Residential Moving Tips: Creating a Moving Timeline
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Moving Checklist in Chicago
Planning on moving soon, but unsure where to start? Moving experts recommend following this eight-week timeline so you can complete your checklist in Chicago.
Eight Weeks Before Your Moving Checklist
- Organization: Organizing your moving paperwork is essential to making your move easier. Folders, notebooks, and filing systems are excellent ways to keep track of important documents and papers.
- Sorting: Getting a head start on making important decisions about your items—what to keep, what to throw away, and what to donate—will alleviate stress and pressure early, allowing you to focus on other aspects of your move.
- Conduct Research: Allowing yourself adequate time to thoroughly evaluate your local moving companies will save lots of time and energy, helping you avoid unseen hassle later. Online and personal reviews from family and friends will help you determine which moving company is right for you.
Seven Weeks Before Your Move-In Checklist
- Stocking Up on Supplies: To pack your things, you need the necessary packing items. Begin assembling your supply of boxes, tape, bubble wrap, labelers, and other necessities so you’ll be prepared to pack up your household.
- Planning for Getting Rid of Items: If you’re having trouble deciding how to get rid of your items, hosting a garage sale is an excellent way to lighten your load and give back to your neighbors before you leave your neighborhood.
Six Weeks Before Your Move-In Checklist
- Inform Your Child’s School: If you have children, letting their soon-to-be-former school know about your move is vital. You should gather necessary school records and check the enrollment processes of schools in your new community so your child can start in their new school smoothly.
- Attain Important Medical Records: We encourage getting in touch with your doctor or hospital sooner than later. Doing so will ensure you have all your essential medical documents so you can take them with you on your move.
Five Weeks to Your Moving Checklist
- Book Your Moving Company: You’ve done your research, and now it’s time to book your preferred moving company to ensure their availability for the big day.
Four Weeks to Your Move-In Checklist
- Packing Non-Essentials: Now is the time to pack up the items you don’t immediately need so you can get them out of the way. Label your boxes, and you should be prepared.
- Notify Your Utility Providers: Begin the process of letting your utility providers know about your move so they can plan for switching utilities over to your new residence.
- Notify Your Landlord: If you live in a rental property, letting them know during this period is appropriate so they can plan for your exit. Remember to ask about your security deposit and when you can expect it to arrive.
Three Weeks to Your Moving Checklist
- Plan for How to Move Your Food: Use up food items that you don’t want to move or are close to expiring, including any food items with open containers. It would be best if you planned to have your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry empty by your move date.
- Think About Your Animals and Plants: Planning and preparing to move your animals and plants is essential to their well-being and safety.
- Switch Over Your Address Information: Now’s the time to switch over your address for shipping, mail, bank account, credit, and debit cards.
- Transfer Your Insurance: If your current residence has insurance coverage, you’ll want to contact your insurance provider about switching over now.
- Plan for Moving Your Car: Make sure your car is in ideal condition for driving, especially if you’re moving a long distance. You should also talk with your insurance provider to transfer your policy if necessary.
Two Weeks to Your Move-In Checklist
- Pack, Pack, Pack: This is the time to start packing up everything in your home, properly labeling them, and ensuring an efficient transition.
- Coordinate Your Important Items: If you have valuable items such as money, jewelry, or keepsakes, you’ll want to pack them separately from your general items and keep them safe.
- Clean Your Home: Throw away unwanted items or items that cannot be moved and begin cleaning your soon-to-be former home thoroughly.
One Week to Your Moving Checklist
- Coordinate with Your Movers: Confirm with your movers—multiple times if needed—to ensure that your move is on time, on schedule, and on the correct date. Identify any obstacles now to save time, money, and energy later.
- Separate Immediate Items: If you have items you’ll need immediately when you arrive at your new home, pack them separately for ease of access.
One Day Before Your Move-In Checklist:
- Confirm Your Food Items Are Packed: Make sure you have wanted food items packed, with expired, open, or unwanted items thrown away or consumed
- Keep Access to Important Documents Open: Ensure access to the necessary documents you’ll need for your move-in day.
The Day of Your Move-In Checklist
- Instruct Your Movers: Let your movers know which fragile items are more important than others, and coordinate with them directly during the move. Verify and confirm that your movers have loaded and moved everything, then sign off on their work when complete.
- Perform One Last Sweep-Through: Check your home a final time before your movers leave, ensuring nothing has been left behind.
- Welcome Home: You did it! After eight weeks of prepping, packing, and moving, you’re finally in your new home. Sit back and enjoy your new residence.
For more moving timeline tips and suggestions or to obtain a moving and storage quote, please feel free to contact Midway Moving & Storage at (866) 693-4148 today!