One Week Before a Move

One Week Before a Move

As you near the moving date, it's important to have more and more parts of your pre-move plan implemented. There is no need to be caught at the last minute with major tasks remaining. In this post, I will discuss how to prepare so that your final pre-move week goes as smoothly as possible.

Pack Non-Essential ItemsPack away all non-essential items. If you have a summer move, make sure that all of your Arizona winter clothes and sporting gear is boxed and sealed. Disassemble and pack all extra furniture. If you are moving, try to put off your next pool party until you are settled in at your new home. Patio furniture, barbecues, and other lawn ornaments can be taken care of early on in the moving process so that they aren't lingering at the last minute.DownsizeDownsize your life a good month or so prior to the move. While a major purge can be done later on in the process, if you plan on having a garage sale, you may prefer to take care of that two or more weeks prior to the move. That last week should be a time to tighten up loose ends and to prepare the family for the big day. Large projects may be best taken care of early on. However, if the last week arrives and there are still tons of old clothes, toys, and sports equipment remaining you could make a donation to your favorite thrift store, who will be happily take care of your excess items, taking the effort and stress of a sale off of your shoulders.Clear the KitchenBy the final week, the pantry and refrigerator should be nearly empty except for the bare essentials. If your cupboard is still full of dry and canned goods, you might consider a donation to the local food bank. The freezer should be cleaned out and reduced to the bare minimum. Considering that moving in Phoenix can often involve very high outside temperatures, try to reduce as many refrigerated and frozen items as possible. If you still have cold-storage food items to move to your new home, coolers may help to transport those items with a minimum of melt or warming. You might consider purchasing dry ice or another frozen element to preserve your food.Loose Ends Hopefully the last week prior to a move will be one where you can tighten up whatever loose ends you may have. This might be a good time to log onto to USPS.com and change your address, order utilities for the new home, change the address for magazine and newspaper subscriptions, etc. Do make sure that all essential documents, jewelry, and other precious personal items are packed into a box for personal transportation on moving day. In fact, you may wish to gather the items you will carry in your personal car so that they can be quickly loaded up and moved to your new home. Remember that movers will not likely take care of house plants or pets, so have a plan in place for them. Finally, you can always download our Moving Checklist, a free, printable document which you can use to help organize and keep your progress on track for that final week.