Although it may sound pretty straightforward to move locally, relocating short-distance does not guarantee you outright success. And while it is mostly true that local moves are usually planned, organized, and performed easier than long-distance interstate ones, any type of relocation has its specifics and should not be underestimated. In fact, the failure to recognize the significance of local moving alone and not hiring local LA movers may get you into certain troubles before and on moving day. But, despite common perception, packing and moving for a move does not need to be a laborious task, especially if you decide to hire local movers. With the proper planning and preparation in place, packing can actually become an enjoyable part of the moving process. It should be a time of celebration for a new chapter unfolding, and not a source of stress and concern. Here are 10 tips from our professional movers to help you prepare for your upcoming move and to make it as seamless as possible. The more time you spend planning your move upfront, the less time your time will be lost on the actual move.
- Begin moving preparations ASAP
Try not to approach your intrastate relocation too casually, especially if you decided not to hire professional local movers. You may be thinking, “I’m only moving short-distance so I’ve got plenty of time.” Keep in mind that the fewer days there are left till moving day, the quicker time seems to pass by, and you should never get comfortable until the whole moving affair is over. It’s vital that you start the necessary preparations as soon as your local move has become imminent. You should definitely make a moving checklist so you can be as organized as possible. As you cross out each completed task, you will see how your personalized moving timeline will greatly help you to stay on the right organizational track. Of course, we would always recommend you to hire professional local movers, that way you don’t have to deal with any of these.
- Calculate your moving costs
Before starting your moving preparation, it is imperative to calculate what you are willing to spend towards your move and maybe on hiring local movers to help you abide by it along the way. Whether you would like to hire professional movers or move on your own, there are a lot of expenses to factor. Everything comes with a price tag and can quickly add up unless planned for properly. As soon as you decide how much money you can spend on your upcoming relocation, you will know whether hiring professional movers is the right option for you.
- Book local movers on time
If you are planning on hiring local movers, call at least one to two months in advance. Be sure to get several price quotes and ask for proof of insurance. For local moves, most reputable professional affordable movers offer services that you pay for by the hour. In reality, this may be a great option in your case – you can pack all or part of your household items on your own and then hire local movers to help with the loading and transportation. Also, your local movers will offer adequate insurance against unpleasant incidents, and a guarantee for a fast and professional moving job. Don’t forget to request an in-house written estimate from the chosen professional movers, be sure to understand fully the clauses of each document before you sign it, ask your local LA movers about additional charges that may apply, and voice any concerns you may have regarding the move. Also, if the moving company is packing for you, remember that most professional local movers do not make decisions for you – they pack everything – including trash cans with trash in them and will merely unplug a refrigerator and move it with food inside. Be sure to take care of all perishable items yourself, or you could end up with rotting food and garbage.
- Get insurance coverage
If you use a service of local movers, be sure to ask about insurance coverage options to protect your belongings. You should also ask to see the local movers’ proof or worker’s comp insurance. If you inadvertently hire “day labor” or the truck company does not carry insurance, you could be at least partially liable for moving-related injuries to workers. Also, if you rent a truck – opt for the insurance coverage. Although many private insurance policies might cover rental car damage very few cover damages if you get into an accident in a rental truck (which are classified as “equipment.”).
- Declutter your belongings
An upcoming relocation, even a local one, according to our local movers, presents a good opportunity for you to go through your possessions and see if there are any specific items you just won’t use in the future. Experience shows that more stuff to pack and relocate means more time and money, therefore time spent on boxing and transporting a useless household item will be time wasted. Remember- the less stuff you have, the less you will have to pay your local movers. The good news is that there are several right paths you follow here. If you’re in need of money, you can always sell them, whether online or through a garage sale. However, you can always donate them to a local charity organization that offers to pick up the stuff from your house and help someone in need. Out of all the items you have carefully sifted through and labeled as unneeded, some can be gifted to family members, friends, coworkers, or neighbors, others can be donated to charitable organizations or sold at a garage sale or online. And should you encounter any worthless stuff, like broken items which cannot be repaired or old ones which nobody will ever appreciate, then it’s best to just throw them away for recycling.
