If you don’t want your local relocation to be more of a mess than a process, you should definitely have a moving to-do list. Having to transfer your whole life and all the material things in it to a new place is stressful and often disorienting, even if it is only to the other side of the city. Without a proper plan, you’re bound to experience a meltdown before it’s time to move.
So before you begin doing anything, you should check out this list of things to do when moving. Of course, you’ll probably have to tweak it to suit your needs, but the following checklist addresses all major responsibilities universal to everyone who needs to relocate.
Six Weeks Before the Move
A month and a half is still a lot of time before that big move. However, you should start preparing for it well in advance if you want to do everything properly. Once you’ve bought or rented your new home in another part of Los Angeles, there are many things to do before you host that moving away party! Here are some of them.
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Plan How You’ll Move
This is a big one — you have to decide whether you’ll relocate yourself or enlist the moving services of a professional relocation company near you. If you believe that a DIY move will cost you a lot less money, that is not necessarily true. It’s always the best idea to entrust professional movers in your area with your valuable possessions.
It’s important to make this decision early on because many other things depend on it, such as whether you’ll need additional workforce or truck rental.
Anticipate Your Relocation Expenses
The costs of relocation tend to add up quickly. If you don’t think about them and allocate enough funds, you’ll soon be surprised by how quickly you’ll break the bank. Some of the expenses you’ll have include:
- Professional movers
- Travel expenses
- Cleaning services
- Packing materials, etc.
To eliminate the element of unpleasant surprises cost-wise, you should assemble a moving expenses checklist. Try to think about the minutest of details, down to the tips for your relocation crew and celebratory champagne. This is not a lot of money, but a tip here and a bottle there, and you’ll have no idea where a couple of hundreds of dollars have gone.
Get Rid of the Stuff You Don’t Need
The last thing you want to do when relocating is dragging useless stuff with you. Relocation is a great opportunity to think about embracing that minimalist lifestyle you’ve been thinking about for a while.
Even if you don’t want to go to that extreme, you’re still bound to have a bunch of things that would only slow you down on your way to your new home. These things can range from something small like broken hairpins to an old dishwasher you no longer need. Here’s what you can do with rejectables:
- Organize a yard sale
- Donate to charity
- Recycle
- Organize a give-out to your friends and family
The Fourth Week Checklist — It’s Becoming Real
Now, you’re only a month away from the big day — but don’t let the moving stress get you. You have plenty of time to organize your relocation and make it go smoothly. All you need to do is — know what to do! With a proper plan a month in advance, you’ll be crossing those items off the list one by one.
This Week Is for Getting All the Administrative Stuff Out of the Way
You might get the urge to start running around the house collecting the tiniest of trinkets because you’re on the clock, but you have to stop yourself right there and take a deep breath. It’s still not time to pack — not until you’ve taken care of the official documents. Here are some things you should do:
- File a change-of-address request with the U.S. Post Office
- Ask for days off of work surrounding the relocation date
- Notify all relevant businesses and services about the relocation, such as schools, utility companies, agencies, insurance companies, etc.
- Cancel any home address-based subscriptions
Make a Packing Plan a Month in Advance
You’ll save yourself a lot of trouble if you make a detailed packing plan. This means you should sit down and walk a mental tour around your house or apartment, nook for nook. Think about everything that has to be packed and how you should do it.
You should also know the order in which you’ll box up everything. For example, you can probably start thinking about how to pack books for moving much before you can begin boxing up your dishes. Just think about the essentials in your everyday life and leave those items for the last week.
Get Packing Supplies
This is a perfect week to start getting the supplies ready. If you don’t know where to buy boxes in LA when moving, you shouldn’t worry since there are plenty of affordable options out there. However, if you’re concerned about your budget or the environment, you can also check out some places where you can find freebies and recycled boxes.
Apart from boxes, other essential materials include:
- Paper
- Tape
- Bubble wrap
- Furniture covers
- Bags
Moving To-Do List for the Third Week
This is the week where your moving list of things to do finally becomes more about the relocation itself. By now, you’ve weighed your options and decided whether you want to move by yourself or hire professional movers. It’s time to act on that decision.
Hire Local Movers Three Weeks Before the Moving Day
If you’ve opted for professional relocation services, contact several moving companies in your area and get their quotes. Compare the price estimates and the services they include and settle for one company. Once you’ve hired professionals, you’ll know you will be able to rest easy come the big move.
