Moving tips, resources and hacks to save you stress, money and time!

“Moving can be…”

How would YOU finish the sentence? We’ll wager that unless you pay someone to pack, transport, and unpack all your prized possessions, moving is not on your top 10 list of favorite things to do. It can break the bank and your back, and moving can put a STRAIN on even the healthiest relationships.

At Colliers Hill, we want your move to be as headache and hassle-free as possible, so we checked with the experts and scoured the most current resources to bring you the best tips, hacks, apps and advice to improve your move.

From digital downloads that keep all the info you need in the palm of your hand, to timelines and checklists you can print and check off old- school style, these next pages will help you identify the tasks you need to complete before, during and after the moving trucks show up!

Finalize moving method and make necessary arrangements
Begin packing non-essential items
Label boxes by room and contents
Separate valuable items to transport yourself – label as DO NOT MOVE
Keep a box out for storing pieces, parts and essential tools that you will want to keep with you on move day – label as PARTS / DO NOT MOVE
Create an inventory list of items and box contents, including serial numbers of major items – use this as an opportunity to update your home inventory
Fill out a Change of Address form at a post office or online
Provide important contacts with your new address:
[ ] Employers [ ] Family & Friends [ ] Attorney [ ] Accountant [ ] Others
Notify your insurance and credit card companies about change of address
Cancel automated payment plans and local accounts/memberships if necessary
Take your vehicle(s) in for a tune-up, especially if you are traveling very far

Create binder/folder for moving records (estimates, contact #’s, receipts, inventory lists, etc.)
Plan your moving method (truck rental, hiring movers, etc.) and get 3 cost estimates
See if your employer will provide moving expense benefits
Research storage facilities if needed
Schedule disconnection/connection of utilities at old and new homes:
[ ]Phone [ ]Internet [ ]Cable [ ]Water [ ]Garbage [ ]Gas [ ]Electric
Plan how you will move vehicles, plants, pets and valuables
Plan how you will arrange furniture in the new place – use a floor plan or sketch
Hold a garage sale, donate, sell, or trash unnecessary items
Schedule transfer of records (medical, children in school, etc.)
Get copies of any records needed (medical, dental, etc.)
Acquire packing materials (boxes, tape, stuffing/padding, markers, etc.)
Make any home repairs that you have committed to making
Return borrowed, checked-out and rented items
Get things back that you have lent out
Start using up food you have stored so there is less to move

Continue packing and clean as you go
Consider renting and having a dumpster delivered to your house to make tossing things out easier
Pack items separately that you will need right away at your new place
Plan to take the day off for moving day
Find useful things for your children to do – involve them as much as possible
Find someone to help watch small children on move day
Begin to pack your suitcases with clothes and personal items for the trip
Reconfirm your method of moving with those involved
Make sure your prescriptions are filled
Empty out your safe deposit box, secure those items for safe travel
Schedule cancellation of services for your old place
[ ] Newspaper/Subscriptions [ ] Housecleaning [ ] Lawn [ ] Pool [ ] Water Delivery
Check your furniture for damages – note damages on your inventory
Take furniture apart if necessary (desks, shelves, etc.)
Make sure all paperwork for the old and new place is complete
If traveling far, notify credit card company to prevent automated deactivation
Get rid of flammables such as paint, propane, and gasoline
Try to use up perishable food

Confirm all moving details and that you have necessary paperwork
Make a schedule or action plan for the day of the move
Plan when/how to pick up the truck (if rented)
Prepare for the moving expenses (moving, food, lodging)
Continue cleaning the house as you are packing
Drain garden hoses
Defrost your freezer and clean the fridge
Make sure essential tools are handy (screwdrivers, wrench, pliers, tape, etc)
Pack a bag for water bottles, pen/paper, snacks, medicines, flashlight, binder, and essentials
Set aside boxes/items that you are moving yourself (make sure you’ll have room)