- Prepare packing supplies
If you are hiring local movers, they can also provide you with all the packing material needed y=for your upcoming relocation. If you have decided to pack by yourself, logic dictates that the first thing you need to do is to get yourself plenty of packing materials. Yes, you’ve guessed it right – it’s all about the boxes. You’ll need clean boxes of assorted sizes, in good condition, with sturdy bottoms and available covers. There are several ways you can go about finding them. First of all, go to a few local supermarkets and ask around – there’s a big chance that they have suitable boxes which they won’t need anymore and will probably give them to you for free. Secondly, ask friends, coworkers, and neighbors, or anyone else who may have recently moved if they have any such moving recipients to spare. And finally, if your hunt for free boxes fails, you can always buy a wide assortment of them from local movers, because even that finding free boxes seems easy, it’s not. Besides boxes, make sure you have enough packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, color markers, a pair of scissors, etc. If you are on a stringent budget, it is ideal to cut back on costs wherever possible. One of the simplest, most cost-effective means of doing so is to stock up on free packing supplies versus paying for them. So, if you don’t want local movers to provide you everything, go visit your local supermarket or stores which may have varied sizes of boxes handy for use without dishing out a penny. Keep in mind as well that smaller boxes make for good use with narrow hallways and for storing valuables.
- Label moving boxes for easy unpacking
There are so many ways for labeling, but according to our professional movers, the best one is to combine the two most popular approaches: color coding and writing. Every room should get a specific color that goes onto each package, but don’t be too lazy to write down a few key pieces that are inside. Some people also rely on numbers, but you can develop your system. It will help you figure out what is where once you begin unpacking, in case you are not hiring local movers for that too. Mark boxes and on the tops and sides so you can locate items more quickly if you need to unpack something before you move, or immediately after you move. If you just mark the tops, you will find it harder to locate items quickly. If you have hundreds of boxes, it pays to have some kind of system to avoid losing things on the move – this is particularly important if you hire professional local movers. If you number your boxes with a brief description of what is inside them, and local movers lose any in the move, you will have an easier time making a claim.
- Pack a survival box
When packing up boxes, place items such as books and non-essentials at the bottom of the boxes, with the more important items on top. If you know you won’t use your slow cooker for the first few days, place it at the bottom of the box with plates and utensils on top, or tell your LA movers to do so. This way, if you need to access something essentially more quickly, you won’t have to rummage through all your items to retrieve them or to ask your affordable movers where something is. Pack the things you use every day and night in a separate bag and keep this with you at all times. Items such as medicine, face cream, toothbrush, toilet roll, change of clothes, phone chargers, etc will all come in handy. Also, don’t forget to pack your kids’ favorite toys, the same as your pets’. It’s smart to have those important items right by your side at any moment.
- Take care of children and pets
Periods of intensified moving preparation are not the best times for toddlers crying to be fed or comforted, or preschoolers or pets running uncontrollably around the house. First, it’s not safe for them to be in the house at all during such stressful moments, especially on moving day with everyone in the house including professional local movers. If there’s no other temporarily safer place for them to be, make sure there’s somebody else there to take good care of them so that no accidents occur to further complicate things. Ask a close friend or hire a professional specialist to babysit them – it’s up to you. Second, unsupervised children and/or pets could considerably and undesirably slow down, or even hinder, the relocation process. If you are hiring local movers, it’s not convenient for them to have kids and pets around the house for the whole time. If you have opted for a DIY local move, then the stress on your shoulders will be even bigger and the last thing you’d want to do is to chase your loved ones up and down your home to persuade them to behave. So, your top priority on moving day, and even before its arrival, should be to ensure your kids and pets are safe and sound so that you can stay completely focused on the numerous tasks ahead of you.
- Update your address and contact information
It’s a good idea to start changing your address with companies or organizations like the bank, the doctor’s surgery, and the dentist 2 weeks before you move. Also, you will need to notify the post office, your creditors, bank, etc. Allow for the non-essential hookups to take place either later in the day of moving day or the following day. This will alleviate any stress of having local movers and utility professionals stepping on each other’s toes while getting set up and organized in your new home. So, last important piece of advice from our local movers-don’t forget to update your doctors, dentists, schools & daycare, etc before you leave. Most professionals will be able to refer you to a new location in your new town or city.
Planning your move far in advance is the best way to ensure your move will go smoothly, but even the best of plans can still go awry. All these tips and tricks from our local movers can be applied and adapted to any scenario. Whether you’re changing cities or states, or just neighborhoods, relocating requires logistics and creativity, and it is never going to be a piece of cake. But with these tricks, it will certainly be a lot more organized and efficient. And if you want as stress-free move as possible, hire our local movers- Movers Arcadia, and they will make sure goes smoothly! Get your free moving quote today!