How to Prepare for Your Move

Once you’ve found a new home and you’re ready to buy (and your current home is in the middle of selling), you need to start planning your move. It’s a big project, but if you follow our advice and break it down into manageable pieces, you should be able to knock a lot of your tasks out of the way quickly.

The key is to do as much of your moving prep four to six or even eight weeks in advance. The more you do ahead of time, the more prepared you’ll be when unplanned complications pop up or unexpected problems arise. In the end, getting things done early is also a great way to give yourself peace of mind. Moving can be incredibly stressful—but it doesn’t have to be! AQMS has seen it all over the years, and we know the steps you can start taking now to reduce your moving-day stress.

Here is a list of things you can do to prepare for your move, weeks in advance of moving day:

Choose a Moving Date

This step may seem obvious, but this is the date around which everything else falls into place. If you don’t have a move-out date yet, pick one as soon as possible. If your moving date is flexible and you're not sure when you should move, you can check out our blog: When Is the Best Time to Move?

Decide on Whether to Hire a Moving Company

It’ll take a few days to do research, schedule quotes, and whittle down your choices. Once you have all the information you need, you can make an informed decision about which moving company you want to choose (or if you’ll move on your own). For a rundown of how a moving service can help, read our blog: 8 Benefits of Hiring Professional Movers.

Ask Friends & Family Members for Help

Planning to put friends or family to work before or on moving day? Try to get commitments well in advance. If you aren’t the most organized person, see if your “Type A” friends would be willing to help you pack. If you have young children, you’ll also want to consider hiring a babysitter for moving day or for a weekend day so that you can focus on packing.

Inventory What You Have

When you prepare for your move, be sure to take stock of your current belongings on paper or in a note app that is easy to reference. Will it all fit in your new home? Will you need to downsize? Are you moving to a climate where certain items are no longer necessary? Having a list of your belongings also helps you make sure everything makes it to your new place.

Get Rid of the Unnecessary Stuff

We say it all the time but purging your belongings before you move is a great way to save money and effort. This is a time-consuming step, so start as early as possible—even before you settle on a date, perhaps. Taking along extra items during the move can be a financial and physical strain, so your early downsizing efforts will pay off. Not sure where to start? Take a look at our blogs on Decluttering and Items to Donate During a Move.

Start Packing Seasonal Items & Decorations

All the things you don’t need at the moment should get packed up immediately. This spreads out your effort so that you won’t be exhausted on moving day. It also gives you a better understanding of what you should sell or donate. If you don't want to deal with packing, AQMS also offers complete packing and unpacking services for your move! 

Make a List of Essential Items You’ll Put in an Overnight Bag

Even if you plan thoroughly, a move can be tiring. You probably won’t have the time or energy to unpack much on the day you arrive at your new house. Pretend that you’re going for a weekend trip and make a list of must-have items that you will put in a suitcase or duffle bag. Make sure you do this for every member of your family, and for any pets too.

Talk to Your Children About the Move

With weeks to go until moving day, now’s the time to get your children excited about moving. They might be sad at first, but that’s okay. A few weeks of talking it over and showing them the new home allows them to warm up to the idea. Our blog, Moving with Children: 10 Helpful Moving Tips for Families, offers some helpful tips for helping kids of all ages adjust to this major life change.

Have a Plan for Your Pets

Our furry friends don’t always deal with change easily. You know your pet best, so spend some time thinking about what they will need to make it through moving day and the transition to your new home. This is another important step when you prepare for your move. This might mean you have a new toy and lots of treats on hand, or it might mean finding a pet sitter for the day. AQMS has put together 10 Tips to Help Your Pets Adjust to a Move to make sure you’ve covered everything.

Send Change of Address Documents

Credit card companies, friends, family, coworkers, utility companies, and other parties should all know that you’re moving. Use this time to let them know so you avoid unexpected problems in the future. Here’s a guide covering How to Change Your Address When You Move.

Find New Service Providers

Moving somewhere new means finding a new doctor, dentist, veterinarian, repair shop, daycare, salon, and all other kinds of service providers. Doing that now means you’ll be ready to go on moving day. This is also the sort of thing you can easily do on your phone when you’re in bed or waiting in line. It might not be the most important step to take, but it will certainly help you feel more comfortable with your new location.

Schedule Transfer or Disconnection of Service

Utilities like gas, electric, waste pickup, cable, internet, and satellite TV can all be scheduled to shut down ahead of time. You can save yourself unnecessary expense by scheduling shutoff before the flurry of moving-related tasks gets started. It’s also good to get these services connected as soon as possible in your new place.

When you prepare for your move early on, you'll save yourself a great deal of time and stress later. 

Our Advice? Hire an Experienced Southern California Moving Company.

Affordable Quality Moving and Storage is made of experienced movers in Santa Clarita and throughout Southern California. Our logistical experts and warehouse managers are organized, efficient, insured, and friendly, ensuring that our clients get the best moving services in the industry. We highly recommend getting started with planning and organizing your move as early as possible, as that will make your move much easier. The more you can get done now, the less you'll have to do as it comes down to the wire. Whether your move is two months away or two weeks, we have the skills, resources, and insight to get you through moving day without stress or worry. 

If you’re looking to pull off a big move with time to spare, let us help. Our moving services are customizable, we offer free estimates, and we have all the tools and experience to safely pack, transport, and store your belongings for your local, out-of-state, long-distance, or international move.

Prepare for your move the right way. Speak with our licensed Southern California movers at (661) 622-2636 for a free in-home quote.