Moving Tips & Checklists | Preparing for Moving Day

6 WEEKS BEFORE MOVE

Compare the services and rates of your top three moving companies and choose the company that best fits your needs.
Book your move! Place your deposit and secure the dates. Review any items with your moving company that may need special attention.
Make a list with three columns:
- items for moving company to move
- items you’ll move by yourself.
- Items you’ll sell or give to charity
Create a Moving folder. Here you can collect receipts, notes, and any other important papers that could get lost as you pack.
If you’re moving for work, verify your moving budget and responsibilities.
Obtain information about what moving expenses may be tax-deductible. Click here for more details.
Make a list of everyone you need to notify about your move: colleagues, creditors, schools, subscriptions, etc.

Make arrangements with your post office to have your mail forwarded to your new address. (Canada Post)
Arrange special transportation for your beloved pets and plants.
Schedule your utilities (gas, electric, oil, water, telephone, or cable TV) to be disconnected at your old address and connected at your new addresses.
Plan a garage sale to sell unneeded items or arrange to donate them to charity.
Start to use up things you can’t move, such as frozen foods, liquids and cleaning supplies.
If necessary, make travel arrangements and hotel reservations for your moving trip. Make sure you aren’t travelling on your move out or move in day.
Gather together important papers (insurance, vehicle registration, wills, deeds, stock, etc.) before you start packing.

If you’re packing yourself, ask your moving company to send over an assortment of boxes. Make sure this service is free. You should only have to pay for the boxes you use.
Obtain a floor plan of your new space. Mark and label where you’ll place furniture, desks, tables, etc. After you’ve marked this up, put it into your Moving folder.
If you're moving out of or into a building with elevators contact the building management about booking the elevators. Ask about other guidelines that you’ll need to follow.
If you’re moving out of or into a home with street parking, arrange a parking spot for your moving truck.
If you’re travelling by car, schedule a time to service your car.

If you're doing your own packing, it's time to get started! Label the contents of all boxes carefully.
Pack essential items together and write
Open First/Load Last on each box. When you move into your new home, you'll be able to unpack important items first.
Be sure to label all your fragile items. It's a good idea to let a professional mover pack any fragile and valuable items, they have proven methods to keep your items safe.
Leading up to the move, be sure to stay in contact with your moving company. Notify them if you decide to subtract or add any major items to your moving list or change the dates of the move.

Take one more look through your Moving folder to make sure you haven’t looked over anything.
Prepare specific directions to your destination for your moving company.
Prepare a Trip Kit for moving day. This kit should contain all the items you’ll need while in transit (Food, clothing, important documents, passport, etc.). Set this kit aside to be packed into your car.
Drain gas and oil from power equipment (lawn mowers, snow blowers, etc.) before you move.
Pack a box, preferably a lock box, of personal items that will include all your jewellery, cash, and items of high value. Take this box in your car with you.

If they’re being moved, defrost your freezer and refrigerator.
Have your major appliances disconnected and prepared to move. Your moving company should be able to help you find a third party to disconnect front load washers, gas appliances/bbq's, etc.
Take down curtains, curtain rods, and window coverings.
Call your moving service to confirm their arrival time and to notify them of any last minute details.
Let your moving company know who you’ve designated to be at your home when the movers come. An adult who understands the details of your move will need to be present to welcome the van foreman and their crew as well as sign documents obligating you to charges.

Strip your beds and put the bedding into an Open First/Load Last box.
Block doors open so they can't accidentally close on pets or children.
Welcome your moving crew!
Accompany the van foreman as they inventory and tag each piece of furniture with an identifying number. These numbers, along with a detailed description of your goods and their condition at the time of loading, will appear on the inventory.
Make sure you remain on the premises until all the furniture is loaded. After the crew is finished, walk through the home with the van foremen and open up closet and cupboards to double check everything has been taken.

Review your floor plan to refresh your memory about where you want furniture and appliances to go.
When the movers arrive, have payment ready. Unless other billing arrangements were made in advance, most moving companies require payment on arrival.
Designate one person to check the inventory sheets as items are unloaded and a second person to direct the movers as to where to place items.
Once all items are unloaded, don’t overwhelm yourself with unpacking! Only unpack what you need for the first day or two.
Contact your moving company immediately should you encounter any damage that was not noted on the inventory sheets when the items were moved into the house.
When you’re all done, contact your moving company and give them feedback on your experience!