Before moving into a new home, there are many stages of planning that you need to consider to make it a seamless process. It’s not as simple as just packing items and transporting it from point A to B. Often we recommend to our customers to use our moving checklist, which helps to break down these different stages of the moving process; a month; a couple of weeks and a few days before your move.
To help you even further though, we’re sharing some of our favourite tips and tricks that you can use to make your moving experience a little more seamless.
Tips and Tricks Before You Move
Clean
Before leaving your place, it’s courteous to the new homeowners to clean it before you move in. In some provinces, it’s also a requirement so that you’re able to claim your rental deposit.
An easy option for cleaning your home can be to hire a cleaning company to make sure that every part of the home is cleaned thoroughly, but if you’re looking for a more cost-effective solution, we have some tips on how to clean your home effectively.
Connect Your Utilities Before Moving in
The next step that you want to take is connecting your electricity, heating and water before you move into your new home. No matter the time of the year, you don’t want to be moving into a home where you’re struggling with the temperature or are unable to use your washroom.
Pro tip: If your workplace requires constant use of a computer (or you just want to watch some Netflix once you move in), it would be wise to also set up your internet connection before you move in as well. Setting up a connection like this can sometimes take a few days, so plan ahead and set it up before you move in.
Plan The Layout of Your Home
Make the moving process a little more seamless by developing a layout of your home before you move in. Doing this beforehand will not only make it easier for you to find places for your items in your new home but can also help with the packing process as well. A process that we like to recommend is to colour code each box for an area of a home. An example being, any box that has a purple note on it, goes to the Kitchen. Anything with a green note goes to the garage. Etc.
Home Inspection
If you haven’t already scheduled a home inspection upon deciding on your new home, we recommend doing so before moving in. You don’t want to come upon any unpleasant surprises once you’ve moved all of your stuff in. The two key areas that most home inspections focus on is the wiring and the plumbing of the home, as they’re often the biggest problem areas. Faulty wiring can lead to blackouts and even fires, and bad plumbing can cause a whole mess of issues.
During your move
- Double check all closets, drawers, shelves, attic and garage to ensure they are empty
- Pack toys, games or special items for the kids to keep them busy during the move.
- Remember to pack a box of basics you may need on move-in day (tools, paper products, all-purpose household cleaners, etc.) be sure to have it loaded last so that it will be first off the truck.
- Have rugs and draperies cleaned before moving. You can leave them in the wrappings for the move.
- Pack medicines in a plastic zip lock bag or leak-proof container.
- Check the weather forecast for your move day. If it’s going to be hot, be sure to have a cooler on hand with lots of bottled water and sports drinks on ice.
- Call your moving company the day before your move to get a contact number for the crew doing your move, in case you need to contact them on the route. Give your movers your cell phone number and be sure to fully charge your cell phone the night before your move day.