The Ultimate Moving Checklist (Moving Day)

Preparation is half the challenge of moving day. The other half is no struggle at all as long as you choose the right movers in Toronto from among the top moving companies in Toronto, such as Palmerston Moving. The trained movers at Palmerston are all full-time employees, and each of them is dedicated to helping every client enjoy a pleasant moving day. One way we achieve this goal is by providing white glove moving services on every job, such as giving careful attention to details.

We care about your success in preparing for a move. Transitioning to a new location can be as hassle-free as a moving day with Palmerston.  The following ultimate moving checklist involves an eight-week period and covers many of the details involved with pulling up stakes. If you don’t have two months to prepare, adjust the timeline as needed.

8 Weeks Before Moving Day

• Begin taking an inventory of your possessions. If you are downsizing, keep the size of the home you’re moving to in mind throughout the process. Decide on what you will give away, discard, sell, donate, or keep in storage so that you aren’t cramped in your new residence.
• Organize all of your essential documents and put them together in a secure location. The types of records you may want to gather include birth certificates, legal documents, passports, deeds, insurance policies, kids’ shot records, and lease agreements.
• For any family members who are in school, start the enrollment process for relocation to the new school and make sure you have whatever is needed.
• Notify family physicians and veterinarians of your move and ask that medical records be forwarded to the new doctors when requested.
• If you’ll want storage services when you move to your new address, find out whether Palmerston has a storage facility there, to ensure that you store your belongings at a top-notch secure storage facility.

6 Weeks Before Moving Day

• Do a thorough investigation into the best moving companies in your area such as Palmerston Moving. After careful thought, schedule the moving services company you trust most.
• Where to buy moving boxes? Purchase moving boxes from your mover and get other packing supplies such as shipping and packing tape as well as bubble wrap for fragile items. In the alternative, you can request full-service packing and moving services as well as unpacking services, which are available from Palmerston.
• Label all of the moving boxes you pack, indicating which room they belong in and what’s inside. Begin packing with items you won’t need before moving.
• Advise agents with your homeowner’s insurance or rental insurance agency that you are moving and discuss policy changes.
• Post the items you’re selling with an online service such as eBay Canada or plan a yard sale so that you don’t pay to haul things you don’t need anymore.
• For donations you need to make before moving, make arrangement with companies that will pick up donated furniture free of charge.

3-4 Weeks Before Moving Day

• Begin clearing out the garage, the attic, and closets.
• Purchase mail forwarding services from Canada Post.
•  Report your coming change of address to all appropriate agencies, such as utility companies (electricity, gas, cable, water, phone, Internet), banking/financial institutions, subscription services, credit card companies, etc.
•  Notify friends and family members of your new address.
• If applicable, make arrangements for a parking spot for the moving truck and book elevators for both locations.
•  Arrange for insurance coverage for high-value items. The values may need to be verified before the move.
• Carefully look over all of your furniture and make note of all existing dents and scratches. If you’ve chosen a conscientious moving company, it will save time on moving day if you share a copy of your notes with your movers.

2 Weeks Before Moving Day

• Return library books.
• Back off on buying refrigerated items so that you don’t have a refrigerator and freezer full of food on moving day.
• Confirm installation and start dates for utility services in your new home.
• Schedule cut-off of utilities for the day after your move so that needed services don’t cut off while the move is still in progress.
• Choose a closet where you can gather the items needed for final cleanup and snacking on the last day.
• Prepare and keep separate a few “survival” boxes for the essentials you will need in your new home the first two or three days after your move. Keep the boxes with you on moving day, along with your collection of important documents. Items to include in your survival box, though some you’ll wait and pack the day before your move: Scissors, snacks, coffee pot, flashlight, pet food/bed/other pet supplies, paper plates and cutlery, coffee mugs, handy tool kit, cleaning rags, and unopened all-purpose cleaner, toilet paper, and paper towels. Go ahead and continue packing everything else that you can go without until you’ve had some time to settle in your new home.
• Make arrangements for a locksmith to change the locks of your new home, if applicable.

1 Week Before Moving Day

• Contact your mover to confirm your moving date.
• Continue working on packing. You’re almost to the finish line!
• Cancel newspapers, pest control, lawn maintenance, and any other services you’ve been receiving.
• If it’s just you moving, try to get a friend or family member to be with you on moving day. Their most important task will be to help direct movers as to exactly where your belongings go at your new home.
• Tackle the toughest cleaning jobs, such as the stove. Systematically clean each room after packing is completed so that your home is essentially clean already on moving day.

1 Day Before Moving Day

• Say farewells to your neighbors.
• Clean out your refrigerator and defrost and dry, as needed.
• Disconnect appliances.
• Get plenty of cash on hand for what you may need during the move.
• Pack all last-minute items in your survival boxes. Add prescriptions, bed sheets, shower curtains, bath towels, hand soap, wash rags, etc.
• Pack the very last of all remaining items and pat yourself on the back for a job well done.

Moving Day!

• Dress comfortably and when the movers arrive, do a walk-through with the foreman.
• The movers will likely want to walk around your home, and they may have questions and ask for instructions about where various items go, particularly if you are moving into an upstairs or multi-story home.
• After everything is moved out of the rooms of your home, check cabinets, closets, attics, and basements to be sure nothing has been overlooked.
• Turn in your keys and turn off the lights and A/C or heating system.
• At your new residence, do a walk-through before movers begin moving things inside.
• Inspect the residence, furniture, and boxes that contain fragile items. Make note of any damage that may have occurred and share the information with the foreman.
• Kick up your feet for a while and celebrate your successful moving day! Enjoy the unpacking process and life in your new home!

Welcome to Your New Home!

If you’ve prepared as much as possible and hired a great moving company like Palmerston Moving, your moving day has been something to smile about. With a professional moving company, it can be a stress-free experience, and we hope that’s something you’ve just discovered for yourself. A great moving experience is the perfect way to start out in your new home and we believe scheduling a move in the GTA with Palmerston Moving is the best way to make sure that happens.