The moving checklist that will save you from headaches

Since 2015, North Carolina has averaged more than 110,000 new residents each year. More people are moving to our state than those who move away. Raleigh is the 3rd fastest-growing large metro area in the USA. Moving to or from the Raleigh – Durham – Chapel Hill area during a pandemic? That can bring more than the usual stress!

Would a Checklist Help Your Move to Go Much More Smoothly?

Check out These Tried & True Tips:

A Month or Two Before Moving Day

1. Purchase a moving binder. Make sure it has sections and tabs in it. You will put into your moving binder all of the critical documents you need.

2. First, choose your moving company. Research who will give you a fair rate while still delivering excellent services, or ask for referrals from people you know. Or, look into U-Haul rates.

3. Start sorting your things. Think about what you want to keep and bring into your new home. Think of who can be given some of the things that don’t fit into your new life. Arrange a plan for donations and trash! 4. Order boxes, tape, labels, etc. Overestimate the amount of these you will need, as you can always return what you don’t need. Keep the receipts for the moving supplies in your moving binder.

2-3 Weeks Before Moving Day

By now, you may start to feel the pressure of moving into your new home. Don’t panic! Just take it one step at a time.

1. Start packing seldom used items and be sure to label the boxes on the top and on the sides, with the contents and the room the boxes will go into.

2. Start taking care of the paperwork. Make sure to go online to USPS.com and complete a change of address for all adults in your home. Think about who else you would like to notify. (Think insurance companies, utility companies, banks, creditors, friends & family, etc.) Get your animal’s medical records from the vet. Cancel gym memberships.

3. Don’t keep buying groceries, try to use up what you have. Now’s a great time to go through the pantry and get rid of expired foods and spices.

4. Arrange a coffee date or a lunch date with friends or family you won’t be seeing any more.

A Week Before Moving Day

1. Start packing the things you’ve included in your “to bring” pile. Again, clearly mark the boxes contents with the rooms they will go into. Take pictures of your electronics before you take your electronics apart—and coil the cords and label them with masking tape. Those cables in the back of your TV will make even less sense when they are tangled in a box.

2. Call all of the utilities companies, both the old and the new, so that you’re not left paying for utilities you aren’t using, or moving into a home where the utilities are not turned on.

3. Start cleaning so it is not all left for moving day.

The Day Before Moving

1. By now, you’ll have piles of boxes lying around. Make an inventory list of all furniture and all boxes you have. Start packing the essentials you’ll need for the first night or two. 2. Defrost your freezer. 3. Set aside one box for the first day in your new home. Pack paper towels, cleaning supplies, bed sheets, towels, paper plates, silverware, and toilet paper.
Moving Day

Moving Day

1. Start disassembling furniture unless the movers are doing that. But remember, they charge by the hour, so do whatever you can yourself. Explain to the movers exactly what you want done. Do one final walkthrough of your old home.

Once you arrive to your new home:

1. Give instructions to the movers on which boxes should go where.

2. Keep track of your inventory. Make sure that all boxes and furniture were placed where they should be. Take note of any missing boxes and inform the movers immediately.

3. Start plugging in the major appliances.

After the Move:

1. Congratulations! You have moved into your new home. But there’s still work to be done.

2. Put everything away in its proper place.

3. Make a list of things you may need to buy.

4. Start meeting your new neighbors and get to know the neighborhood. Join a neighborhood NextDoor or Facebook group. Find out which grocery stores and restaurants come highly recommended. Moving into a new home in a new city is a lot of work. But with a comprehensive checklist and a good timeline, you can save yourself from the headaches that come with last minute scrambling.

We can help organize your move

If you have just moved anywhere within the Raleigh -Durham – Chapel Hill North Carolina Triangle and if you feel exhausted and overwhelmed call Consider It Done! at (919) 697-8874. We can help with getting you unpacked and beautifully organized. For a complete list of our relocation and moving services please click here: