What to Do Before Moving to a New Home: 10 Must-Do Tasks

Planning and organizing a residential move can easily turn out to be one of the most challenging things you’ve done in years. There are so many things to do before moving into a new home that confusion about what to do next may often halt the progress of your moving preparations.

One of the biggest fears when getting ready to move out is fail to finish all the pre-move tasks on time, usually due to lack of proper organization. Sure, with a seemingly endless list of things you need to do before you move, it’s only natural that you may forget to do a thing or two, but what will really matter in the end is to complete the tasks that really matter.

Here’s a list of the most important things to do before moving into a new home. To guarantee the successful conclusion of your move, make sure you complete these essential tasks at all costs.

Task #1. Create a moving checklist to organize your move

Moving house is a highly transitional period where too many things need to be done within a very short window of time. The resulted concentration of tasks is one of the leading causes for the build-up of stress during the home moving process. Add the lack of sufficient time to complete all those jobs and you’ll quickly realize the dire need for a good moving checklist.

A moving checklist is just a detailed to-do list of the things to do before you move. Here’s how the creation of a moving planner will help you keep things organized and your time – well-spent.

• Your personal moving checklist will keep reminding you just what it is that you need to do next. This way, you won’t forget to take care of an important task while getting ready to move out.
• Your moving checklist will speed up the preparation period by minimizing the downtime between the various tasks. You get a task marked as DONE, then you move on to the next one without wasting any valuable time.
• The moving timeline you create will keep you focused on the most important jobs first, thus eliminating the possibility of failing to do any of the really important things to do before moving to a new city.

Creating a moving checklist for your own move is not complicated – just take a piece of paper and write down all the chores you must do before the day of the move. Once you’re ready, it’s time to prioritize that checklist of things to do before moving: re-arrange all the tasks in order of importance, tackling the ones that are truly essential in your relocation instance.

Get good ideas from our complete and interactive moving checklist:

Moving checklist: 100% complete, interactive and printable

Task #2. Consider your relocation options

Without a doubt, one of the most essential things to do before moving out is to decide HOW you’re going to do that. Basically, you have two viable options: 1) hire the services of a professional moving company, or 2) rent a moving truck and organize a DIY move.

Be mindful that the success of the entire home moving operation depends on this single decision: hire movers or move by yourself. As you already may know from personal experience, sometimes it’s not easy to decide which way to go.

To help you out in your choice, here are some pointers to nudge you in the right direction:

Organize a self-move when:

• you’re only moving a short distance, like across town, to a neighboring town or city, or to another place within the same state (local move);
• you’ve moved house before and you know how to make it work;
• you own a pickup truck, you know a friend who’ll let you their pickup truck or you feel confident you can drive a rental van across unknown territories;
• you have a bunch of reliable friends who won’t mind giving you a hand packing or lifting and carrying heavy household items;
• you don’t own many valuable items, especially large household items such as antique furniture, a piano, a grandfather clock, and so on.

Do consider hiring a good mover when:

• you’re moving long distance across the country, often moving to a new state (interstate move);
• you’re moving for the first time as you’ve never had to organize a house move until this very moment;
• you won’t be able to gather up enough friendly manpower to get heavy furniture and overflowing moving boxes to the moving vehicle;
• you have large and heavy valuable items which must be handled, protected and moved with the utmost care.

Hire movers or do it yourself?

Task #3. Set up a moving budget

One of the things to do before moving out is to set a moving budget in order to 1) know how much money you will need to cover all move-related costs (an estimated value, of course), and 2) keep track of the moving expenses and respond adequately if those costs exceed the initial figures.

The creation of a budget is particularly important when you’re moving for the first time and you’re not exactly sure what to expect in terms of costs and expenses. By doing the math early in the home moving process, you will not only know whether you have enough financial resources to complete the house move successfully, but you’ll also keep a record of where exactly your money goes.

Here’s what to budget for when hiring a professional moving company:

• Moving company fees. Local movers charge by the hour, so time becomes a crucial factor that will influence the price one way or the other. On average, you should be ready to pay about $40 per hour for one local mover. On the other hand, interstate movers charge a flat rate based on the move distance, the weight of the shipment, and the extra services you request from them.
• Moving insurance. When moving valuables between the two homes, speak with your mover about purchasing extra insurance known as Full Value Protection.
• Additional moving services. Depending on your specific needs, you may need to include one of the following services in your moving budget: packing, unpacking, disassembly and reassembly of furniture, temporary storage, etc.
• Extra charges and fees. Speak with your movers about possible extra charges and fees that you may hit with – a flight charge, a long carry charge, an extra stops fee, a travel fee, etc.

Here’s what to budget for when moving by yourself:

• 

  Control your moving expenses by creating a budget for moving out.

  Truck rental costs. Truck rental rates vary and will depend on the truck rental agency, truck availability, size of the moving vehicle, and time of year.

• Fuel. Of course, you’ll need to add the cost of fuel to your budget calculations when moving out without the help of a moving company. It’s a good idea to inquire about the fuel consumption of the rental truck before you rent the vehicle.
• Moving equipment. In most cases, you’re going to have to include in your moving budget the price of renting or purchasing a moving dolly, furniture pads (sliders), and protective blankets.
• Packing expenses. Your decision to pack up your things on your own means that you’re going to have to pay for all packing supplies
• Unexpected moving expenses. You never know what will happen during your house move so it’s an excellent idea to include a contingency fund in your budget as well.

What to budget for when moving out

Task #4. Hire a good moving company

Stop wondering what to do before moving out of state and do what’s best for you – that is, hire a reputable, trustworthy and affordable moving company to tackle the most difficult aspects of your upcoming move.

Once you take into account the big number of hidden self-moving costs and expenses, you’ll quickly start to realize that using professional movers is the safest and most cost-effective way of moving to another part of the country.

Remember that hiring one of the best interstate movers will mean you’ll get a custom relocation solution fit to your particular needs as a shipper of household goods.

Here are the 5steps to finding a good mover – a must-do thing before moving out for the first time.

• Step 1. Know the cost of your move. You need to know how much a professional mover will charge you for their service. The easiest way to know the price of your move is to fill in a moving cost estimator.
• Step 2. Request an in-home inspection. When you get contacted by several professional movers in your area, request in-home surveys of your house or apartment by each company for accurate cost estimation.
• Step 3. Compare the estimates. Compare the cost estimates you have received but don’t choose a mover based on price alone – instead, make a comparison of the additional moving services and their rates too.
• Step 4. Compare the movers. Research each moving company independently to pick the best one. Read moving reviews and customer ratings, check the license information of each household goods carrier, and check each mover’s complaint history at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), Better Business Bureau (BBB), and American Trucking Association (ATA).
• Step 5. Pick the right mover. Select a professional mover following the steps above and book your move as soon as you can.

10 tips for hiring movers

Task #5. Declutter your home

Of all the things to do before moving across country, the task that will prove the most beneficial for you will be to inventory your home and pare down your belongings so that remain only the ones you really need and really want.

In fact, decluttering your home of any unwanted items should be your priority regardless of whether you’re moving short distance or hundreds or thousands of miles across the country. To understand the importance of this crucial task, here are the major benefits of decluttering your home before moving out:

• Fewer items to move will mean lower transportation costs. Why? The moving price will be based on the total weight of your goods.
• Fewer items to move will mean less time spent on packing. If you hire professional packers, that will also mean less money out of your pocket.
• Fewer items to move will mean more storage space in the new home. Storage space management becomes vital when you’re downsizing – that is, moving to a smaller home.
• Fewer items to pack and move will mean reduced levels of stress as you know you won’t be spending any money when you don’t have to.

Inventory your entire home and decide what to do with each household item – take, sell, donate or throw away for recycling. Large and heavy things such as furniture pieces may not be worth moving at all because of the higher transportation costs.

Moving experts advise that if you haven’t used an item in over a year, then you don’t really need it and should get rid of it at the time of the move. To earn some cash from your unwanted things, organize a garage sale or try to sell them online.

How to get rid of stuff when moving house

Task #6. Transfer the utilities

Don’t forget to consult the list of things to do before moving out of state because failure to tackle an important task prior to Moving day can easily result in a headache or two after the move is over. A classic example is to forget to transfer or change the home utilities before you move into your new residence. That’s right – you won’t really enjoy the moment you realize there’s neither electricity nor running water in the house or apartment you just moved into.

If you’ve purchased a new house or apartment, then you definitely need to transfer or change the utilities to your name. If you’re renting a place, then your landlord or building manager should be responsible for that, so remember to work out those details with them before you move in.

Contact your current utility companies 3-2 weeks before moving day and schedule the disconnection of the utility services you’re using at the moment. For a smooth transition, plan to have the utilities stopped roughly 1 day after you move out. If you’re moving locally within the same state, then it’s possible to keep the same service providers, or at least some of them.

On the other hand, if you’re moving to another state altogether, then you’ll probably need to find other utility service providers in that destination state. And when you do, make sure you schedule their reconnection or connection roughly 1 day before the planned move-in date.

The task of changing or transferring your house utilities should clearly be included in your checklist of things to do before moving. The thing is that moving to another home is the perfect moment to re-evaluate the current home utilities so that you can stop the ones you won’t really be using in the new place. Of course, the whole utility re-assessment idea is to save money in the long run.

How to change utilities when moving house

Task #7. Change your postal address

Keep in mind that some things to do before you move house are more important than other ones. For example, failure to transfer the utilities will lead to all kinds of troubles when you enter the new home, so that pre-move task is really essential for making sure your move goes smoothly from start to finish.

On the other hand, failure to change your postal address can lead to some inconveniences but you can effectively take care of that chore shortly after the move is complete. Still, you’ll risk losing important pieces of mail in that case so it’s a wise move to include the change of address procedure into your checklist of things to do before moving into a new home.

For best results, you’re advised to complete the change of address task roughly a couple of weeks before you move out. Doing that well in advance should guarantee that your change of address request is processed properly by the United States Postal Service and finalized on time.

Another thing to consider when changing your address before moving out is whether you’d apply for a temporary change of address or a permanent change of address. A temporary COA means that your mail will be forwarded to the new address for a specific period of time (6 to 12 months) which is a good option when you’re moving to a temporary home. One the other hand, a permanent COA means that your mail will be forwarded permanently until you decide to move to a new place in time, if ever.

For your convenience, there are 4 different ways to change your address when moving house:

• ONLINE. You do it by visiting the official Change of Address page of the USPS.
• IN PERSON. You do it by visiting your local post office and filling out a PS Form 3575.
• BY MAIL. You do it by downloading and printing the PS Form 3575, filling it out and mailing to POSTMASTER, United States Postal Service using First Class postage stamp.
• BY PHONE. You do it by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS and following the pre-recorded change of address instructions.

How to change your address when moving

Task #8. Pack up your things by yourself

Packing will definitely be one of the things to do before you move out of your house simply because that all-important entry in your moving checklist cannot possibly be forgotten… or skipped on purpose.

Packing for a move will be the toughest job you’ll need to do when moving, and by far the most time-consuming one too. In fact, to be able to finish packing on time, you should start working on it from the very first day of your pre-move preparation.

With the exception of a number of specialty items, the packing job can be handled without professional assistance provided that you have enough time to do it at your own comfortable rate.

Here are the major packing tips that will enable you to finish packing up your things faster and more efficiently:

• Start packing your home as soon as the move becomes only a matter of time;
• Gather up the necessary packing materials, the major ones being packing paper, bubble wrap, moving boxes, and packing tape.
• Save money! Get free moving boxes from friends, local businesses or recycling centers.
• Make sure you will be packing only the items you really want to keep and will use in the future.
• Begin packing from the toughest rooms to pack – the storage areas you have in your home such as the garage, attic, basement, spare room, walk-in closet, etc.
• Use extra padding and cushioning material (bubble wrap) when packing highly fragile and breakable items.
• Follow a packing calendar to keep everything organized.
• Don’t forget to label your boxes properly once you’ve packed and sealed them.
• Get help from friends and family members if you sense that you’re falling behind your packing checklist and won’t make it on time.

Packing timeline for moving

Task #9. Tackle all relocation details

Creating and following a moving checklist, hiring a moving company, decluttering your home and packing up your things are all high-priority tasks that you must do to have a successful residential move. And yet, it’s the rest of the things to do before you move out that will make a difference.

Here’s a detailed list of the things to do before you move house:

• 

  Organize a profitable garage sale to get rid of your unwanted items and earn some cash at the same time.

  Keep your move-related paperwork in a special folder, and keep that folder safe;

• Gather all relevant medical and school records;
• Cancel all subscriptions, club memberships, and delivery services;
• Take your pet to the vet for a complete check-up, if applicable;
• Organize a yard sale to earn some cash from your unwanted items.
• Ask friends for assistance whenever you need it – do it as early as possible to avoid disrupting their plans;
• Keep small valuable items close by at all times;
• Pack essentials boxes with items that will help you survive a few days without your household things around;
• Do not pack any items forbidden for transport;
• Observe all safety rules during the day of the move, including wearing suitable clothes and shoes to stay protected and safe;
• Avoid moving day mistakes to keep trouble away from your doorstep during the most dangerous and unpredictable day of your house move.

Task #10. Reduce your moving costs

Ultimately, your mission is to move house and save money in the process simply because, you know, money doesn’t grow on trees. The good news is that there are many opportunities during each of the stages of moving where you can try and reduce the moving costs.

Here are the top 5 ways to cut moving costs and move to another house for as little money as possible:

1) Hire cheap movers

Some professional moving companies are cheaper than others while still offering high-quality services. So, to find affordable movers all you need to do is compare the cost estimates of at least 3-4 moving companies and select the best bid in terms of price, additional services, and relocation conditions.

2) Move during the off-season

You may not have a say about when to move house, but if you do, moving during the off-season (September – May) should give you a much better chance of snatching a bargain. Why?

With fewer people moving during the cold months, professional movers often lower their standard rates to secure enough work until the next moving season.

3) Move only the things you have to move

As we discussed this earlier, moving everything you own is a mistake that will cost you both time and money. The cost-saving idea can’t be simpler: if you don’t need an item, don’t pay to move it.

Out of the items you’re leaving behind, sell the ones that are still worth something to help out your budget.

4) Pack your things on your own

What to do before you move? Save money by not paying professional packers. After all, you should be fine packing up your clothes, shoes, books, and other items that are neither big nor fragile.

5) Don’t make mistakes when moving

Some moving mistakes will cost you time while others – money. The aim should be to avoid making any costly mistakes altogether. Yes, it’s quite possible – just follow this list of 33 moving mistakes to avoid on your next move.

20 simple and easy ways to reduce moving costs