5 Tips to make your move lighter

Moving Day can be stressful on you, your family, your pets, and even the movers. We try to take as much of the stress as we can so that you don’t have to, but we there are a lot of ways to make “Moving Day” move a lot easier.

Tara Nolan wrote the perfect article about many things you could do. We want to share our 5 favorite excerpts with you now and you can read the rest of the article over here.

Get organized early.

Avoid leaving anything until the last minute. Unless you have to pack up and leave in a hurry, chances are you have between 30 and 60 days to make a plan and ensure that moving day runs smoothly.

Keep your movers in the loop.

Boxes are one thing, but when you get to the big, heavy stuff, it’s important to let your movers know what to expect. “Communicate with your moving company and explain all the requirements and expectations prior to booking,” advises Andrew Ludzeneks, founder and current president of iMove Canada Ltd. “Your mover has to be aware of all those minor details in order to estimate your total move time and cost, and have proper equipment available.” That includes informing the company about any overweight items (i.e. a piano or fridge), access restrictions (small elevator, walk-up only, narrow driveway) and whether you’ll need help with disassembly or assembly of furniture.

Label everything!

Label all sides of the box (avoid the top). Whoever is carrying in your boxes might not make sure all labels are facing one way for your easy retrieval. Try labeling each side in marker so you can easily find what you need in a stack.

Be ready for your movers.

Whether you have family or professional movers showing up at your door, be ready for them when they arrive. With a moving company, unless you hire packers, be ready and packed before the crew arrives, advises Andrew. “Scrambling for boxes will delay your move and increase your cost.”

Hook up essential services.

Make sure you understand how utility bills (gas, water, electricity) will be transferred over to you from a previous owner. Also, arrange to have your phone line, cable and Internet working if necessary.

Thanks to Tara for writing this awesome list of tips. Hopefully they will make your move lighter when moving day comes.