The Big Day Is Here (Moving Day): A 101 Guide On How To Prepare

iMoving once again is here to prepare you for the big move. We review the things you should have prepared before the move, tips during the move, and how to best unpack and get settled in after. Trust iMoving to get you there.

Moving day doesn’t have to be a stressed-out day! With proper preparation, you can minimize the stress and ensure a smooth transition into your new city. Here’s another iMoving key guide to help you prepare for the big day:

Before Moving Day Steps:

1. Confirm Everything is Booked: Double-check with the moving company that the moving date, time, and any special features you booked are as you expect them to be.
2. Pack Your Essentials Bag: Before packing up the house one of the most important things you need to do is pack your essentials kit. Prepare your bag with essentials you’ll need immediately upon arrival at your new home (medicines, sweets, snacks, a change of clothes, chargers, and important documents should all be in there).
3. Finish Packing: Finish packing all your boxes up, labeling them clearly by room and contents for easier unpacking. Don’t skimp on the labeling part or you will waste hours down the road with boxes placed in the wrong rooms for the unpacking part.
4. Arrange for Utilities: Ensure utilities (electricity, water, internet, gas.) are set up at your new home. Once move out you can end the services in your current place and move them to your new home.
5. Disassemble Furniture: If you have the knowledge and tools to save funds, then go ahead and disassemble your larger furniture pieces to make them easier to move. This will mean savings on the finished moving bill as well as less time needed with the manpower of the movers.
6. Protect Your Walls: Use furniture pads or blankets to protect your floors and walls from scratches during the move. Once everything is off the walls you can put stucco in the holes and then paint over them once this dries to hand over your old place in a good fashion.
7. Defrost The Freezer: Make sure to unplug the refrigerator a day or two before the move so that you will have time to clean it out and bring it clean to the new place. Prepare freezer bags for your frozen and cold goods.

Here are some of our tried and tested tips to keep your cool during the move itself:

1. Get An Early Start: Begin as early in the day as possible to allow plenty of time for delays. The sooner you start, the sooner you can start getting your life unpacked in the new home.
2. Final Check: Make sure you do a final walkthrough of your home to check that nothing is left behind. Don't leave trash or any home goods unless discussed ahead of time with the new owner.
3. Communicate: Communication with your moving team is key for success on moving day. If you can buy the manual labor team coffee and bagels you will be loved even more. These guys work hard, so making them feel appreciated will go a long way.
4. Loading the Truck: Make sure that you have the movers pack the moving truck strategically, placing heavy items on the bottom and lighter items on top. Any vendor on iMoving will do this in their sleep. Make sure they use straps to secure items in place so they won’t break in transit.
5. Clean Up: Once everything is loaded, do a final clean-up of your old home, leaving it in good condition for the next lucky family. You want to leave on good terms as you never know what mail might end up lost at their house.
6. Check for Damage: Before leaving, do an inspection of both your old and new homes for any damage and take photos if you do find issues. You will want a video showing the home and its state for the future.

Even though the part of the move in the moving truck might be over, it doesn’t just end there. Start getting your new house feeling like a home with these tips:

1. Unload Strategically: Unload boxes and furniture into their respective rooms based on the labels on the boxes. This will help your moving team know what goes where so you won’t have to drag the boxes yourself, later.
2. Assemble Furniture: Begin assembling any furniture that was taken apart for easier handling. If agreed upon ahead of time, all iMoving vendors can and will assemble your furniture pieces for you. 
3. Update Your Address: Head to your local post office to let them know about your change of residence. They should auto-update your other vendors. This is key before you can set up your utilities.
4. Utilities Setup: Verify that utilities are functioning correctly in your new home.
5. Unpack: Unpacking sometimes takes a few days or weeks. You can start by unpacking your essentials bag to have immediate access to your most critical things. Go day by day tackling a few boxes and being easy on yourself if you don’t finish everything.
6. Get Rid of Packing Materials: Get rid of packing materials and get them out of your house asap to feel more settled. Dispose of them responsibly or keep them for reuse if needed. You can also give them away to someone else who is moving and needs to save.
7. Explore Your New Neighborhood: Enjoy your new surroundings! Take walking breaks from unpacking and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
8. Relax and Celebrate: Moving is not simple, so take breaks and celebrate the small milestone. Congrats on your successful move!

All of us here at iMoving hope that you enjoyed this guide and that it will help you stay organized. You can navigate the moving day smoothly by following these tips and tricks and getting prepared ahead of time.