House Moving: The Ultimate Checklist [2020]

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November 20, 2020

You don’t need us to tell you—moving is stressful business. Everyone knows it. But if you’re on this page, chances are you know that stress first-hand.

Luckily for you, we’ve developed a handy checklist to make your move a little less stressful. There’s no universal right way to move, but there are a whole lot of wrong ways to do. Today, let’s take a look at some of the essentials you’ll want to keep in mind to save yourself time, stress, and worry.

In this blog post, you’ll learn when to start packing up, when to hire movers, and when to finalize your move.

Bonus: At the end of this post, you’ll find a detailed checklist you can print out to keep track of your moving schedule. Read on to learn more!

2 months before you move:

Sort through your belongings. Get a head-start by going through all your items and figuring what you’ll keep and throw away. This is a great opportunity to make a list and create an inventory of everything you’ll be moving.
Identify unwanted items. Think about what items you’ll be discarding. Can you donate any of them? Can you sell them in a garage sale? Now’s the time to take note.
Hire a moving company. Give yourself plenty of time to hire a moving company. Especially during peak periods, moving companies can be very busy, so be sure to book well in advance. If you’re in the Greater Toronto Area, contact us, and we’ll give you a no-obligation quote.
Contact your doctor, your children’s school, and insurance agents. You’ll want to tell them ahead of time that you’ll be moving, so go ahead and do it now.
Order packing supplies. You can order boxes, packing papers, and packing tape either online or from your local brick-and-mortar. It’s a good idea to get them early so you can take your time packing all your belongings.

1 month before you move:

Measure your furniture. Make sure your furniture will fit in your new place—not to mention through the door.
Donate unwanted items. Have some clothes you don’t want? Old furniture or gadgets? Consider donating them to a local charity.
Organize a garage sale. If you think you might make a few bucks off some items, why not organize a sale out of your garage? It might take a bit of effort to plan and put up flyers, but you might rake in some good money.
Rent a storage locker (if necessary). If you’re downsizing or moving temporarily, you might want to consider renting a storage unit. For Greater Toronto, don’t hesitate to ask us about our storage services!
Pick up your packing supplies. Make sure you have tape, boxes, and newspaper or packing paper. You’ll want it now, because next…
Pack rarely used items. Now’s a good time to pack away any items you won’t be using. Trinkets, knick-knacks, and seasonal gear are all good candidates—anything you won’t miss for the next month.
Label boxes. Finalize inventory. Now that you’ve started packing, you can start organizing your belongings into boxes. Make sure you label everything that’s packed. And be descriptive. All too often, people label their boxes with generic titles, and they’re left guessing what’s in each box when they’re trying to unpack.
Contact your utility providers. It’s a good idea to contact your phone, Internet, and heating providers ahead of time so they can update your address in their systems. That way, you can have a smooth transition from one home to the next.

2 weeks before you move:

Confirm your moving appointment. A few weeks before you move, check in with your moving company to confirm the date and time. It’s just a good idea to make sure everything goes smoothly on moving day.
Notify your work. Request time off (if necessary). Tell your work two weeks in advance of your move. They can then update your address in their system. You should also give them notice if you need time off to manage your move.
Clean rugs, drapes, and carpets. Now’s a good time to handle some of the more intensive cleaning, so you don’t have to rush it at the eleventh hour. Rugs, drapes, and carpets shouldn’t experience too much wear and tear over the next few weeks, so you can clean those first.
Clean your freezer and pantry. Start working through all that extra food you have. Check your freezer and pantry and see if you can start using up some of their contents.

1 week before you move:

Finish packing. Other than the necessities you’ll need for the next week, make sure all your belongings are packed up and ready to go. Don’t forget to label them!
Pack a personal bag. Your personal bag should include basic toiletries, a change of clothes, your phone charger, and any other things you’ll need handy. You’ll want to keep this bag beside you during the moving process. That way, should anything happen to the rest of your belongings, you’ll at least have on-hand what you need most.
Disconnect and clean large appliances. Your stove, fridge, deep freeze—any of those big bulky appliances will need to be cleaned out before you move. Space it out, so you don’t have to rush yourself.

A few days before you move:

Confirm with your moving company. We know you already confirmed once, but do it again anyway, just in case you got your wires crossed or something. You’ll thank yourself for that extra peace of mind.
Get the keys to the new place. Enough said.
Disassemble furniture. Now that you’re just about ready to move, it’s time to take apart your furniture so it can be moved quickly.
Finish packing, cleaning, and discarding. The last few days, you’ll want to do several sweeps of your home to make sure you have everything packed and cleaned. If you have any leftover food, consider donating it to your neighbors or a local shelter.

Need House Movers? We’re Here to Help!

Looking for more tips? Need help with moving? Inner City Moving & Storage is here for you. We offer a complete range of moving services for clients across the Greater Toronto Area. With years of experience, we’ve earned a stellar reputation as the city’s most trusted moving company. Prompt, efficient, and experienced—consider us the go-to choice.

If you’re in the Toronto area, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (416) 656-8924 to request a quote for our services. We’re here to help!