Helpful Tips as You Prepare to Move to a New Location

Good packing and paperwork preparation are essential to ensure a stress-free move. If you choose to do some or all of the packing or the application for permits on your own, you would be wise to follow these tips as you prepare for your move. This way, you can minimize the chances of your belongings being lost or damaged.

Business

Make a moving reservation immediately upon signing a lease or purchasing your new business location.
Check building rules, regulations, and lease requirements.
Schedule move-in and move-out with each landlord.
Request that elevator and floor protection be installed the evening before the move.
Reserve elevators for your exclusive use at the designated start time.
Determine if access by the movers will be restricted in any way.
Determine moving truck access and parking requirements.
Determine hours when moving is allowed.
Have your insurance agent call the landlord a week in advance to get the building insurance requirements and provide them with a certificate of insurance.
Get commitment from the contractor at your new location to have construction completed by the move-in date.
Make sure that we have emergency contact information for the person coordinating the move.
You should order new stationery, business cards, and checks printed 30 days before the moving day.
You should order telephone and internet services 14 days before moving day.
Keep your current telephone and internet service connected until your telephones and internet are functioning at the new location.
You should notify the post office of your change of address seven days before the moving day.
Notify suppliers who ship to you on a regular basis of your new address.
Insist on receiving a certificate of occupancy the day before the move.

Office

Make a moving reservation immediately upon signing a lease or purchasing your new business location.
Check building rules, regulations, and lease requirements.
Schedule move-in and move-out with each landlord.
Request that elevator and floor protection be installed the evening before the move.
Reserve elevators for your exclusive use at the designated start time.
Determine if access by the movers will be restricted in any way.
Determine moving truck access and parking requirements.
Determine hours when moving is allowed.
Have your insurance agent call the landlord a week in advance to get the building insurance requirements and provide them with a certificate of insurance.
Get commitment from the contractor at your new location to have construction completed by the move-in date.
Make sure that we have emergency contact information for the person coordinating the move.
You should order new stationery, business cards, and checks printed 30 days before moving day.
You should order telephone and internet services 14 days before moving day.
Keep your current telephone and internet service connected until your telephones and internet are functioning at the new location.
You should notify the post office of your change of address seven days before moving day.
Notify suppliers who ship to you on a regular basis of your new address.
Insist on receiving a certificate of occupancy the day before the move.

Residential

Empty drawers of breakables, spillables, items not recommended for inclusion in your shipment, and anything that would puncture or damage other items. However, blankets, sweaters, socks, lingerie, bath towels, and similar soft, lightweight goods may be left in drawers.
Pack similar items together. For example, do not pack a delicate china figurine in the same carton with cast-iron frying pans.
Keep all parts or pairs of things together. For example, curtain rod hangers, mirror bolts, and other small hardware items should be placed in zip-lock plastic bags and taped or tied securely to the article to which they belong.
Wind electrical cords, fastening them so they do not dangle.
Wrap items individually in clean paper; use tissue paper, paper towels or bubble wrap for fine china, crystal, and delicate items. Colored wrapping draws attention to very small things. Use a double layer of newspaper for a good outer wrapping.
Place a two or three-inch layer of crushed paper in the bottom of a carton for cushioning.
Build up in layers, with heaviest things on the bottom, medium weight next, and lightest on top.
As each layer is completed, fill in empty spaces firmly with crushed paper and add more crushed paper to make a level base for the next layer, or use sheets of cardboard cut from cartons as dividers.
Cushion well with crushed paper; towels and lightweight blankets also may be used for padding and cushioning. The more fragile the item, the more cushioning needed. Be sure no sharp points, edges, or rims are left uncovered.
Pack small, fragile, individually wrapped items separately or a few together in small boxes, cushioning with crushed or shredded paper.
Place small boxes in a single large box, filling in spaces with crushed paper.
Avoid overloading cartons, but strive for a firm pack that will prevent items from shifting; the cover should close easily without force but should not bend inward.
Seal cartons tightly with packing tape.
As you finish with each carton, list the contents on the side of the carton (for easy viewing while cartons are stacked). You might want to number and/or code the cartons as well. You should not pack and ship extremely valuable items such as cash or jewelry, rather, you should take them yourself in your car. Never mark a carton as valuable, jewelry, or cameras.
Indicate your name and the room to which each carton should be delivered at the destination.
Tape a sign on the door of each room at the destination corresponding to the carton labels so movers can get the cartons into the proper rooms quickly.
Put a special mark on cartons you need to unpack first.