Logistics of Residential Moving
If possible, begin preparing for your international moves three months ahead of time, and your domestic relocation about eight weeks in advance.
The broadest tasks should come first, beginning with finding a new home (or temporary lodging, if you’d prefer to take your time to find that perfect “forever home” once you get to your new location).
You’ll also need to schedule your moving services and purchase plane tickets if you’re flying.
Don’t wait until the last minute to begin planning your move! The process of moving will smoothly if you plan our your steps ahead of time. If you break your move into manageable stages, the individual tasks can be checked off your list with ease.
When it comes to estimating relocation costs, for example, it’s crucial to keep track of all the “moving parts,” so to speak. To minimize surprise expenses, make a list of likely costs related to before, during and after your move. Creating such a list will also help you determine which services you’d prefer Ed’s Moving & Storage to handle, wherever applicable.
Breaking the move into stages will also help you remember expenses like registration fees for services at your new location, new suitcases for plane rides, gas and hotel money if you’re driving cross-country, along with new needs such as pet crates, cleaning supplies and/or housekeeping services, and even meals out of the house, at the start and end of the moving process.
When it comes to packing, for example, we’re happy to provide packing materials and packing services. If you decide to take on this task yourself, however, make sure you gather all of your packing supplies -- including boxes, tape, scissors, packing material, markers and a pad for notes -- before you fully dive into the process.
Pack one room at a time, whenever possible. As you begin to make progress with your boxes, designate a “staging area,” ideally in one vacant guest room. If, like many households, you don’t have that conveniently empty room, set boxes in an out-of-the-way spot in each room that you’re packing. Label each box by room, preferably adding the nature of the contents (books, bedding, etc.). It’s also helpful to give each box its own number, for ease of inventory. Keep a list of what’s in each numbered box, and make copies for yourself and for your moving company.
There will also be items which moving companies aren’t able to transport, either because of legal restrictions or because of the lack of adequate facilities (such as inadequate cold storage for perishable food). For that reason, one of the logistics you’ll need to keep in mind is how you’ll be personally moving those items.
Typical goods which our customers usually find more convenient to dispose of, rather than move personally, include perishable foods. A bit more complicated are pieces of outdoor equipment that still contain fuel or chemicals, as well as the fuel cans or packaged chemicals themselves. A moving company will not carry flammable objects, so it’s imperative that you drain and clean outdoor landscaping equipment, grills, and similar objects before having your moving company transport them. Dispose of, or give away, extra cans of fuel, pesticides and similar materials.
This is also the time to plan for how to relocate your pets, aquarium tanks, houseplants and other living things which are either unsafe for professional transport or which might not be allowed to cross state lines (as in the case of some plants).
If you’re driving, it’s less complicated to pack up this precious cargo -- but you’ll still need to check domestic and international regulations, depending on where you’re moving. When you’re flying to your new home, it’s crucial to check on the best way to transport your pets, and whether your plants can be shipped.
Of course, even for those rare items which we can’t legally transport, Ed’s Moving will be with you every step of the way, from planning the most budget-friendly move, to setting you up with our friendly, efficient teams of professional movers. And in the case of international moving situations, we’ll arrange for an equally professional moving company to handle the other end, of the journey.