An important thing to remember is that there are some items movers won’t move. Be sure to ask your company about these things so that you can organize an alternative way to transport them.
If You’re Going for a DIY Move, Book a Truck Rental and Enlist Some Help
Relocating on your own will not only turn out to be a much bigger hassle than you thought it would, but it can also be more expensive. The more stuff you have, the larger the rental truck has to be. Also, if you misjudge the amount of your belongings, you’ll probably have to take several trips to and from your new home. This will cost you a lot of gas.
However, if you’re ready to be your own relocation expert, now’s okay to book truck rental. If you’ll also need a workforce to help you relocate, contact your friends and let them know when you’ll need their help. This way, they’ll have three weeks to plan for it. However, if you don’t want to trouble your friends or family, you can also enlist the labor moving services of a local company near you.
Ready, Steady — Start Packing!
Only now are you truly ready to start packing your belongings. You have more than enough time to get everything boxed up until the relocation day. By now, you’ll have a whole packing plan figured out, so you’ll know exactly where to begin. As we’ve already mentioned, you can start with the things you don’t use in your day-to-day life, such as out-of-season clothes and books.
Two Weeks Left — You Got This!
Two weeks prior to the move is when you should do the bulk of your hands-on work. You’ve taken care of the administration and other peripheral stuff. By now, you should be ready to get down to business.
Pack (Almost) Everything Now
Follow your plan and pack little by little. Box up anything you won’t be needing in the following two weeks. It’s important to give yourself enough time so that you can figure out if you’re missing any supplies or if something will require your special attention.
Try to Use Up All Perishables
From now on, plan your grocery and other shopping carefully so that you only buy what’s truly essential. This way, you’ll be able to use all the perishable food and other items. Imagine having to get your fridge ready for the move only to realize it’s filled with food. You’d have to throw it all away on such short notice.
Get Your Appliances Ready
Major appliances might be some of those things in your home that will need extra attention. For example, if you have to move a freezer, you have to figure out what to do with its contents, defrost it, and clean it thoroughly. For a dishwasher, you have to disconnect its hoses and drain them before the move. And of course, don’t forget to remove any dishes from it.
Run Leftover Errands Around Town
If you’re leaving a neighborhood, think of any unfinished business there and finish it. Did you leave any clothes at the dry cleaner’s? Did you borrow a neighbor’s land-mower?
The Last Week Before the Big Move
This is the week. By now, you should be almost entirely ready to relocate and hyped about getting to your new home. There are only a couple of things left to do, and you’re good to go.
Clean Both Places
No matter if you’re leaving a rental or selling your home, you can’t leave it messy and dirty. This is especially important if you want your security deposit back. Once all the boxes are out of the way, clean everything thoroughly and inspect the place for any hidden damage. If there are some holes and scratches, you can fix them now.
You should also clean your new house or apartment, and it’s best to do it before your stuff arrives. You can hire cleaning services as well, of course. Just make sure that someone else’s grime and germs aren’t waiting for you there.
Tips on What to Pack Last
Come relocation day, it’s wise to have all family members carry the most important items with them. You should not leave your medications at the bottom of some nondescript box, for example. Here are some things you should always have at hand:
- Important documents
- Medications and toiletries
- Phones, chargers, and other electronics
- Snacks and water
- A change of clothes
Confirm All Details With Your Movers
If you’ve hired professionals, contact them to confirm the essentials, exchange all important phone numbers, set up the arrival details, etc. If you have any questions or concerns, you should ask them in advance so that you can both prepare. When the relocation day comes, you’ll be able to relax and let the professionals do all the work for you.
If you’re making the move yourself, you’ll have more things to worry about. Call all the friends and family who promised to help you move and check if they’re still available. You never know what might come up. This way, you’ll be able to find an alternative workforce in the meantime if needs be.
If your friends have agreed to help you, you need to take care of them on the relocation day and make sure to get plenty of food and refreshments. This can be a fun, bonding experience, but if you overexert your friends, they might feel exploited.
If you’ve booked a truck rental, you should contact the company to confirm the details so that there are no unwanted surprises on the day of the move.
Hire the Best Movers in LA
A to-do list for moving will help you stay organized. But if you want to rest easy knowing that your LA relocation will be a breeze, let All In Movers handle your local residential move. And if you feel overwhelmed by the amount of stuff you need to box up, we can provide you with an impeccable packing service too. Contact us today and get a price estimate completely free of charge.