Remove bedding and take apart beds
Go early to pick up the truck if you rented one
Take movers/helpers through the house to inform them of what to do
Walk through the empty place to check for things left behind – look behind doors
Leave your contact info for new residents to forward mail
Take inventory before movers leave, sign bill of lading
Make sure your movers have the correct new address
Lock the windows and doors, turn off the lights
Use a padlock to lock up a rented truck

At your new place…

Verify utilities are working – especially power, water, heating, and cooling
Perform an initial inspection, note all damages, take photographs if needed
Clean the kitchen and vacuum as needed (especially where furniture will be going)
Direct movers/helpers where to put things
Offer drinks and snacks, especially if the helpers are volunteers
Assemble beds with bedding
Begin unpacking, starting with kitchen, bathroom and other essentials

Check for damages while unpacking – be aware of deadline for insurance claims
Replace locks if necessary and make at least two copies of your new keys
Confirm that mail is now arriving at your new address
Make sure your previous utilities have been paid for and canceled
Complete your change of address checklist:
[ ] Bank(s) [ ] Credit Cards [ ] IRS [ ] Loans [ ] Insurance [ ] Pension plans [ ] Attorney [ ] Accountant [ ] Physicians [ ] Family support
[ ] Subscriptions [ ] Licenses [ ] Memberships
Schedule a time to get a driver’s license and update vehicle registration (w/in 30 & 90 days); or change of address
Find new doctors, dentists, etc., depending on your needs & insurance
After you are moved in, update your home inventory, including photos of rooms
Update your renters insurance or homeowners insurance if needed

Get the moving checklist download version.

download checklist

DE-CLUTTER & PURGE

If there’s a move in your future, first, purge. Packing and moving clothes you never wear, gifts you’ve never used, or food and medicine that has expired will cost you more time, effort and money on the other end.

We recommend the three-bag approach. It can be painful but rewarding.

Toss.

These are things that NO ONE on the planet will want. They are the broken things you meant to fix; the projects you meant to complete; the worn out, downtrodden and fraying. Get rid of them.

Sell or Give Away.

These are the clothes you haven’t worn in a year or more. These are the gifts someone gave you. These are things you bought and never use. Give or donate these things to someone who will truly love and appreciate taking over ownership.

Keep.

These pass the one-year test. They pass the still-functional test. They pass the “Yes I will some day enjoy/use/wear this, I swear” test.

If you’re a hobbyist with a LOT of leftovers and scraps, (we’re talking three cubic yards or more of wood, metal, demo’d buildings and rooms, irreparable things, etc.) check out theBagster.com or call them at 877-789-2247 for easy, affordable removal.

It’s this easy: buy the bag at your local retailer (Home Depot and Lowe’s are good bets), and fill the bag with up to 3,300 pounds of debris. When you’re ready,
Waste Management will come and pick it up for you.

What could be simpler?

Tell Them You're Moving

HOME SERVICES

Telephone
Internet
Cable
Gas and Electric
Water
Magazines, Newspapers
Other Home Deliveries (e.g., food, water, etc.)
Trash Collection
Home Security

TRANSPORTATION

Airline Frequent Flyer Programs
Emergency Road Service

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Attorneys
Accountants
Tax Assessors
Insurance Company
Doctors and other Healthcare Professionals
Dentists
Pharmacists
Veterinarian

FINANCES

Banks and Credit Unions
Credit Card Accounts
Car Loan Companies
Financial Aid Offices
Finance Companies

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES

U.S. Postal Service
Voter Registration
Department of Motor Vehicles
Social Security Administration
Department of Veteran Affair
Internal Revenue Service

COMMUNITY

Friends and Family
Employers
School
Alumni Associations
Charities and Nonprofit Organizations
Churches and Ministries
Other Home Deliveries (e.g., food, water, etc.)
Trash Collection
Home Security

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT!

MoveAdvisor is a moving organization app that features a state-of-the-art home inventory checklist tool that enables you to create a complete virtual house moving inventory list of your household for the upcoming relocation. A few taps is all you need to create a detailed digital map of your home and fill the rooms with all the household items and personal possessions you have decided to take with you to your new residence.

