Long Distance Moving | Local Moving | Commercial/Office Moving | Storage

A Change Of Pace, A Change Of Space: 7 Tips For Local Moving In VA

While moving locally may appear fairly straightforward at first, moving even just a few blocks down doesn’t guarantee that you’ll have a completely smooth and problem-free experience. While local moving is usually more organized and simpler than long-distance moves, any major relocation is sure to present at least some obstacles. 

In fact, assuming that your local move is going to be a piece of cake may end up getting you into trouble if you’re not careful. Luckily, we’re here to help. In this article, we’ve compiled some of the best tips for local moving in VA. 

1. Begin Your Moving Preparations As Soon As Possible 

It’s crucial that you begin the necessary preparations as you start planning your local move. Create a checklist of everything that you’re going to have to do before you’ll be totally settled in your new place. Along with a checklist, you should set a deadline for when you want each bullet on the list to be accomplished. 

As you check each task off of the list, you’ll notice how helpful it is to have a timeline in order to keep you on track.

While you don’t have to make yourself stress out over a local move, you definitely should take it too casually either. You certainly don’t want to push everything until just a few days before because unforeseen problems inevitably come up. 

2. Prepare Packing Supplies

In order to have a successful time packing, you’re going to need good quality boxes of various sizes. If you go ahead and do the packing on your own, then the very first thing you need to do is pick up plenty of packing materials. 

You’re going to want clean boxes that come in different sizes. They should be in good condition and have covers and sturdy bottoms. There are several ways to find good quality boxes for your next move.

First of all, you can check out a few local supermarkets and ask around. There’s a good chance that these stores have a bunch of boxes that they’re no longer using and may very well give to you for free. 

Second, you can ask neighbors, family, and friends (and anyone else you know who might have moved recently) and see if they have moving boxes that are available. And if you can’t find any packing supplies for free, you can always have your moving company help you. 

Other than boxes, you’re also going to want to make sure that you have enough packing tape, bubble wrap, packing paper, scissors, and color markers. 

3. Pack In Stages

When you’re packing your household items, you want to start with the large pieces of furniture first. Then you should work your way down towards the smaller objects. 

Even if the factor of time is out of the equation, packing up your entire house in just one go is not going to work. That’s because space is going to become a problem. 

What you want to do is make an inventory of your whole house. This way, you can know in advance if you’ll be taking all of the items in your home to your new place or if you’ll be leaving some things behind. 

Start the whole packing process with the rooms that you use the least. These include attics, basements, and guest rooms. Then, work your way to the rooms that you use all of the time. 

You also want to take some time to prioritize the whole packing experience. Consider how you’re going to pack the largest items for moving before you start packing up the smaller things. 

4. It’s Time To Declutter

An impending move, even just a small one, offers you the great chance to finally go through all of your personal belongings and see if there is anything that you want to keep in the future. The more stuff that you decide to pack and move, the more time and money you’re going to end up spending. 

Because of this, you don’t want to end up packing and moving an item that you don’t even need to keep. This gives you the opportunity to declutter your home and start afresh.

Go through all of your items and label the ones that you don’t intend to keep. You can label them in several different ways. For example, you can have one group of items that you intend to gift to neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family members. 

You can also have a donation pile that you’ll give to charitable organizations. And you can have another pile that you intend to sell online or at a yard sale. 

If you have anything that you don’t intend to give away or sell, such as something that’s broken or just basically useless, then you can just recycle it or throw it away. 

5. Safety For Children And Pets

The safety of your pets and children should be your number one priority. Moments of intense moving prep are certainly not ideal times for children to be crying to be comforted or fed. And you also don’t want your pets to be running wildly all over your house.

During stressful moments like these, you really don’t want children and pets in the home. Especially on the day of the actual move. Ideally, you should drop your kids and pets off at a friend’s house during these high-pressure times. 

If that isn’t possible, then you should at least try to have someone come over and watch over them so that no accidents happen and things don’t get more complicated than they have to be. Either hire a professional babysitter or ask a friend to come and help out for the day. 

Remember, safety is extremely important during times like these. 

Also, pets and children that are unsupervised could end up slowing down, or even hindering, the moving process. And if you’re doing the move yourself, then you’re going to be really stressed out as your trying to get everyone to behave. 

6. Transfer Utilities

Even when you’re just moving locally, you still have to transfer your utilities to your new address. The utility company, unfortunately, isn’t going to do it for you.

You’re going to have to contact all of your service providers (water, cable TV, magazine and newspaper subscriptions, electricity, gas, etc) a few weeks before the move. Let these companies know that you’re about to change your address. 

Make sure that you maintain records of your switch-overs. This is in case of mistakes taking place. After all, you don’t want to end up paying to cover someone else’s bills, right? 

7. Consider Hiring Professional Help

There are some people out there who are naturally inclined to do the whole move themselves. While this might seem a cost-efficient way to relocate, it comes with a variety of problems. 

If you do the move yourself, you’re going to have to rely on helpful and reliable friends who have the time to help you move all of your heavy items. You’ll also need to rent moving equipment and you might even have to rent a truck for the big move. 

Many local moving companies provide services that you can pay for by the hour. This is a great option to have since you can pack up some of or all of your household belongings on your own and then hire the moving company to help you load and transport. 

Plus, the moving company can help you pack large and oddly shaped furniture. Also, you’re moving company will be able to offer proper insurance in case any unfortunate incidents occur. They will likely also offer short-term storage for your items (if you need it) and can guarantee a fast and professional moving job. 

Just make sure that you get an in-house written estimate from your chosen moving team first. Make sure that you understand all of the clauses in each document before you sign them. And check with a representative from the moving company about any extra fees that might be applied and let them know about any questions or concerns you might have regarding the move. 

And lastly, after you’ve completed your local move, take some time to write a review about how the moving company did. Of course, if you have any major problems, you should first take it up with the moving company before you write a review. 

Using These Tips For Local Moving In VA

Moving to a new home can be an exciting time. And when it’s planned well and properly organized, it’s possible for the entire process to go smoothly and without a hitch. And the best way to ensure a successful move is to hire a reliable and professional moving company.

If you’re planning on doing local moving in VA, then contact us today and see how we can help you!

Other Post