11 Moving Tips From the Pros: What You Need to Know Before You Go

If you’re selling your home in Scottsdale, you’ll need all the packing and moving tips you can get – and that’s why we’ve put together a comprehensive list of pointers you can use to make sure your move goes as smoothly as possible.

 

Check out this list of 11 moving tips to make sure you’re on the right track for a stress-free relocation, whether you’re going across town or across the country:

 

1. Create a moving folder.
2. Get rid of what you don’t need.
3. Pack early (and pack often).
4. Book services early.
5. Set up the utilities early.
6. Stock up on supplies.
7. Pack smarter (not heavier).
8. Label everything.
9. Keep your essentials out.
10. Sequester your pets.
11. Move pets last.

Here’s a closer look at each so you’re ready for the big day.

 

 

As soon as you know you’re moving, start putting together all the paperwork you’ll need. Collect your rental and purchase documents, moving contracts and other paperwork in one place so you know where to look if you need it.

 

 

Be ruthless as you go from room to room to figure out what you don’t need to pack to bring to your new home. In addition to making the move easier, you’ll be paving the way for the new belongings you’ll acquire for your new house.

 

 

 

There’s nothing wrong with packing up the things you don’t frequently use. If something’s been in a drawer – or sitting on a closet shelf gathering dust – for months, it’s probably safe to pack away until you move into your new home. The sooner you start, the better; that way, you won’t have to rush in the final weeks before the move.

 

 

If you’re hiring movers or asking friends to pitch in, make sure you set the moving date well in advance. If you need painters, cleaners or other services, book them as early as possible – that way, you don’t run the risk of paying more or worse, not being able to get the help you need.

 

 

When your moving date is finalized, you can pre-schedule the utilities for your new place. This is particularly helpful when you’re scheduling cable or internet providers, who often schedule out days or weeks ahead. When you schedule weeks ahead of time, you’ll the electricity, water, gas and other essentials will be on when you arrive.

 

 

If you’re moving yourself, you’ll want to have plenty of:

 

• Boxes
• Packing tape
• Permanent markers
• Labels
• Trash bags

 

 

Use appropriately sized boxes for all your belongings. You won’t want to put books in the bottom of a wardrobe box, for example; you’ll want them in small boxes that are easier to manage (and that can’t get as heavy). Large boxes packed with heavy items are more likely to break, too.

 

Pro tip: Don’t leave empty space in your boxes. Fill in the gaps with clothing, towels or packing materials so the boxes stay balanced.

 

 

Label every box with its destination room and a quick run-down of its contents. That way, you’re not digging through random boxes when you arrive in your new home just to find one thing – and you can unpack everything neatly and easily.

 

 

Don’t pack your essentials until the night before you actually move. Then, put them in a duffel bag or a box you’ll hand-carry to your destination. Think about things like:

 

• A change of clothes for everyone in the house
• Washcloths, towels, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and toothpaste
• Favorite kids’ and pets’ toys
• Pet food, litter boxes and leashes
• Medications
• Important paperwork (like rental agreements and contracts)
• Paper plates (for the pizza you’ll order from your new home on moving day)
• Passports and other documents you can’t afford to lose

 

 

Move all the furniture and boxes out of one room in your current home and relocate your pets there for the duration of moving day. That way, nobody will escape when the movers have the door open – and your pets will be away from the stressful hustle-and-bustle that’s inevitable when you’re leaving one home for another.

 

 

 

When all the furniture, boxes and other items are already on their way to your new home, take your pets out of their special room. That way, you can put them on leashes or in their carriers and take them directly to your car for the last leg of the journey.