EK Business Solutions

Two Months before your move

• Start to clean out things you won't bring. Plan a yard sale to sell it. It's not free to ship, so if you don't need it, get rid of it! Clothes, old school projects, and strange gifts from ex's all fall into this category.
• Start shopping around for a mover. Decide if you want to pack yourself or have professions pack for you (often wise if you want to guarantee that insurance will cover breakage). Generally, two months is plenty of time though if you planning on moving in the summer months, you might want to start looking 10 weeks in advance to be safe.
• Insurance. While shopping for a mover, check out insurance and call your homeowner's insurance agent to see if you are already covered.
• Start talking to young children the impending move. Moves to new locations can be traumatic for young children. Preparing them in advance gives the child plenty of time to prepare for the move.

One Month before your move

• Start Packing. As early as one month before, you can buy boxes, packing supplies (markers, etc.) and tape. Pack rarely used china or off-season clothes (if they still fit!). When packing, keep in mind that it's most important to fill boxes to capacity. Under-filled boxes can get crushed and over-filled boxes may fall apart. Pick the right size box for the job--boxes should be between 25-35 lbs each.
• Save all your bills. Remember to save your last bills--they have crucial information like account numbers and customer service telephone numbers that will help you change your utilities, credit cards, magazine subscriptions, etc.
• Change magazine subscriptions to new address. In the last few hectic weeks, you probably won't have time to read them anyway!
• Get a copy of medical records. We've just heard too many horror stories of people losing medical records because they don't see a physician or dentist for a while, etc. Get a copy of your medical records and transfer them to a new physician in your new location.

Two Weeks before your move

• Cancel your local newspaper. Or change the address if you get a major national paper delivered to your house.
• Notify all financial accounts of your move. Banks, credit cards, brokerages (401k, personal stocks/mutual funds, other investments, etc.) all need to know your new address. Make a list and call/write them all!

Three Days Before your move

• Disconnect major appliances. Refrigerator, washer and dryer, etc. should all be disconnected, defrosted, and dried out.
• Finish packing!
• Valuables. There are a small number of things that you'll probably want to carry with you or in a personal suitcase. Passport, jewelry, cash, house deeds and other important documents should be set aside and stored in a safe place.
• First Night. For each member of your household, you'll want to pack a few nights' worth of clothes, bedding, toiletries, etc. And dishware for meals. Remember that it will take you some time to UNPACK on the other end!

Moving Day

• Enjoy! Since you've prepared so well, just relax while the movers load your well-packed boxes onto the truck!

• Don't reuse any boxes that have been used many times and are starting to wear. Keep in mind that that the box you pack could easily end up on the bottom of a large stack.
• Pack all boxes TO capacity. Boxes that are underfilled are more likely to be crushed and boxes that are overfilled can tear or fall apart
• Boxes should weigh about 25-30 lbs each. It's important to be consistent here for the same of your friends (if you're moving yourself) and the movers. When boxes weigh much more or less than people expect, accidents happen.
• Label all boxes as soon as you're done packing them (e.g. "Bathroom", "Bedroom", "Kitchen"). When labeling, draw an arrow on the box to indicate which side is the top of the box and write the room label on multiple sides. This will save you a ton of time unpacking (or trying to find that one item that you need) and will help ensure the safety of your property while it's being shipped.
• Don't be afraid to start early! If you're moving in the summer, there's no reason that you can't pack your winter clothes two months before your move date.
• Wrap all glassware, china, and breakables individually in towels or packing material. If you're trying to save money, wrap each item in newspaper! Don't be tempsted to cram items together--they'll "clink" and break.
• Don't pack it if you don't need it! The cheapest way to pack and ship something is to NOT do it. If you don't need something in a new location, sell it at a garage sale before you move. We see lots of people pack and ship items that they later realize they don't need--what a waste!
• You can buy or rent garment boxes from a local temporary storage facility or truck rental moving company. These nifty boxes are like portable closets--you can ship clothing on its hanger.
• NEVER pack explosives, combustibles (gasoline), food of any kind, liquids, or pets. These could cause damage and will void your insurance.

• Get wine boxes from the stores, they have the individual dividers and you
  can use them to pack your glasses.
• Use space bags for pillows and blankets and off season clothes, they
  shrink down to practically nothing.
• Pack and put in the van in the order you want furniture to come out of the van. Have friends and movers assist you in putting all large pieces and furniture in its place before they leave, use the bottom of the closet in the appropriate room to put boxes in so the house will begin clean.
• Set up the kitchen first, this will save you money in the long run. Not having to order out!
• If you have a floor plan, draw how you want each room to be set up and put it on the door of that room, so you can be free to do other things than direct traffic. Labels bedroom furniture room 1, 2 and so on.

• Consider packing yourself. This may have insurance implications, so check with your mover.
• Buy your moving supplies online. Boxes, tape, markers, and bubble-wrap can be much cheaper when bought well in advance and online.
• Improvise with supplies. Newspaper makes fine packing cushions, as do towels and clothes. Just be prepared to wash everything when it arrives at your new place.
• Don't buy tools, borrow them. Why buy a tape dispenser that you'll use once? Borrow one from a friend.
• If you don't need it, don't pay to move it. A little planning can go a long way--it's much cheaper to sell it (or dump it) now than it is to sell it (or dump it) when it arrives at the destination.
• Ask your mover how they'll be packing your stuff. We've found that some movers try to upsell you to fancy packing materials where a plain moving blanket will work just fine.
• Ask yourself if you really need extra insurance, or raise the deductible. Remember that all 400N Tariff moving companies must offer 60 cents of insurance per pound per item as part of the basic package.
• Don't forget about moving yourself! Many hidden costs of a move often involve YOU! How are YOU getting to your new location? Where will you spend the night? What will you eat until your things arrive? If you plan this well, you'll save a lot of money.