What You Need To Do Before Your Move

Moving should be an adventure, rather than stressing out. But since there are so many decisions, from what neighborhood to choose to whether you should hire movers by the hour or flat-price professional movers – you will get so concerned that it will be everything but fun. Preparation for the move is even more stressful than the moving day.

On the day of the move, you will have local movers helping you out and you will be in charge of supervising things. But preparation… There are so many tasks you should put on your to-do list before the move, and you will need help with it. Luckily for you, we have prepared the ultimate pre-move checklist! We are here to help you do everything right! Now, let’s get started and make your moving stress-free! 

Find the dream home 

You can’t hire movers by the hour until you have your dream home. And you will need to invest some time into finding the right neighborhood for you. You should think of your priorities – whether that’s the area with the best schools, a decent nightlife, or close to your work. Put your main priorities on paper and start researching.

After you find the neighborhood that suits your needs, finding a dream home will be the easier part. At the same time, this is probably the most exciting part of your relocation, so take a breath and enjoy the moment. Soon, you will start your new life chapter with your family. 

Declutter

Moving is a perfect chance for you to get rid of the items that you are not using any longer. You don’t want to have movers by the hour charging for moving the items that you want to throw away as soon as you get to your new home. When moving to a new space, you want it to be fresh and to bring some new energy. Therefore, you will have to declutter. Before your local movers arrive, make sure you sort your items into the following categories: packing, selling, donating, and throwing away.

Spend some time and it will be worth it. Even if you are not thinking about saving on hiring local movers, you will save some time on unpacking. And trust us when we say that’s the dullest task. Bear in mind that sorting your belongings is also an emotional challenge for you because you will have to go through all of your belongings.

But try to be as realistic as possible. Anything that can still be used – donate or sell. Your local movers can help you out if you have some big furniture pieces that you would like to donate. Find the charity to accept it, and they can help you with the transport and heavy lifting.

Make an inventory 

While you’re decluttering, you should take the inventory of the items that you want to take with yourself. Your local movers will be in charge of relocation, not to take the inventory, so you should do this in advance. Once you are at your new home, you will be able to determine if your professional movers took everything or if something was left behind. And also, it will help you determine how much time you will need for packing and moving, at least approximately. 

Create a moving calendar and to-do list

No matter if you are hiring local movers or you are planning to move on your own, you will need to stay organized. That’s why you want to come up with the moving calendar. Try to stick to it as much as possible because if you’re late – you will be stressing out. Break the tasks into smaller goals and prioritize them. Don’t forget to define the deadlines based on your other tasks.

You should be all set and ready to go before your professional movers arrive. The last thing that you want when you hire movers by the hour is for them to lose time on things that weren’t organized in advance. 

Set the moving budget 

You don’t want to stress out about the unexpected expenses on the moving day, so make sure to set the moving budget. When hiring movers by the hour you won’t know the final price, but you can determine it approximately. Besides the expenses for professional movers, you will have some other things to put on that list.

Try to come up with every single detail that you will have to spend your money on.  When you plan it like this, it’s guaranteed you won’t have any surprises. The majority of the stress during the relocation comes from finances. And moving is not cheap, we can all agree on that. 

Set the date 

Before you schedule local movers, make sure you set the moving date. This is the first question your professional movers will ask, so you have to have the answer. Consider everything that’s relevant before setting the date – if you can take the day off, when’s the end of your lease, if your kids are going to school, etc. And if you are moving on the budget, you might want to ask your movers per hour if there’s any difference between the days or months.

 It’s the best to take a day off work when moving so you can be there and instruct your movers by the hour how and what they should take and what to leave behind. 

Do a research of local movers 

After you decide relevant things, you should determine if you want to hire movers by the hour or if you want to do it on your own. We always recommend leaving everything to professional movers since that will save you a lot of time. When you decide to hire local movers, you should spend some time doing research.

There are so many local movers in San Francisco, and it’s impossible to go through all of them. Be patient, and read a lot of reviews, call a few local movers to hear their offers from them, and take some time to think about everything. You don’t have to book at first call. But you should book your chosen movers by the hour as soon as you decide what company to use.

