9 Week Move Checklist for a Smooth Relocation

Move day can be crazy. The weeks moving up to move day can be hectic and stressful. Making a moving checklist and checking it twice is always a good idea, but how do know if you have what you need on your list? In order to make your move as smooth as possible, we made a timeline moving checklist leading up to the big day.

 

8 to 9 weeks to move-in day:

  • Begin to look at your home, start sorting, and get rid of anything you don’t need anymore. If you know that the place you’re moving to is smaller than your current home, be sure to plan an aggressive declutter.
  • Sketch out a general floor plan of your new home including furniture placement so you know if there’s any furniture you can’t bring with you.
  • Research your packing options! Do I have the time to pack myself? Do I need help from the movers? How much are materials?

7 weeks to move-in day:

  • Purchase moving supplies 
  • Call a dumpster service, it’s time to cull the forgotten items in the attic and basement.
  • Plan a yard sale, sell things you don’t want to take with you, and make some extra cash. Check out our blog on planning a successful yard sale.
  • Research moving companies and schedule in-home or phone surveys in order to obtain pricing.
  • Call Olympia Moving & Storage to book your move! Booking a moving company 5 to 6 weeks in advance will allow you to have your choice of moving time and day.

4 weeks to move-in day:

  • Begin packing. The earlier you start the better. Add packing services to your move to have us check off this item for you!
  • If you are renting your current home make sure you notify your landlord, neighbors, and whoever else may need to know.
  • Make sure you have a primary care physician and schools set up for your kids and request a transfer of your records.

3 weeks to move-in day:

  • Now is the time to contact your insurance company, car, and any other billing agencies that need to know that you are changing your address. If you move with Olympia you can use our free address change tool to help with this.
  • Schedule transfer or set up of utilities for your new home, including electricity, gas, water, internet, TV, and phone.
  • If you are traveling far to your new home make sure your car is in good shape or your flights or hotels are booked.
  • If you’re moving in or out of an apartment building, reserve the elevator for your move and check if the building requires a Certificate of Insurance from the moving company.
  • Confirm whether your current or new home need a parking permit for the move. If so, ask your moving company to order one.
  • Look at the food and perishables you have in your kitchen. Start to eat what is open, throw away what you can, and plan what you will need to buy for the last few weeks in your home.

2 weeks to move-in day:

  • If you are packing your home yourself, step on the gas. It’s close to go time and the last week to moving day is hectic.
  • Keep track of electronics and valuables. Don’t lose sight of them in the rush of packing.
  • Feel free to call Olympia with any questions you may have, we’re here to help! Be sure to let us know if the scope of your move changed, or if you think you need to add packing services.

1 week to move-in day:

  • We will be calling you to confirm your moving day and time.
  • Pack your overnight bag for your first night in your new home.
  • Towards the end of the week empty the refrigerator and freezer. The earlier you do this the easier and cleaner it will be to move.
  • Disconnect your appliances, or schedule a service to do so.
  • Confirm again that you have electronics and documents handy, we cannot stress enough that you don’t want to lose your essentials.

Moving day!!!

  • Communicate with your movers. They are there to help you! Make it clear to them what is fragile.  Since everything is clearly marked the delivery will be a breeze!
  • Walkthrough your home make sure everything is out.
  • Leave behind cleaning products for the post-move clean, or schedule a maid service, many have move-out cleaning specials.
  • Lock up
  • You are on your way! Congratulations!

Moving checklist complete!

Enjoy your new home!

Ready to get started on a major item on your moving checklist?  Call us for a free moving estimate at 800-222-4744 or request an estimate online.

Helpful Moving Apps

Moving is tough and apps are convenient so it makes total sense that developers would create a moving app to help you through your relocation. We went ahead and reviewed 3 free moving apps that might help make your relocation easier…in addition to using Olympia Moving & Storage, of course.

anthropoligie platesortly folders

Sortly:

Aesthetically pleasing and easy to use, Sortly is an app that helps you do exactly what it sounds like.. sort your life! The moving app offers folders to narrow down your needs and work from specific lists in order to keep you more organized. Even better, within each folder you can create sub-folders for each room in your house, making it easier to sort and eventually find your belongings.

When adding items to your folders, Sortly gives the option of adding the quantity of items as well as value AND a photo.  So, if you’re worried about keeping track of the condition of your belongings in the case of damage or missing items, you’re all set!

Sortly also includes a great moving checklist with the option to mark tasks as “irrelevant” or “done,” so you can be sure to get all of your prep work done before moving day. Handy!

If you’re feeling fancy, another added bonus of using Sortly is the option to make your own QR labels. If you aren’t the tech-type and this doesn’t appeal to you you can always stick with our free printable labels and still stay organized.

A moving app like Sortly would definitely be helping when planning your move, think estimating the number of boxes you’ll need and putting together an inventory to get a quote, and would be a huge help when unpacking your belongings once you’ve moved into your new home. Learn more about Sortly here.

MoveAdvisor:

MoveAdvisor is different than Sortly, but it’s a great moving app option if you’re looking for moving companies in your area. It’s user friendly and is sort of like playing a Sims game with your belongings.

By clicking and dragging items, you can easily obtain a general idea of the weight of the items you’re looking to move, and everything you need to plan is in the palm of your hand. MoveAdvisor can be found here.

moveadvisor appmymove inventorymove details

My Move:

mymove menu

It seems like the developers of this moving app haven’t quite worked out the bugs. MyMove does ask for your origin zip and destination zip, but the app bases your approximate weight on the type of house you live in but doesn’t take your actual belongings into account, which means you’ll want to give a more detailed idea of your belongings when speaking with moving company.

Unfortunately, the “calculate moving cost” button brings you to a secondary page asking for your origin and destination again but doesn’t allow for destination state selection so this moving app isn’t the most useful if you’re looking for an accurate estimate for moving services.

The MyMove moving app would be most useful if you’re looking for moving checklists and  moving tips.

After checking out these three moving apps, we would suggest trying both Sortly and MoveAdvisor. Each moving app carries their own list of benefits and helpfulness but a mixture of the two could be even better. When planning a move it’s always better to speak to a professional about questions that are specific to your relocation. Moving apps are certainly helpful when organizing, but more information is better to get an accurate idea of your moving costs. Find more resources on MyMove here.

Ready to plan your move? We’re here to help.
Call us at 800.222.4744 today for your free estimate or request an estimate online.

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