5 Smart Things To Do Before Moving That Will Help Ease Your Transition

What to Do Before Moving

Whether you’re moving for business, family, or just to a new area, you can do a few things to make the transition a little smoother. By following these simple tips, you’ll be able to focus on the critical things while your moving team takes care of the details.

Moving is never easy, so the more you can do to prepare yourself for what lies ahead, the better.

Creating a moving checklist will help you stay on track and ensure everything is taken care of. This includes things like packing everything you need, contacting your insurance company, and making any necessary changes to your address.

Checklist When Changing Your Address

One of the most crucial steps in any move is having a well-thought-out list of things you should be doing. Make sure you have a change of address checklist ready before you leave. This will help you keep track of all the paperwork you need to do and any phone calls or visits you may need to make.

Maximum Real Estate Exposure has an outstanding resource of all the people, organizations, and entities that should be informed before moving. The checklist is highly comprehensive and covers everything from getting the change of address forms at the post office to contacting the most essential folks immediately.

By missing out on who should be notified of your move, there is a good chance you will not receive vital mail in a timely fashion. Your checklist for changing an address should be done right out the gate when you know your new address.

Hire a Top-Notch Moving Company

One of the first essential steps when planning your move is hiring an excellent moving company.

There are many things to consider when choosing the right company, but some key factors include: reputation, licensing and insurance, experience, and team size.

Make sure you ask plenty of questions when interviewing potential movers, and be sure to clarify any concerns you have in writing.

When it comes to packing your belongings, take the time to go through each item and decide what you want to keep and what can be donated or recycled.

If you decide you would like to make the move without a professional moving company, renting a truck from Home Depot or U-Haul is your best option.

Hire a Junk Removal Company

Before having the movers come to your home to give you an estimate, it makes sense to have all your “junk” removed first. It will be easier to see what will be staying or going.

Many people will make the moving process go more smoothly by getting rid of all their junk before interviewing moving companies.

Scheduling a final clean-out well before your move date makes sense, so there’s no last-minute chaos.

It will be essential to find a junk removal company with good reviews. One of the most well-known is 1-800-Got-Junk, but there could be other reputable companies in your area too.

Got-Junk is usually on the higher end, but it could be worth it if you can’t find another reputable local company.

Put All Your Vital Documents Together in One Place

Having all your vital documents in one place before you move is essential, so you don’t have to search for them when you’re ready to move.

This includes your driver’s license, passport, Social Security card, and any other important insurance identification documents. It also helps if you have a copy of all of these documents in an electronic format so that you can access them from anywhere.

You’ll feel terrible when you can’t find critical documents when moving and are unsure where you’ve put them. It can make the move much more stressful.

Cancel Existing Utilities and Activate them at Your New Address

When you move, cancel your utilities and active your new address with the utility companies. This will ensure no charges are incurred when you switch over. Some utilities will need to be paid in full before you move.

For example, if you have public water or sewer, your city or town will likely require payment before you can transfer the property over to another buyer. It’s known as a municipal lien certificate.

Your real estate attorney will often handle this payment for you when you would rather have the money come out of your settlement funds.

Clean Out The House For The Buyer’s Final Walk Through

A few things need to be completed before the buyer’s final walk-through. Make sure the home is spotless. Some sellers will hire a professional cleaning company. Whether you should go to that level of cleanliness depends on local customs.

Some real estate contracts may specify that the home only needs to be in broom-clean condition. The last thing you want to find out at closing is if there is some kind of issue at the final walk through. Take a detailed look around your home through a buyer’s eyes.

Final Thoughts

Moving is one of those life events that not many people look forward to. You’re likely going to find things you didn’t realize you accumulated after so many years. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to moving, but by following these tips, you’ll be on your way to a smooth transition.

It is easy to make moving mistakes if you’re not careful.

Proper advance planning goes a long way towards making the process smoother. Best of luck!!

About the author: The above article on “5 Smart Things To Do Before Moving That Will Help Ease Your Transition” was written by Bill Gassett. Bill has been working in the real estate industry for the past thirty-three years. He works for RE/MAX Executive Realty in Hopkinton Massachusetts. Bill loves providing trustworthy information to buyers, sellers, and fellow real estate agents to make the best possible decisions. His writing has been featured on RIS Media, National Association of Realtors, Inman News, Placester, Today.com, Credit Sesame, and others.

About Rochester’s Real Estate Blog: Rochester’s Real Estate Blog is owned and operated by Kyle Hiscock of the Hiscock Sold Team at RE/MAX Realty Group.

Since being launched in 2013, Kyle has published more than 150 quality, in-depth, and unique real estate related articles on the Rochester Real Estate Blog pertaining to topics varying from home selling to mortgages and everything in between!  In addition to quality real estate related content, there are also many quality articles pertaining to the Greater Rochester NY area.

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