How to Create a Detailed Moving Checklist

We all know how moving sometimes tends to be extremely difficult and time-consuming, so if you want to have a perfect move, you will need professional San Francisco movers for that! We are your best trustworthy household movers, whose goal is to make our customers happy and satisfied, which is why our movers go through the really tough training in order to become one of the best movers and packers in town.

If you want your move to go as smoothly as possible, your first step should be making a flawless checklist. A checklist is very important for the organization, it will help you a lot through the howl moving process, especially when packing and unpacking. By making this list you will have total control over this move and all of your belongings and where they are placed. 

boxes in a room

2 months prior to the move

Make a moving inventory list:

Moving inventory list is a list that contains everything you own. When making this list you should go room by room, this way you will be the most organized. The list should include the name of that item, which room it is located in, condition, and value. You can even add notes, just in case you want to write down something important related to that item. 

This list will help you a lot when you start packing and unpacking and also when you call movers to ask for the quote, they will be able to provide you with the most accurate quote since you have a list of all of your belongings. 

Hiring household movers or DIY moving:

Firstly think about what suits you better, hiring movers or doing this move by yourself. In most situations, the better option is to hire movers, because it will save your money, nerves, and back. But if you do not have that many items to move, maybe moving by yourself is the right option for you. Either way, you should start planning far in advance just in case. 

DIY moving:

If you live in a one bedroom apartment and there is no need for you to hire household movers, DIY moving is a good fit for you! Of course, you will have to do everything on your own, it would be a great idea to ask some relatives and friends to help you since you probably would not be able to do everything by yourself. Ask them on time, so they have enough time to plan everything. 

Hiring movers:

If you decide to hire movers, call a few local companies and ask about the cost to hire movers. Also, you should ask them if they have a license and insurance and can they provide you with the service that you need? It is really important to find the perfect movers, who will be aware of what your needs are and how to fulfill them. 

If you are looking for household movers in San Francisco, you are in the right place, you can contact us through our website or call us. You should call 2 months or at least a month prior to the move, so that our movers and packers have enough time to make your move the best experience you can have! Give us a call and we will provide you with the free quote and best household movers in the city! 

household mover ready to help you with this move

Establish your budget:

Now when you know the cost to hire movers, you need to think about your budget. If you have a low budget and still want to hire movers, you should ask your moving company for partial moving services, like just for loading and unloading or just for transport, that really depends on what your necessities are. This way you do not have to pay for the services that are not necessary.

Also, it would be best if you set aside more money than you think you will need, just to be sure you will have enough in case something unexpected happens.

Visit your new location:

If you are moving to another town, it would be a great idea to visit that city before you move. You can go with your friends or loved ones to explore the area a little bit and have some fun at the same time. You can take a walk, go to the restaurant or even a bar to see what your new location has to offer. 

If you have children, this visit would be a good opportunity to see what types of schools the city has and which one suits your child the best. You should have a talk with your kids about this move on time, just so they can prepare for the changes that are expecting them. 

Notice your landlord that you are moving:

If you are renting, this would be a good time to give notice to your landlord that you are moving. Most landlords expect you to give them notice at least 2 months prior to the move.

Few weeks before the moving day

Buy moving supplies:

If you decide to do this move on your own, you should buy supplies a few weeks prior. Make a list of everything you will need for this move. 

For example: 

  • Boxes
  • Bubble wrap
  • Tape
  • Dolly
  • Markers
  • Stickers and labels 

Rent a moving truck:

Renting the right truck is crucial for this movie. The truck has to be the appropriate size because if you rent a small vehicle your belongings would not fit and if you rent a too big truck, your items will move everywhere if not secured properly, which can cause damage to your belongings. 

Call truck renting companies a few weeks before moving, to make sure they have the perfect truck size for you that is available on your moving date. 

Call your health insurance company:

If you are moving to another city, you might have to change your health insurance provider, so make sure not to leave this for the last minute. 

Also contact your car and home insurance company to see if they have a location in your new city, if not it would be best to change your insurance company before moving. 

Change the address:

Go to your local post office and ask them for a change of address form, fill it in and submit it to them, so you would not have to think about this when you came to your new home. 

Sell all the items you do not need:

If you have some stuff that you are not using, it would be a great idea to sell them online or even make a yard or garage sale. This will help you because you will have less items to move, which will make the cost of the move less expensive and also this way you can raise funds for your upcoming move. 

