Considering that the average person moves around 13 times during the lifetime, we might conclude that moving is inevitable. In order to have a smooth move, it is not enough to find local movers to help you or cheap movers that will save your budget, but you will have to prepare some things on your own. In order to have a stress-free move, you will have to prepare even before the moving day. The ultimate goal is to have a smooth move with the help of friendly local movers. We are here to help you reach this point. We talked to many professional movers in order to gather the information that will help you move like a professional. So let’s start!
- Plan it out
Local movers like to say that the foundation of quality and worry-free relocation is good planning. And we cannot agree more with that. Before even hiring local movers, make sure that you have a plan made. The best is to have a notebook dedicated to your upcoming relocation where you will write everything down. Make sure to create a to-do list of the items that you have to do before your local movers arrive. When you have it all in writing there is no chance that you miss something. You will be surprised how many people forget even the local movers they hired for their relocation in the chaos of moving. That is why you should keep the track of everything to avoid stress.
- Call local movers early
Unless you have decided to move on your own (which we don’t recommend), you will have to reach out to local movers early in order to secure the spot with them. You might not even have to hire professional movers during the first call, but you will want to learn more about the services and prices your local movers are offering.
- Where to find movers
There are many movers Chicago, so you won’t have trouble finding options when it comes to local movers. On the other hand, the number of moving companies around might be tricky if you are looking for professional movers that actually care about your belongings. We all want to save as much as we can during the moving process, but that is not the reason to hire only cheap movers without any additional services. A good starting point is to search on the internet for the local movers in your area. The best-case scenario is to ask your friends and family who moved recently to recommend their movers Chicago.
- What to ask your professional movers
Make sure to check with your local movers what is included in the price and what services they offer as a part of their standard service. Professional movers should be transparent about everything. Also, you should check if there are any restrictions when it comes to specific items you have. When hiring local movers, you should feel free to ask them whatever you would like, and they should make sure to explain everything in detail.
- Set the moving budget
After you have called local movers, you will get an idea of how much they charge for their services, and what services are included in that price. Based on that, you will be able to set the moving budget. There are other expensed apart from local movers, so make sure to take that into consideration as well. The better budget you set, the smoother your move will be because you won’t have any surprises. The main challenge is to stay within those budget limits. Try to stay within that budget as much as you can, but don’t panic if something is not as you imagined. The moving budget should always have the ‘rainy days’ section with a certain amount.
- Give notice to your landlord
If you want to avoid any additional expenses during your local move you should let your landlord that you will be moving out. After you do that, you can set the date with your local movers. This is fair from your side so your landlord can see what to do next.
- Purchase packing supplies
Since you are not one of the professional movers, it might be a real task to find quality packing supplies, so take your time when it comes to this. Don’t forget you have the option to hire local movers to help you with packing. In that case, you can opt to purchase packing supplies from professional movers. On the other hand, if you decide to pack on your own, you better start investigating the best ways to find affordable, yet quality boxes. There are a few places where you can get free packing supplies, such as supermarkets. You might be having something that will be helpful for packing. Local movers always say that you can use suitcases, bags, storage bins, and similar storing items you already have at home. Instead of purchasing packing paper, you can use towels and kitchen towels, old newspaper. Local movers won’t mind moving those. Whatever you use to pack up your personal belongings, your local movers will be glad to help you move it.
- Declutter
Don’t miss this perfect opportunity to declutter. Not only that your local movers will have less furniture to handle, which will result in a cheaper price at the end of the day, but you will have a fresh start in your new home. Regardless if you are having your local movers helping you with packing or you will do it on your own, you should always declutter. What can you do with the items that you don’t need anymore? You can organize a garage sale or an online sale. A yard sale is always a good bonding activity for the whole family. You can also donate your belongings, and that way something that you don’t need will be someone else’s treasure. This is the task you shouldn’t skip because you want fresh energy and a fresh start. Your local movers will be grateful if they don’t have to carry the items that you will want to get rid of. If you want to hire local movers to get rid of your furniture, make sure to learn more about these regulations because it is not as simple as your professional movers taking the trash to the official dumping site. You will have to be there together with your local movers and you will have to find the official dumping site.
