Spots to Double Check Before Moving Day
It’s moving day, and you’re feeling completely ready. Your boxes are packed, the movers have arrived, the truck is loaded and you’re giving the house one last run through before you lock the door for good. And that’s when you discover it: a spot of the house you completely forgot to pack … and now all of your moving supplies are packed up and you’re running behind on your schedule. Prevent the moving-day packing scramble (or worse, completely forgetting about important items!) by making a checklist of these important areas to double check before moving day.
Coat closets. You’ve probably packed up all of the clothes in your bedroom closet, but it’s easy to forget about the ones you don’t use every day (and just how much stuff you store there). To make sure you don’t forget anything, go through your house from top-to-bottom the night before your move, making it a point to open every door in the house (and leave them open until the moving trucks are completely packed).
The fridge and freezer. These spots probably aren’t high on your “packing” list because you likely won’t be bringing along anything in them, but it is important to clean out your refrigerator and freezer completely before you move to eliminate pests, odor, and mold–especially if you will be unplugging it. Leave a few last minute essentials in the fridge until moving day arrives, then toss them right before you close up the house.
The pantry. Like the refrigerator and freezer, it’s not as natural to think about packing food as it is to remember to pack the dishes. Be sure to clean out the pantry in the days before your move, packing any non-perishables and tossing the rest. While pantry items aren’t as likely to spoil if you leave them behind, you could be forgetting perfectly good food that you’d have to replace in your new home.
Under the bed. It’s common for homeowners to wake up on moving day, begin to pack up their bed for the last time, and then realize that’s where all of their winter clothes have been hiding these last few years. The same goes for any other furniture you won’t be moving until it’s time to load the truck–check underneath couches, chairs, tables, and shelving units to prevent any surprises.
The medicine cabinet. It’s easy to forget a small area like the medicine cabinet, but this is one of the most important places to check before you move. For one, you’ll want to make sure you have all of your important medications during your travels and at your new home, but you’ll also want to ensure that you’ve removed prescription bottles that might be labeled with personal information you don’t want you home’s new owners or tenants to have access to.
The attic. Out of sight, out of mind? Even if you don’t use your attic as a main storage area, it’s a good idea to take a look there before you move, especially if you’ve been in your current home for a long time — who knows what you might have stashed up there over the years?