What to Do on Moving Day

Ready for moving day?

When it’s time to move, you’ll feel excited, stressed and maybe even sad.  You’ll probably end up talking to many people, running many errands and thinking many thoughts.

With all those things happening, you might not be thinking about the details of moving.  However, they should not be forgotten.  Here’s what you need to do on moving day:

Control Your Emotions

Hopefully you already said your goodbyes and had a moving-away party, because when moving day comes around, you’re going to need to focus.

Of course, it’s going to be a very emotional day.  However, there will be a lot that needs to get done, and you can’t let your emotions get in the way.  Controlling your emotions on moving day is essential.

Preliminary Considerations

Time of Day

The timing of your move is important.  You need not only think of when you will start moving, but also when you will arrive at your new home to unload everything.

Moving at night can be dangerous and requires added equipment, and moving during the day can subject you to the summer’s hot temperatures and bad traffic.  Plan accordingly.

Route

Driving a moving truck is a tough task.  Make sure you can concentrate on the road by having a good set of directions on hand, which detail what roads to take, for how long, and any notable landmarks.

Loading Game-Plan

Don’t start throwing all of your stuff in the moving truck with the assumption that it’ll all fit.  If you load your furniture the wrong way, you might run out of space.

You need to take measurements and come up with a plan for situating your furniture in the moving truck, so that you don’t end up staring at a full trailer while holding your queen-sized bed, sweating.

Moving Day Checklist:

1. Occupy Your Pets and Kids – You don’t want your kids leaving toys on the stairs you’ll soon be carrying your mattress on, nor do you want your cat running under the neighbor’s deck while your door is propped open.  Make sure you prevent that by keeping your kids and pets in a safe place.
2. Label – Make sure to label your boxes so you don’t have to open them to figure out where they go.  Also identify what needs extra care, like glass and electronics. Check here for some more packing tips.
3. Lift with Your Legs – You’re probably going to be doing  a lot of packing and lifting, so make sure to do it right.  Take it slow; lift with your legs; and only lift what you can.  Moving is a marathon, not a sprint.  Take it easy.
4. Use Support – If you can’t lift something safely, get someone to help you or use a dolly, which allows you to roll the something rather than carry it.
5. Secure and Fasten – Just because you loaded a box into the truck doesn’t mean you’re done.  You might need to fasten it into place to prevent it from sliding around and cracking into stuff.
6. Clean Out the Fridge – … and make sure to double check the pantry and anywhere else you kept perishables.  These things are easy to forget about, and they can lead to some nasty, moldy problems.
7. Final Sweep – Give the house and each room one last check to make sure you didn’t forget anything.  You might be surprised by what you can leave behind…

Don’t forget to be courteous on moving day, especially to your movers.  Check here for some moving etiquette tips.