Unpakt is user-friendly and offers great functionality for planning, booking, and managing a move online and will recommend you a mover and give you a guaranteed price.

Updater is an invite-only app that promises to save you time, money and headaches by finding the best internet plans, scheduling installation, helping transfer your utilities, notify your contacts of your new address and compare/reserve a mover.

Maintaining lists is the number one key to success when it comes to moving. There are so many list-keeping apps to choose from, but we love Google Keep – it has the right balance of simplicity and feature-richness.
You can:

Create notes and lists
Record voice notes
Add photos to notes and lists
Create time or location-based reminders
Share notes and lists with others
Label or color-code your notes and lists
Search your notes and lists
Sync across your phone, tablet and desktop

These features can come in handy during every phase of your move: planning, packing, moving day, unpacking, changing your address, etc. If you’re dealing with a DIY or “mini move” and only need a few items transported, look no further than Dolly. It allows you to hire local helpers and truck owners for your moving, delivery and hauling needs. If you do have your own vehicle, you can book a labor-only move for help with loading, unloading and moving furniture or other large items.

Moving Apps for your phone

MOVING COMPANY COMPS – Get at least three in-home estimates and ask about hidden costs like charging for heavy items, repacking, stairs or waiting. Make a note of what is included and is the estimate binding, i.e., a guaranteed price.

MOVING INVENTORY – Make lists. Take pictures. Calculate values.

Whether you use the apps or prefer the old-fashioned way, don’t neglect this essential moving to-do. While we hope it never happens, we’ve moved enough to know that things break in transit. And people drop things.

An inventory (with pictures!) is the kind of indisputable proof you’ll want in case there’s a scratch. Or a crack. Or something missing!

MOVING LABELS – Here’s something we KNOW you need.
Labels for your moving boxes.

You can download free printable labels, courtesy of Simple Mom Review to attach to boxes and items. They’re categorized and
color-coded by room, so you and your movers know which box belongs where.

MOVING ANNOUNCEMENTS – They’re fun to send and fun to receive: moving postcards and emails to tell friends and family your new address. Check out the designs at Zazzle.com and BeeyondPaper.com. Shutterfly.com has some unique customizable stationery cards, and GreetingsIsland.com offers printable templates!

MOVING DISCOUNTS – Renting a truck yourself and treating friends to lunch is the most cost-effective way to move. Be sure to read the fine print for the trucking company’s mileage allowances and fuel surcharges. If you can, have specific tasks in mind to assign to helpers so they’re not standing around.

Look for free or deeply discounted boxes on Craigslist.org, Next Door, Facebook online swap and recycle sites. Most people are happy to let you take their used moving boxes off their hands (and property) for little or no money.

Peak moving season is Memorial Day to Labor Day and movers tell us that their busiest days of the week are Thursdays and Fridays. If you can move during the off-peak season, and on a slower day, like Monday or Tuesday, you should save money.

MOVING CONTAINERS AND STORAGE – Unless the planets perfectly align, you may find the day you have to leave your old digs does not exactly coincide with the day you occupy your new home.

A moving container might be the ideal solution to that timing issue. These units are made of construction- grade wood, steel and aluminum, or heavy-duty plastic and range in length from about seven feet.

The containers are delivered to the house you’re vacating where you can pack at your own pace, secure your belongings inside, and lock them up. The container company will send drivers to move the container to a storage facility until you’re ready to receive delivery.
Here are five companies to compare: 1800PackRat.com, UPack.com, UHaul.com, SmartBoxMovingandStorage.com, Pods.com and ZippyShell.com.

Container Contents and Insurance

Ask your insurance agent if your homeowner’s policy covers items stored in a container that’s on-premise and while in transit to your new home. If your storage container is held at the company’s warehouse for a period of time, the company may offer you a contents insurance policy through a third-party provider to cover the items while in storage.