You’ll need to leave the place in good condition to get your deposit back. Deep Cleanįor renters, a little cleaning can end up saving you lots of money. You may also need to cancel utilities like garbage, gas, internet, phone, and cable. Most people will need to cancel power and water. This will keep you from paying for the next resident’s usage. Give the representative your name, account number, and date you want service to end. Cancel Your UtilitiesĪ week or so before you move, contact your utility company to cancel your utilities. USPS will forward your mail to your new place for up to one year.Ĭhange your address directly with any companies you do business with, like doctors, banks, and other providers. Then pay the very small fee (currently $1.10) to finalize the change. You can do this in person at your local post office or online.įill out the USPS change-of-address form with your old and new address information. Once you have your new address, update your address with USPS to make sure you don’t miss any important mail. Then they won’t be at risk of getting lost or damaged during your move.
You may also want to include other important documents, like birth certificates or marriage licenses, in your folder. That way, if you run into any issues, you’ll have them available. Put the moving company or truck rental contract, insurance policy, proof of value for more expensive items, and any other documents related to your move in a folder. Keep your important documents with you during your move. Cleaning supplies to deep clean your new place.This box should include anything you need to keep you comfortable in your new home before your stuff arrives, like: Then you won’t have to unpack a bunch of boxes just to have what you need right away. One of the best things to do before a move is to pack a box for your first night in your new place. You may also want to review the best ways to pack shoes and to pack clothes for moving to help you deal with those awkward items. Medium-sized boxes are great because they probably won’t get too heavy and they don’t take up much space.Ĭarefully wrap fragile items, like TVs. Try to distribute the heavier things among the boxes so you don’t have extremely heavy boxes that are hard to lift. Then start with the heavy stuff on the bottom of the boxes (you don’t want to crush any lighter items by putting something heavy on top of it). If you’re packing yourself, get sturdy boxes and packing supplies. If you’re paying someone to pack for you, trust the experts to safely pack your items. You’ll also know where everything is and can notice if anything is lost during the moving process. Then when you get to your new home, you can make sure boxes go to the right room. Put the label and number on each side of each box so it’s easily identifiable no matter what position it’s in. Then label your boxes based on the room they will need to go in. Number each box and input that ID number in a spreadsheet, along with a list of the items each box contains. We recommend labeling and packing one box at a time and one room at a time. Whether you’re packing your things yourself or paying someone to pack, a good labeling system will make it easier to unpack and find things later. Here are the different types of moves, from cheapest to most expensive.Ĥ.
The cheapest way to move is to do it yourself, but the least stressful way is to hire a mover to do everything for you.
In order to get an accurate quote, you’ll need to decide which services you want to pay for. Ask about costs, deposit requirements, services included, and availability. Get quotes from at least three moving companies. About half of Americans (46%) spent more than $2,000 on a move. Our moving trends survey found that 43% of Americans were surprised by how much it cost to move. You can donate items, sell them online, or call junk removal services to take them away.Īfter you get rid of your unwanted things, you might be able to rent a smaller truck (for a DIY move), pay for fewer hours of labor (for a local move), or pay for less stuff in the moving truck (for a long-distance move). Get rid of anything you don’t need to move, especially large items like couches or dressers. The less stuff you have to move, the less your move will cost. Declutterīefore you can get started planning for your move, you need to have an accurate idea of what you want to take with you. ⚡️ Download our free, printable moving checklist now (PDF). Based on our findings, we created moving checklists to help you keep track of it all. We consulted experts and used data from our survey of 1,000 Americans who moved in 2022 to find out how to prepare to move. Moving to a new place can be stressful ― especially when you think about how many things you need to do before you move if you want it to go smoothly.