Although it may sound pretty straightforward to move locally, relocating short-distance does not guarantee you an outright success. And while it is mostly true that local moves are usually planned, organized and performed easier than long-distance interstate ones, any type of relocation has its specifics and should not be underestimated.

In fact, the failure to recognize the significance of local moving alone may get you into certain troubles before and on moving day.

To help with your local relocation, we have compiled some great moving tips so that you handle the upcoming move the best possible way.

1. Begin moving preparations ASAP

It’s vital that you start the necessary preparations as soon as your local move has become imminent. Check out this week-by-week moving timeline and devise your own checklist of the things you need to do before you can finally settle down in your new home. As you cross out each completed task, you will see how your personalized moving timeline will greatly help you to stay on the right organizational track.

Try not to approach your intrastate relocation too casually. You may be thinking, “I’m only moving short-distance so I’ve got plenty of time.” Keep in mind that the fewer days there are left till moving day, the quicker time seems to pass by, and you should never get comfortable until the whole moving affair is over.

2. Prepare packing supplies

For a successful packing experience you need good boxes of assorted sizes.
If you have decided to pack by yourself, logic dictates that the first thing you need to do is to get yourself plenty of packing materials.

Yes, you’ve guessed it right – it’s all about the boxes. You’ll need clean boxes of assorted sizes, in good condition, with sturdy bottoms and available covers. There are several ways you can go about finding them. First of all, go to a few local supermarkets and ask around – there’s a big chance that they have suitable boxes which they won’t need anymore and will probably give them to you for free. Secondly, ask friends, coworkers and neighbors (or anyone else who may have recently moved) if they have any such moving recipients to spare. And finally, if your hunt for free boxes fails, you can always buy a wide assortment of them from a moving company.

Besides boxes, make sure you have enough packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, color markers, a pair of scissors, etc.

3. Pack in stages

When packing your household belongings, start from the large pieces of furniture and work your way towards your smaller items. Even if the time factor is taken out of the equation, packing your entire house in one go just won’t work. Why? Because a second factor comes into play and its name is… space.

Prepare an inventory of your entire house so that you know in advance whether you’ll be taking all of your household items to your new place or you’ll end up leaving some of them behind. Begin the packing process from the rooms you use the least, like guest rooms, basements and attics, and work your way to the ones you use every day. Also, take a moment to prioritize the entire packing experience – think about how the larger items will be packed for moving (furniture, kitchen appliances, etc.) before you start boxing the smaller stuff.

4. It’s time to declutter

An upcoming move, even a local one, presents a good opportunity for you to go through your personal possessions and see if there are any specific items you just won’t use in the future. Experience shows that more stuff to pack and relocate means more time and money, therefore time spent on boxing and transporting a useless household item will be time wasted.

The good news is that there are several right paths you follow here. Out of all the items you have carefully sifted through and labeled as unneeded, some can be gifted to family members, friends, coworkers or neighbors, others can be donated to charitable organizations or sold at a garage sale or online. And should you encounter any worthless stuff, like broken items which cannot be repaired or old ones which nobody will ever appreciate, then it’s best to just throw them away for recycling.

5. Safer for children and pets

The safety of your children and pets should be your top priority. Periods of intensified moving preparation are definitely not the best times for toddlers crying to be fed or comforted, or preschoolers or pets running uncontrollably around the house.

Number one, it’s not safe for them to be in the house at all during such stressful moments, especially on Moving day. If there’s no other temporarily safer place for them to be, make sure there’s somebody else there to take good care of them so that no accidents occur to further complicate things. Ask a close friend or hire a professional specialist to babysit them – it’s up to you.

Remember: safety above all else!

And number two, unsupervised children and/or pets could considerably and undesirably slow down, or even hinder, the relocation process. If you have opted for a DIY local move, then the stress on your shoulders will be even bigger and the last thing you’d want to do is to chase your loved ones up and down your home in an effort to persuade them to behave.

So, your top priority on Moving day, and even before its arrival, should be to ensure your kids and pets are safe and sound so that you can stay completely focused on the numerous tasks ahead of you.

7. Transfer utilities

Switching your utilities to your new address is an important step of your local relocation.
Yes, even when you’re relocating locally, you still need to transfer the utilities to your new address because the utility companies won’t do it for you. You’ll have to contact all of your service providers (electricity, water, gas, cable TV, Internet, newspaper and magazine subscriptions, etc.) a few weeks before your move and let them know that your address is about to change. Keep records of your switch-overs in case of mistakes. After all, you really don’t want to pay somebody else’s bills, do you?

8. Consider hiring professional help

Now, this is a big decision to make when moving locally – should you do the relocation entirely on your own or should you employ the services of a local moving company?

This is what you need to know when considering your two moving options:

DIY Move

Reliable helpers are what make do-it-yourself local moves feasible.
Local relocation can be done without the help of a mover but there are certain prerequisites for a trouble-free move. First of all, you need a bunch of reliable friends to help you pack, carry your household items to the truck, load them onto the moving vehicle and then do the same things in reversed order. Bear in mind that having non-professionals move bulky and heavy household items can be hard, risky and plain dangerous. Then you need to hire moving equipment – from a dolly to assist you with the heavy stuff to a moving truck to transport your belongings to their new destination. And finally, your local move won’t be insured in any way so if something bad happens, there’s really nothing you can do about it.

Sure enough, you’re bound to cut down the moving expenses by relocating locally by yourself. Whether you’ll end up saving big, less or none at all with you move will depend on a number of factors and it’s not something that can be reasonably calculated until after you’ve settled down in your new home.

Moving company

Trustworthy movers offer a guarantee for a fast and professional local moving job.
For local moves, most reputable local movers offer services which you pay for by the hour. In reality, this may be a great option in your case – you can pack all or part of your household items on your own and then hire a moving company to help with the loading and transportation. Check out this useful moving distance calculator to get a better idea of how much your local move will cost you.

Also, your mover will offer adequate insurance against unpleasant incidents, short-term storage for your items (if you need any) and a guarantee for a fast and professional moving job. Don’t forget to request an in-house written estimate from the chosen moving company, be sure to understand fully the clauses of each document before you sign it, ask you mover about additional charges that may apply and voice any concerns you may have regarding the move.

And finally, once your local move is complete, take a moment to write a moving review about the services of the mover you’ve just used. This is a very important step which will be beneficial for you in several ways. Learn more about why and how to leave such a review here.

With or without the assistance of a trustworthy moving company, paying attention to the valuable moving tips above will make your local move easier, faster and safer.