You don’t want your company to lose the availability after you spend so much time and energy deciding. Before calling professional movers, you should prepare the list of questions that you might have for them. Ask about their rates, services, and any additional services you need.

Inform your loved ones that you are moving 

You will have to change your address before your local movers are there. But don’t forget to let your friends and family know about your relocation. And not just them, but institutions as well.

Think of everyone you should notify, such as your employer, kids’ school, landlord, service providers, banks, insurance companies, etc. Don’t forget to forward your mail. And cancel all the packages that you have ordered to your old address. Or at least, try to forward them. 

Prepare the paperwork 

Collect and organize all the important documents you might need along the way. Don’t let your local movers relocate these, but pack them separately and make sure they are always nearby. Get a file and put all the important paperwork there and keep it in your bag during the move.

Transfer utilities and cancel subscriptions

Before your local movers arrive, you should already have your utilities disconnected and transferred to your new home. Make sure you remember all the things that you need to cancel, such as home phone, newspaper service, gym memberships, and so on. Also, you should make sure that you have the necessary utilities in your new home when professional movers are there. Avoid all unnecessary expenses by thinking things through in advance. 

Take care of your pets and kids

When moving you should think of the safety of your pets and kids. Having a home full of local movers who are carrying around heavy furniture is not the safest for your little ones. That’s why you should make sure to hire a babysitter in advance. Also, your pets should be with someone you trust because your professional movers will have to keep the doors open when taking out the furniture, so they might leave unsupervised.

Your professional movers will have to pay attention to your pets and that might slow them down. And you won’t be happy with this when hiring movers by the hour. Keep everyone and everything safe during the move.

Pack early 

When it comes to packing, you can always check if your professional movers can help. If you hire movers by the hour, be ready that the packing process will probably take a bit more time. However, packing is the task that will determine the course of your move. In case you don’t decide to hire local movers to help you out, you should start early so you can avoid last-minute packing.

Packing is time-consuming, so you will have to plan it properly. Don’t forget to get appropriate packing materials and be as careful as possible. The more the merrier, so it is a great idea to order a pizza and grab some beers, invite your friends over and they can help you out!

Label the boxes at the end and add notes for your local movers on those that require special handling. This way, you can be rest assured knowing that your items will reach their destination safely. 

Take care of fragile items 

Not sure how to pack fragile items? You can ask your professional movers to help you out! However, when it comes to valuables such as jewelry and sentimental possessions, you might want to pack them and move on your own. Not that we are saying that you shouldn’t trust your professional movers, but these items are the safest for you. 

Essential bag

Pack your survival bag that will help you get comfortable and cozy as soon as your professional movers leave. Imagine coming tired after the move and you can’t even find clean clothes and beddings. That’s why you should pack an essential box where you will keep all the items you can’t live without. 

Time to say goodbye

This is not strictly related to moving, but you should throw a farewell party and say a proper goodbye to your friends and neighbors from the area. This will help you relax and have some fun before the big day! 

Last-minute checks 

Before your professional movers arrive, here are some things that you should double-check: 

The arrival time of your movers by the hour

Reserve a parking place for the moving truck 

Check if you need to reserve the elevator

Does your building require a Certificate of Insurance? Let your professional movers know

Get some cash just in case (you can use it to tip the local movers) 

Check your to-do list for the last time 

This way, you will make sure that you are ready to go before your local movers arrive.

Clean your home(s)

One of the very last things to do before you move out of your house is to give it a final, thorough cleaning. This might be too exhausting, so you might want to hire a cleaning company. But not just you should clean your old home, but you should do the same in your new space. Of course, you will have to clean again when your local movers leave, but it will be way easier to reach every corner when you don’t have your furniture there yet. 

Looking for the best movers by the hour in San Francisco? You are in the right place! Professional Movers San Francisco is a moving company that’s on your service every day of the week. We are here to make your moving dreams a reality. Professional Movers San Francisco is a team of devoted and experienced local movers who will invest their time and energy into making your move flawless.

From planning to executing – you can count on us. All you have to do at this point is reach out to us, share more information about your moving project, and we will do everything else for you.

Getting the quote is super simple and free, so feel free to give us a call anytime. We would be honored to help you with your upcoming moving project! At your service, your team of Professional Movers San Francisco.