For the average household, moving day can be incredibly chaotic. Between packing, loading, cleaning, and a long list of last-minute to-do items, it’s all too easy to let important — but easily overlooked — tasks slip your mind. And unfortunately, that often means inadvertently leaving things behind and failing to tie up loose odds and ends.
At Ace Moving & Warehousing in Rochester, we know how hectic moving day can get. To help you stay on track during this notoriously busy day, below, we’ve outlined the top seven move-day tasks you cannot afford to forget.
Take Care of Your Last-Minute To-Do List
Every household has a few odds and ends that must be tied up before the movers arrive. While these moving-related tasks vary from home to home, one thing remains consistent: They have a way of piling up, unnoticed, without proper preparation. Before the day of your move, create an odds and ends to-do list so you’re not left scrambling at the last minute. Consider things like:
● Emptying the refrigerator and freezer
● Taking out the trash and recycling
● Leaving a few household cleaning products out for touch-ups
● Clearing out medicine cabinets
● Unplugging and packing electronic chargers left in outlets
If you have an extensive list, consider setting your alarm a bit earlier on the day of your move. Getting up early to tackle your last-minute tasks will help reduce move-day stress and ensure you don’t forget anything.
Arrange Child and Pet Care
If you’re moving with small children or pets, arranging childcare and pet care can help reduce chaos and confusion on moving day. Having little ones running around while your professional movers and packers are working doesn’t just present a safety hazard; it can also slow down the packing and loading process considerably.
To help make your move day as efficient and hazard free as possible, arrange care for your children and pets at least a couple of weeks prior to your move date. Ideally, you should also arrange backup care in case your first-choice care provider cannot accommodate you for any reason.
Pack a Cooler
In the chaos of moving day, it’s easy to let mealtimes and adequate hydration slip your mind. But when you’re lifting heavy boxes and household items for hours, you need enough energy to get the job done! To ensure you stay well hydrated and fed throughout the day, pack a cooler the night before your move.
What should you pack? Choose a variety of calorie-dense snacks, such as nuts, dried fruit, protein bars, and low-mess sandwiches. You’ll also want to toss in plenty of bottled water and electrolyte beverages to prevent dehydration and keep your energy levels high. You may also want to consider packing extra snacks and drinks for your professional movers and packers to ensure they stay on top of their game, too.
Pack an Overnight Essentials Bag
When you arrive at your new home, you’ll need plenty of personal items for your first night’s stay — don’t pack those things with the rest of your stuff! Instead, pack a personal overnight bag for yourself and each member of your household with the essentials you use on a daily basis. What should you include? Here’s a start:
● Medications, supplements, and non-prescription medicine
● Toiletries, including shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, makeup, etc.
● Sheets and pillows
● Bath towels and toilet paper
● Disposable utensils and dinnerware
● Change of clothes
● Small toolkit
● Important documents
● Frequently used electronics
Essentially, your overnight moving bag should include all the items you might pack in your suitcase and carryon if you were going on vacation. If you know you’ll need it before you begin the unpacking process, put it in your overnight bag.
Pack Valuables In Your Personal Vehicle
It’s best to keep anything of high value or sentimental importance out of the moving truck, so be sure to pack those items in your personal vehicle. Though moving insurance does provide value-based compensation in the event of transport-related damage, it may not reimburse you for the full value of your possessions.
Think about it: Do you really want to trust your irreplaceables in someone else’s hands? For a full list of what you should pack in your personal vehicle, check out this resource.
Pack Non-Transportable Items In Your Personal Vehicle
Professional movers and packers must adhere to federal law when transporting your household items. As such, there are several items they cannot transport in the back of the moving truck. Internal company policy may also restrict certain items, so be sure to inquire about what your chosen moving company can and cannot transport.
At Ace Moving & Warehousing, for your protection and ours, we cannot transport a number of household items, including:
● Hazardous and flammable materials
● Perishable items, including refrigerated, frozen, and opened food products
● Houseplants
● Pets
● Firearms and ammunition
● Charcoal and cleaning solvents
● Household and car batteries
● Nail polish and nail polish remover
For a full breakdown of the hazardous materials we cannot transport, check out this resource.
The Final Walk-Through
Once everything has made it safely onto the moving truck and in the back of your personal vehicle, it’s time for the final sweep. Take a few minutes to examine the home for anything you may have forgotten to pack, throw away, and clean during the packing and loading process.
Check all the cabinets around the house, peer in each closet, double-check the bathrooms, and do a quick sweep of the garage, if you have one. Don’t forget this final run-through as it may be your last opportunity to ensure you haven’t missed anything!
Need a Reputable Rochester Moving Company? Contact Ace Moving & Warehousing
At Ace Moving & Warehousing, we’ve been facilitating Rochester, MN relocations since 1958. Whether you’re looking for local movers or long-distance movers, we offer a comprehensive selection of moving services to meet your needs, including storage solutions, full packing services, on-site planning assistance, and more. When you need professional movers you can trust, we’re the team to call.
To request your moving quote or learn more about our services, feel free to give our team a call at 507-288-3341. You can also get in touch with us by filling out our contact form, and a member of our team will reach out to you promptly.