Mabey’s Essential Moving Checklist

Moving is a stressful time. Use this essential guide and packing checklist for important moving tips and contact Mabey’s today to learn how we can help.

Moving can be a daunting task, but with the right plan and approach, it can be much more manageable and less stressful. To minimize the chaos, follow this comprehensive guide to ensure a smooth transition as you move to your new home. 

Preparing for Your Move 

Whether you are moving across town, across the country, or getting ready for an international move, the trick to making the moving process as stress-free as possible is planning and preparing well in advance. During the preparation phase, you want to determine your moving budget, including costs for packing supplies, moving services, and any unexpected expenses. You also want to go through your belongings to find items you no longer need or use to determine what you need to throw away, donate, or sell. 

Decluttering Before the Move 

One of the best side benefits of moving is that it gives you a chance to take stock of your belongings and get rid of excess items you no longer need. If you know about your move months in advance, take some time to do some serious decluttering before you even think about packing or the logistics of moving.  

Go through all your belongings, especially those stashed away in closets, attics, and basements. Sort your possessions into piles of items to keep, donate, sell, and discard. 

Creating a Detailed Moving Timeline and Checklist 

The sheer number of “to-do’s” associated with moving makes it essential to make a clear plan. Start planning your move well in advance, ideally two to three months before the moving date. During this phase, create a timeline with specific tasks and deadlines to help you stay organized and on top of critical tasks.  

You might want to create a week-by-week schedule to start, and then break your schedule down day-to-day as you move through the stages. Within each week’s or day’s tasks, list items like which rooms you will work in or other tasks such as hiring residential movers or contacting professionals to complete repairs around your current home. 

Read more about why you should hire professional movers here.

If your relocation involves moving overseas, there are additional steps to consider such as customs paperwork and international shipping timelines. Our guide on how to prepare for an international move walks through the key planning steps.

Packing Like a Pro 

Packing efficiently for a move can make the process smoother and less stressful. However, to accomplish this, it’s important to make sure that you gather the right supplies and follow best practices for efficient packing. 

Essential Packing Supplies 

Although every household will have different needs, a few standard supplies are necessary when making a move of any size or distance. These supplies include:  

• Sturdy moving boxes in various sizes 
• Packing tape 
• Bubble wrap or packing paper 
• Packing peanuts or foam 
• Marker pens 
• Scissors 
• Furniture blankets or pads (for cushioning and protecting large items) 
• Wardrobe boxes (for clothing) 

Aside from these essentials, make sure to keep less obvious (but still necessary) items in mind as well. Examples include staples like bathroom products, all-purpose cleaning products, and trash bags. 

Efficient Packing Tips and Techniques 

There are a lot of general and specific ways to safely and efficiently pack for a move, but some quick tips can help you get started efficiently, based on the type of items you will be packing. 

• Fragile Items: Wrap fragile items individually in bubble wrap or packing paper and use extra padding such as towels or clothing to cushion fragile items inside boxes. 
• Heavy Items: Pack heavy items like books or kitchen appliances in smaller boxes to prevent them from becoming too heavy. Be sure to fill any empty spaces in boxes with packing paper or foam to prevent items from shifting. 
• Clothing and Linens: Utilize wardrobe boxes to move hanging clothes to keep them wrinkle-free.  
• Electronics: Pack electronics in their original boxes if possible. If you no longer have the original boxes, use bubble wrap and packing paper to protect glass screens and fragile components. 
• Furniture: Disassemble furniture if possible and pack small parts, screws, and bolts in labeled bags. Use furniture blankets or pads to protect the surfaces from scratches and damage. 

On Moving Day 

Regardless of how well you prepare, moving day is sure to be a stressful time. Make sure you give yourself some space and grace and plan ahead for any potential mishaps. Here are a few ideas to keep in mind: 

Last-Minute Packing and Preparation 

In many cases, there are some items that you simply cannot prepare to move before the Big Day. These include furniture like beds and other essential items that you will want to open and unpack as soon as you get to your new home. Make sure to build in some time to strip and pack linens and tape up boxes of kitchen and bathroom items before your moving truck comes. Wake up early and have a specific list of to-do's ready to take care of on the morning of your move. 

Loading the Truck Effectively 

Similarly, when you load the truck, you want to consider both efficiency and tight packing as well as which items you will need to access sooner than others. Indeed, packing a moving truck efficiently can save you time and space and potentially reduce the risk of damage to your belongings. Take a look at these helpful tips to get you started: 

• Pack Heavy Items First: Place heavy items such as appliances, furniture, and boxes filled with books at the bottom of the truck. This will help distribute weight evenly and prevent these items from crushing lighter items. 
• Distribute Weight Evenly: Spread weight evenly from side to side and front to back to maintain balance while driving. Avoid loading all heavy items on one side, as this can make the truck difficult to maneuver. 
• Utilize Vertical Space: Make use of the vertical space in the truck by stacking boxes and lighter items on top of heavier ones. It’s important to ensure that stacks are stable and won't topple during transit. 
• Packing a moving truck is like many things in life — it gets easier with experience. That’s why many people hire professional moving companies to help pack their moving trucks, as these professionals know how to best use space and add security to get your belongings safely to your new home. 

Settling into Your New Home 

Once you get to the other end, remember settling into a new home after a move can be both exciting and overwhelming. Make sure you unpack strategically, starting with essential items first, such as toiletries, bedding, and kitchenware. Then, prioritize the unpacking room by room, starting with the most frequently used spaces like the bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms. 

Create a plan for unpacking and organizing your belongings that includes details like designing a floor plan for furniture placement, deciding on storage solutions, and setting deadlines for completing each task. You may also want to invest in organizational tools such as bins, baskets, shelves, and drawer dividers to keep your belongings tidy and easily accessible through every phase of the move. 

Once you’re unpacked, you may also need new furniture for your space. Check out our guide to the best places to buy furniture in Albany for local shopping recommendations.

Ready to Make Your Move Easier? Contact Mabey's Today! 

Whether you’re moving your family or your business across town or even across the world, moving can be an overwhelming and time-consuming experience. At Mabey’s Moving and Storage, we aim to provide customers with peace of mind and support throughout each phase of the process. Offering both residential and commercial moving services, we can help at any point in your move from packing boxes to packing a truck to storing your items as you wait for a new space. Contact us today to request a free quote or to discuss your moving and storage needs.