Most people consider moving to be extremely difficult and time-consuming. Both of these complaints have validity, but they can also be easily managed by preparing a timeline checklist. Starting at two months away from your moving date, make a checklist of things that need to be done and start checking them off.

Two Months Away From Your Cross-Country Move

• The first thing you should do is to declutter your home. Decluttering your home should be your first step because it will determine how many boxes you need to pack up all of your belongings and how large of a moving truck you need to rent.
• Once you’ve gone through all of your possessions to determine what items should be recycled, thrown away, kept, or donated, it’s time to start packing. Packing materials, such as boxes, aren’t cheap. They are, however, free if you know where to look. Visit local restaurants and liquor stores to see if they have any empty boxes they could give you.
• Once you’ve acquired enough boxes and packing tape, start packing items that you won’t need for a while. This should include seasonal clothes, seasonal gear, keepsakes, seasonal decorations, excess toys, and seasonal shoes.

One Month Away From Your Cross-Country Move

• With all of your unnecessary items already packed away in boxes, it’s time to start looking at other items in your home. You can start small moving preparations for your refrigerator by starting to use frozen food in the freezer.
• This is also a good time for you to call your utility companies to let them know that you’ll be moving. Schedule a date for them to come out and turn off your utilities so that you’re not being charged after you’ve already moved out.
• Take the time to measure your large pieces of furniture as well as the boxes that you have packed. This will help you determine which size moving truck you should rent.
• Speaking of your moving truck, this is also a good time to start calling around to check on the availability and prices of a moving truck with the intent on reserving one for your moving day.

Two Weeks Away From Your Cross-Country Move

• This is when you want to start packing up the rest of your items. Clothing, shoes, electronics, dinnerware, cookware, and other household items can start being placed into boxes and totes. Since you do still have two weeks left at your current home, leave out enough plates, cookware, and clothes to serve your family for these final days.
• You should also call up the utility companies in the city of your new home to schedule a technician to turn on your utilities. This may take a while as you may need to set up a brand new account and confirm your identity.
• Go to your local post office or visit the USPS website to submit a change of address form to ensure that you’ll start receiving your mail at your new home. Also, take this time to call and cancel your local newspaper subscriptions.

One Week From Your Cross-Country Move

• Start cleaning and unplugging appliances. Drain your fridge, washer, and dishwasher. The movers at www.cheapmoversbaltimore.com recommend creating an overnight bag to use during the journey to your new home. Get all of the boxes lined up near the front door for easy loading.