Preparing For Your Local Move

We agree that #MovingSucks, but just a little pre-planning will take a lot of the stress out of move day. Here are some things you can do before the truck arrives to take the edge off on moving day:

3-4 Weeks Out

Research your options for moving companies or truck rental services. Get estimates and check reviews from multiple companies. Be sure to understand what is covered under your hourly rate, and whether additional services like furniture assembly/ disassembly, appliance moving, packing, and making additional stops assess separate fees. Some movers charge extra for each flight of stairs your property has, and each roll of shrink wrap used to protect your furniture! At Metro Moving Company (MMCo), we charge a flat travel fee, which gives you use of our 26-foot box truck, and every service listed above is included in the hourly rate at no additional charge.

Take inventory one room at a time, marking items to be moved or packed, and setting aside the things you plan to get rid of. Write a list of all the items you plan to keep.

Secure your records – Whether it’s medical, dental, educational, legal, veterinary, etc. paperwork, make sure any documents you may need before unpacking are easily accessible. We once had a customer call us one week after his move to locate a box that contained important legal documents. Fortunately, we were able to help him find it, but setting them aside will save you tons of time.

Host a garage or moving sale for the items you decide not to keep, and consider giving leftovers to local charities. While we often dispose of large items for our clients under our hourly rate, it delays your end time, and ultimately costs you more than getting rid of it before move day.

Schedule connection of utility services at your new house, especially if your move takes place later in the afternoon or in the evening. Moving in the dark is not only unsafe, but it will take longer to complete the job, costing you more in the end.

Finalize all packing & appliances. Double-check the attic and basement, and all your closets for forgotten items. See a list of forget-me-nots here.

Last check. Defrost the freezer, drain the water hose, Drain and disconnect all major appliances you’re planning to move. Defrost your freezer and empty the fridge before moving. The additional items will make it heavier, and result in a longer move. To make your move as cost-effective as possible, find more money-saving tips here.

Pack a Move Day Bag. Include items you’ll need on the first day in your new home. Separating your first day one essentials will save you so much stress on and after moving day.

Confirm hotel or temporary accommodation, if needed. Unfortunately, we’ve seen where customers have sold or moved out of their home and the closing doesn’t go quite as planned, leaving them scrambling at the last minute. Try to prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Arrange for childcare and pet services on moving day, if needed. While we love our children and furbabies, they may slow you down on moving day if you’re not prepared to keep them busy. Check out our tips for moving with little ones.

Moving Day

Verify the moving truck that shows up is the one you hired. Scams can happen! Fortunately for us, it’s pretty hard to confuse our big purple truck for anyone else!

Be on hand for movers to answer questions and show where furniture and boxes should go. At MMCo, we arrange and rearrange your furniture as many times as it takes for you to be happy with it, before stopping your time, and considering your move complete. So don’t be shy about asking.

Be prepared to pay the mover and know which forms of payment are acceptable ahead of time. Have cash on hand to tip your moving crew, if you’re into that kind of thing. =)