’t handle it in advance. Get the water and electricity transferred out of your name if applicable. You don’t want to be paying for something that you’re no longer using. Now that internet and cable are practically utilities, shop around and see if you can a better rate or a longer term by moving to a new address. It’s much easier for cable companies to help you when you’re being proactive about it and they realize you don’t have to stay with them if you’re changing locations. Give it a try and see if you can save yourself some money.
The Move
If you are hiring movers, do it a few weeks out, nothing will stop a move faster than forgetting to book movers well ahead of time (or a uHaul truck as well). If you have friends coming over to help, be sure you already have your own truck or folks with SUVs committed to showing up early. You then must then be the captain of your move. Everyone has an opinion about loading a van and they are going to look to you to see how things will go. Either take this responsibility seriously or delegate it to one person. Packing a truck wrong will waste a lot of time and energy so get the big furniture moved in first, followed by boxes, and soft things!
You should also direct people when you get to your new spot. People are eager to help but often lack direction. Take charge! “Bed over there, big furniture there, chairs over here!” With a solid team of friends around you, you can offload the truck in less than an hour.
Be sure to repay your friends with pizza, beer, bagels, coffee, margaritas, or whatever expresses your gratitude the most. Don’t skimp on this! A moving party relies on the unwritten rule that even if you are friends, this will somehow be worth their time too!
Lastly, invite yourself over to one of your good friends’ house for dinner and bring a bottle of wine and thank them for hosting! You’re not going to want to cook amidst the boxes. Or make reservations somewhere to eat ahead of time because you’re not going to want to cook after moving that day. Our final piece of advice is to leave the unpacking for tomorrow…the boxes aren’t going anywhere and you’re sure to be exhausted.
If you have any questions about moving and how Homegrown Moving and Storage Company in Colorado can help plan your move than please give us a call at 303-587-6200!