After what seems like forever, you are finally down 
to the two-month countdown for moving. You’ve spent significant time researching different moving services, asking a lot of questions, and going over every detail to make sure you hired the right company. Pleased with your selection, you now need to start getting things ready on your end.
- Two months before your move, or longer if you have a large home, start gathering boxes, bubble wrap, heavy-duty packing tape, labels, and other items you might need. However, if you decide to use add-on services in which the company you hire will provide everything and do all of the packing and unpacking, you can skip this step.
- Once you reach the four-week mark, contact the company you plan to use for moving services just to verify that everything is in order. Also, this is the time when you can begin packing non-essential items, including extra cooking utensils, winter clothes, DVDs and CDs, and so on. You will also need to contact all of the utility companies to shut off or transfer services. Depending on your current lease, you may need to notify your landlord as well.
- At three weeks out, avoid purchasing any unnecessary perishables. Now is also the perfect time to sort through things, making piles of trash, donations, and recycling. Put in a change of address with the post office, transfer any homeowner or renter’s insurance, and if you are using moving services for going to a different city or state, have your vehicle fully serviced.
- With just two weeks left, pack everything that you can. Again, if the moving company is providing services for packing, you can skip this. However, you should pack a suitcase of items to last a few days while the moving company transports your belongings. Be sure to include two changes of clothing, toiletries, medication, bottled water, snacks, and pet food, among other things. You also need to confirm with the moving company any items they will not transport, including car batteries, chemicals, combustibles, paint, etc. Once you know what the company will and will not take, you can take those items to the proper disposal facilities.
- During the last week in your current home, clean the refrigerator, cabinets, stove, oven, floors, and so on. Also, make sure that you have all necessary documents as well as contact information for the moving services in your purse or car for safe keeping.
