Pre-Packing Checklist: What to Do Before Moving House

Moving to a new house can be daunting. There are so many responsibilities you have to juggle, be it logistics or children’s emotions, or moving services. It can feel very tough dealing with all of these responsibilities at once.

However, with some good planning, you can make the process a lot easier on yourself. This brings us to our topic today: pre-packing checklists. This is a list that you should create before you start packing up for your move. 

Today, we will give you the contents of this checklist, and if you follow it to the best of your capabilities, you will find that you are surprisingly chill on the moving day.

1. Declutter Before You Pack

A move is a good time to go through your belongings and remove the extra stuff that you don’t use. Packing that is like paying for extra baggage you will never use. 

So, declutter before you start packing. Here’s how you can go about it in a practical way:

• Tackle your house room by room. Treat each room as its own separate entity.
• For each room, sort the items into keep, donate, sell, or discard piles.
• To get rid of the sell and donate piles, you can do something like hosting a quick garage sale or creating marketplace listings online.
• Recycle or responsibly dispose of old electronics, broken decor, or unused furniture.

Decluttering will not only save you time but also reduce moving costs. That’s because many professional moving services, like Dumbo Moving, U-Haul, etc,  charge more based on the amount of inventory you are moving. So, reducing the weight and volume will result in considerable savings. 

2. Create a Moving Inventory

Once you have decluttered, it's time to take inventory of everything that’s left. Having a proper list of all your belongings is going to be very useful during all phases of the move. And it's not just for organizing, it will save you a ton of headaches during loading and unpacking. 

Here’s how you can go about creating an inventory.

• Tackle the list room by room. Create a list (or spreadsheet) of what’s in each room. 
• Then each room should have its own set of boxes. Label them accordingly, and number them too. 
• Be sure to label which box has what contents.
• Snap photos of valuables and electronics for insurance purposes.

By doing this, you will make unpacking easier and ensure nothing goes missing during transit.

3. Gather Packing Supplies Early

Packing supplies are one of the most underrated and overlooked aspects of a move. Their costs add up considerably, and you are always in need of more of them. So, start gathering them way before you think you need them. If you wait till the last few days (or week), you may find yourself out of tape or boxes, and having to pay your movers extra to accommodate the leftover packing.

Here’s a list of things you should start gathering. 

• Small, medium, and large boxes
• Bubble wrap or packing paper
• Strong packing tape
• Labels and markers
• Stretch wrap for furniture

In this list, there are some things you can get for free or cheaply. Ask around your neighborhood or among your friends to see if they have old boxes left over from moves. Grocery stores are also always giving away extra boxes for free. So, check if you can get them this way.

4. Plan What to Pack First

Moving is a long process. It takes time to pack everything you own. So, you have to be smart about it. There’s no need to pack everything right away, that will only be cumbersome and inconvenient because you will still need many things while you haven’t moved.

That’s why it is best to start with non-essentials, such as the following:

• Off-season clothes
• Extra linens and towels
• Books and decor

Save daily essentials like toiletries, kitchen items, and electronics for last. Perishables don’t need to be stored; just use them till they are gone.

Also, don’t forget to create a “first night” box with things like bedding, a change of clothes, chargers, and snacks, which you can instantly access after the move. That way, you won’t need to start unpacking in a jiffy.

5. Notify Key Contacts and Update Your Address

When you are about to move, you have to update your address with various utility services, mail, and your children’s school, etc. Not doing so will result in a host of problems. The process is also not fast; it takes some time for the documentation to be updated. So, you will want to get started early. So, start by:

• Updating your address with USPS, banks, insurance providers, and subscriptions.
• Let your employer and friends know your new address.
• Cancel or transfer utilities, internet, and trash collection ahead of time.

This way, you will have fewer worries and will have working power, water, and gas in your new place.

6. Prep Your Home for Movers

To make moving day as smooth as possible, you should take some extra measures to facilitate things for your movers. Big US cities often have various rules and regulations regarding moves that you should be aware of.

If you’re using professionals, then make their job easier by complying with those regulations in advance. For example:

• Reserving parking for the truck(s) if needed.
• Protecting floors and walls with coverings so that moving heavy stuff doesn’t scrape them
• Get a certificate of insurance (COI) from your building manager.
• Clearly labeling fragile or high-priority boxes.
• Learn the timing for elevator access at both your current and new places to make moving easier.

While movers can handle such stuff, it costs extra and makes things harder than they need to be. So a little extra preparation can prevent damage and speed up the moving process.

7. Handle Essentials and Documents Separately

Some things should never go in the moving truck. They are too important to risk losing during transit. Such things should always be in a safe container that is with you during the move. 

Items of such importance include the following:

• Passports, IDs, and important paperwork
• Medications
• Jewelry and heirlooms
• Essential electronics and chargers

Keep these with you for peace of mind.

Final Thoughts

Moving houses doesn’t have to be a terrible ordeal. With some foresight and planning, you can make it much easier for all parties involved. Follow the tips we have discussed, and you will find that moving day is no longer this insurmountable wall, but just another easy process that you can get through without trouble.