- Pack early
The scenery that will look like a nightmare is the arrival of your local movers while you are not even close to being packed. This will increase the stress level to the maximum, and you won’t know what next. Of course, you can always hire local movers to help you with packing, but if you want to do it on your own – you should plan it properly. There is a simple rule, your items should be packed a day before your local movers arrive. The time you need for packing depends on the size of your home, so once you declutter and see what is left for moving, you should determine how much time you will need to spend. Always start with the least used rooms and continue towards the ones you are using daily. The worst thing you can do when it comes to packing is procrastination. Make sure to follow the plan, as you set it. And if you see in the middle of the process that you cannot make it, call local movers and see if they can help you out. There is always the option to pack a part of your belongings on your own and to ask your local movers to continue packing the rest of your belongings. It is called partial packing, and you can always opt to hire local movers to pack up your dishes.
- Essential box
One is the fact – you will need some items even during the move and after your local movers arrive. That is why you should pack up the box with essentials, such as toiletries, linens, chargers, and anything else that you will need in case you don’t manage to unpack. After the whole day with local movers, the last thing you will want at the end of the day is to go through many boxes in order to find some essentials. This bag should be moved by you, instead of local movers so you can always know where it is.
- Hire a babysitter
A moving site is a dangerous place for toddlers and pets. With local movers carrying heavy furniture around and little kids and pets the whole process might end up with some damages or injuries, and that is something that you want to avoid. Call someone reliable to take care of your loved ones during the moving day.
- Defrost the freezer
Local movers usually are not happy to move your food, nether the less, they will avoid it. You don’t want to get rid of a bunch of food, so make sure to get creative and come up with many receipts that include the groceries you already have. The freezer must be defrosted before your local movers arrive because they will refuse to move it. The reason why they will refuse to move this is that it can lead to the damages of the other items.
- Take pictures of your electronics
Before your local movers arrive, and before you unplug your electronics take pictures of them because it will be easier for you to plug them back.
- Transfer your utilities
Before your local movers relocate your belongings to your new home, you should make sure you feel at home as soon as you move there. That is why you should transfer your utilities before professional movers arrive. Don’t forget to forward your mail and let your neighbors, friends, and family that you are moving.
- Prepare enough water for your local movers
Moving is hard physical work, and your local movers will be working around the clock to make sure your items get to your new location safely and efficiently. You can make the process more pleasant for your professional movers with simple things such as providing enough water or some cold juices. During the winter, you can prepare tea or coffee for your local movers. If you are planning a bigger move, you might want to gather some snacks or food for your local movers. These are simple friendly gestures that will make the moving experience pleasant for you and your local movers.
- Check the moving truck before your local movers leave
Before your local movers leave for good, you should check the moving truck. Professional movers usually ask you to check the truck and sign the document that is proof that nothing is left behind. Even before your local movers leave your pick up moving spot, you should check if everything is loaded. Moving involves a lot of belongings and it is easy to leave something behind by accident. Your role in the moving process is to coordinate and guide your local movers.
- Give yourself a deadline for unpacking
This is the step of your relocation where local movers cannot help, unfortunately. The reason professional movers avoid helping with unpacking is the chance something gets damaged. The fact is that unpacking takes a lot of time. If you labeled the boxes properly, your local movers will place them in the appropriate rooms, so you won’t have any issues with that. But in order to unpack in time, you will have to set a deadline for yourself. Try to do at least something each day in order to be unpacked until the deadline you set.
If you are looking for local movers that can help you out with your upcoming relocation, you are in the right place. Feel free to reach out to Crystal Bay Movers to get your free moving quote. Not only our team is gathered from the best experienced and trained local movers, but we have an exceptional customer support team that is available to answer any question or concern you might have throughout the process. Our local movers are available 7 days a week, so you can reach out anytime. Get the best professional movers that are budget-friendly.