Preparing For Your Big Move

Moving house is not something most people look forward to. Whilst it is an exciting time in your life, it can also be a huge disruption to your life and may require lots of coordination and organization. To help make this transition easier, we have put this guide together to help you rememer everything and make the move more enjoyable!

First things first, have you arranged for a professional mover? Whilst it may be important to save money, moving everything yourself is a long, tedious job and often leaves you run down and frustrated. Not to mention the risks of getting furniture out of the property without damaging anything. Professional movers are experts in moving and will make your life much less stressful. If you are unsure of any reputable companies, ask your Realtor®, after all they are experts in the housing industry! Next you should think about arranging your packing materials (go sustainable if you can) and getting a dumpster prepared for both ends of the move. Take photos of valuable items and hold on to them yourself instead of packing them away. Complete an inventory list of all household goods and print it out for your reference. Once you start packing, pack household goods into boxes labeled by room. This way you can easily unpack at the other end! Take supplies you'll need on the day of the move, like a few rolls of tape and markers for labeling. 

You'll want to check with your insurance company about coverage for the move as well. Next, clean out your closets and garage, and arrange for a cleaning service for a final cleanup. Once they've cleaned, check every inch of your house to make sure it's empty.

This ones a no brainer, yet often some of these are forgotten or left until after the move. In order to avoid missing mail or disturbing the new owners you should do this in preparation of your move. You should alert your hydro company, cable/internet company, electric, gas, phone and grocery delivery companies of your move and new address. Don't forget to notify your local post office, BC Government MSP and ICBC, credit card companies, substriptions and of course, friends and relatives.

Now that you have notified all the relevant parties of your upcoming move, prior to your arrival at your new home you should arrange for utility services to be connected for your move-in date. This includes contacting the water company, electric company, gas company and cable/internet company. If you're moving into a condo, contact a property management company and book a parking space as well as an elevator for your moving day. You may also want to get recommendations for repair services from your real estate agent. These services could include a plumber, electrician, painter and handyman.

Once you've arrived at your new location, make sure to supervise unloading and unpacking. The first thing you'll want to do is set up and make beds so that you can collapse into them when you need to! Then, put up any shelving units before unpacking other items. This allows you to unpack things straight into their new location and avoids you having to move things twice.

Take the time to meet your neighbours and get to know those around you. 

Last but not least, enjoy your new space!

Here's a handy checklist to help you get going!