Steps to Take Before you Move

Moving is a heartrending, disruptive, all around terrible experience that, every once in a while, has to be carried out. No one likes it—heck, most probably hate it—but, it’s for a good cause, and you really have no choice. So, if you are about to move, you need to start getting things ready so you can make your moving day go as smoothly as possible (best laid plans…). Here are a few very important steps you should take before the move in day, so you don’t feel like killing your fellow movers by the time the deed is done.

Clean the House

I cannot tell you the amount of houses I’ve moved people out of in which I’ve had to literally step around garbage as I’m walking out the door. In fact, the number actually makes me just a little bit depressed right now. Let me tell you with every hint of finality that I can muster; you MUST clean your house before you move! Not only is it incredibly rude to expect the people who help you to move to also help clean up—because, let’s face it, that’s probably the main reason most do it—it also makes it extremely hard to move in the first place.

I’ve seen people trip and fall over random crap, slip on pieces of trash, and even drop heavy furniture, only to watch it crash heavily down the stairs, just because houses were a complete mess while moving. It’s annoying, rude, and—in my opinion—one of the most unsafe scenarios you can have, particularly if it’s legitimately dirty. So, clean the house, and make sure all passageways are free of debris. Your helpers will definitely thank you for it.

Pack all the Small Things

If you’ve moved before, you’ve probably heard this multiple times. But, for those first time movers, you really need to make sure you have all the small things, like books, utensils, etc., packed well before moving day finally arrives. Why? Well, more than anything, it expedites the moving process faster than anything else on this list. Having to pack and carry boxes upon boxes upon boxes takes the most time out of any moving activity, and will cause your moving day to last long into the night.

Also, if you’re packing on moving day, you are also organizing, which is a whole other bucket of fish. You can’t expect to do all your packing and moving on one day, particularly if you have a large home; so, get the packing done before hand! Oh, and by the way, having other people pack your own stuff is, like not cleaning the house, extremely rude. It’s not their responsibility to help you pack, unless you ask them to do so before hand. Keep to moving etiquette, and you’re more likely to get help in the future. Remember that!

Get the Keys!

This is a bit of a small one, and probably one that most don’t have to worry about; but, if you are moving into an apartment complex, there will be times that you don’t get the key ahead of time unless you ask for it specifically. This is a major problem because, if you are like most other people, you are probably going to be moving during the time that the front office is closed.

This, of course, means that if you don’t already have the key, then you won’t be getting it until the next business day between the hours of 9 and 5. If you are finding this out right as the U-Haul rolls up to the apartment complex…well, let’s just say you’re going to have a lot of very unhappy campers on your moving crew, and perhaps one that’s a few people short when you actually have the chance to move.

Other than that, just make sure you have everything organized and ready to go by the time you’re on your way out. Organization, cleanliness, and order really go a long way towards making your moving day simple, so make sure you follow these tips! You may not completely avoid catastrophe, but it will at least make things feel just a wee bit less stressful.