If you are financially stable and do not have time for this, you can donate all that stuff to someone who will use them. 

Cancel memberships:

You are probably a member of some club, like gym, liberty, chess club… You should give your club a notice a few weeks before moving.

3 weeks before moving day

Start eating everything from your fridge:

When you go grocery shopping, buy only what is needed. You are probably not planning to move your food with you, so our advice is to eat everything before it goes to waste. You can give all the leftovers to your local food bank and they will make sure to give them to someone who really needs them. 

dad feeding baby

Start packing: 

About the month before moving you should start with packing. If you are doing this on your own, we will give you some tips to make it easier for you a little bit. 

Pack the items that you are not using that often first, like books that you already read, and items that you use the most leave for the last. 

When packing heavier items try not to pack them into the big boxes, instead pack all heavy belongings in the smaller boxes. This way you would not have to move heavy and big boxes. 

Label your boxes, so you will be familiar with what every box contains. If you do not have stickers and labels you can use markers to write on the box. 

Try not to leave any open space in the boxes, stuff them with bubble wrap or a blanket, so your items would not move around while moving. 

Seal the boxes well, it is better to use more tape then needed, just to be sure you packed it and sealed it properly. 

mother and daughter packing for upcoming move

Repair your car and home if needed:

If you have something that has to be repaired in your home, this is the perfect time to take care of that. Also even if there is nothing wrong with your car, it would be a good idea to service it before moving, just in case. 

Tell your loved ones that you are moving:

If you still did not notice people who care about you that you are moving, do it now. Maybe you were too busy lately and did not have time to see them, if that is the case, you can notify them by phone call or message them. Do not wait that long to tell them the news, since that will leave them with less time for buying you a moving present. 

Also if you have a babysitter, gardener, maid or someone else working for you, you need to inform them too that you are moving. 

Take care of your utilities:

You most definitely own a cable,internet and you are using electricity and water, those are your utilities. Call the companies that are providing you with this and notify them that you are moving, especially if you are moving somewhere far, in that case you will probably have to find a new utilities provider. 

2 weeks before moving 

Transfer your medical records and prescriptions: 

Call your doctors, dentist, eye doctor, if you own a pet then vet too and notify them about the move. If you still haven’t found a new doctor in your new city, try asking your current doctor for a recommendation and transfer all of your files. 

Are you taking any meds? If yes, go to transfer your prescriptions for those meds to a new pharmacy that is close to your new home. 

Make sure you have an available parking spot for moving truck:

You need to make sure that when the moving truck arrives at your new destination, he will have a parking spot available to park. So try to arrange this as soon as possible and if you are hiring movers, make sure to notify them about the parking. 

Week before moving 

Start with cleaning the old house: 

Before moving out it would be nice of you to clean after you. Most landlords take deposits from you when you first move in, so cleaning your old house will not just be nice of you, but it will guarantee you that you will get your deposit back. Do not forget to take out the trash.

cleaning your old home

Pack kitchen and everything else you have left:

It is time to pack all the kitchen appliances, dishes, bowls, and glasses. It would be smart to leave one plate, glass, spoon, fork, and knife, so you can use it for this last week in your old home.  

Finish all of your responsibilities:

Maybe you left your clothes at the dry cleaning, or need to buy something for the move, whatever it is, make sure to finish all of your errands before you move. 

The day before the move

Pack your essentials and suitcases:

Pack all of your essentials, like a toothbrush, brush, clothes for sleeping, meds, some clothes that you will wear until you unpack. Keep your essentials and suitcases with you and also the documents should be always with you and you need to make sure to keep them safe. 

Day of the move 

Make sure everything is packed in the truck:

Take your inventory list and go through all the boxes to see if everything is packed as it should be. This way you will know for sure that all of your belongings made it to your new home. 

Tip the movers:

Tipping is a part of our culture, it would be polite to tip the movers who helped you a lot with this howl moving process.

tipping movers

As you can see there is a lot of work that needs to be done, so if you want to make this as easy as possible hire movers. We are your household movers San Francisco, who will do whatever it takes to make this a pleasant experience. Our household movers will do everything for you, while you enjoy your last few weeks in your old house. Contact us for a free moving quote