American’s moving experts can answer every question and help with every need. Following are some tips to make your moving process even easier:

Helpful Hints

In order to provide you with a timely and accurate quote, please review the following list of questions:

• How many miles are you moving?
• Are you packing everything (except furniture) into boxes, or would you like the movers to do it?
• Do you need packing supplies?
• What are the move-out and move-in dates?
• Will you be storing any furniture or other belongings?
• Are there any difficult-to-move items?
• Are there any valuable or sensitive items, such as artwork or antiques?
• Are there stairs and/or elevators in the building?
• What hours do the building management allow movers to enter the building?
• How close can the truck get to the building?
• Will you need to transport or ship any vehicles?

Packing Tips:

If you decide to pack some or most of your belongings yourself, here are some suggestions:

• Put heavier items such as books in small boxes, and pack light items such as linens and towels in larger boxes. Don’t overload; you should be able to easily pick up every box.
• Don’t ship expensive jewelry, photos, family heirlooms and other sentimental items. Pack them carefully and take them with you, either in the car or on the plane.
• Invest in the proper boxes; i.e. a wardrobe box for suits and nice clothes, and padded dish boxes for fine china. Also purchase strong tape such as duct tape or plastic tape; don’t use masking tape.
• Wrap fragile items well in newspaper or bubble wrap, and fill bottom, sides and top spaces with Styrofoam peanuts or other fillers to prevent shifting.
• Alert movers before hand if you need to transport living things, such as plants.
• Dispose of any hazardous materials such as paint, thinners, solvents, varnishes, lamp oil, bleach or anything flammable or explosive. Movers are now allowed to transport them.

Countdown To Moving Day:

Six weeks

• Inventory everything you own and decide what you want to keep and what you can throw away or sell in a garage sale. Movers charge by weight so now is not the time to be a pack-rat.
• Make a folder just for moving and keep all moving-related information and receipts; you may be able to take a tax deduction on the move.
• Make a floor plan of your new home and decide what furniture will go where. Give a copy to the movers to help ease confusion on move-in day.
• Make personal travel arrangements for the move; i.e. flights, hotel reservations and rental cars.

Four Weeks

• Send change-of-address cards to the post office, credit card companies, subscription services, and family and friends.
• Contact your utility companies to schedule disconnection of services on the day after you move.
• Make a list of all utility companies and phone numbers for future reference; i.e. power, water, garbage, telephone, cable TV.
• Start packing items that you rarely use, and label all the boxes.
• Contact your children’s schools to transfer records to the new school.
• Contact your doctors, dentists and veterinarian and ask for copies of records.
• Contact your insurance company to transfer home policy.
• Arrange to have any pets shipped and kept in a kennel until you arrive.

Two weeks

• Create one or two boxes labeled “Open First/Load Last” and pack the essentials you will need for the first few nights in your home; such as bedding, toiletries, clothes, and a few pots and pans.
• Schedule a cleaning service to clean your house on the day after your move.
• Start your serious packing.
• Arrange to have your large appliances serviced for the move.
• Eat as much frozen food or leftovers as possible, as you won’t be able to ship food.
• Transfer all medical prescriptions to a pharmacy in your new town.
• Cancel delivery of your local newspapers.

One week

• If your home will be sitting vacant, notify neighbors and police.
• Empty and defrost refrigerator and freezer, clean and put baking soda inside.
• If you have young children, arrange for a baby-sitter on moving day.
• Remove light bulbs from lamps before you pack them.
• As you unplug electronic equipment such as computer equipment, televisions and stereos, tag or color code each wire for easy installation
• Backup all computer files before packing

Moving Day

• Arrange to have someone be present when the moving van arrives.
• Check inventory sheet as movers load the truck/same when unloading.
• Verify delivery plans.
• Leave a forwarding address and phone for your home’s new occupants, and provide moving company with a cell number or contact information on the road, in case of any changes.