Ask the Moving Company: What Do You Need to Know About Last-Minute Moves?

Changing jobs or getting accepted to a new school at the last minute may be cause for moving out on short notice. That doesn’t leave you with much time to plan a move, and while most moves take about eight weeks of planning, it’s possible to move in four weeks or less. Follow these tips to make your last-minute move an easy and quick process:

Go to reputable movers

If you’re moving at the last minute, the first thing you want to consider is your mover’s reputation. That means you have to do your research by checking reviews, asking for referrals, and listening to what’s being said on social media. By verifying your mover’s reputation, you’ll avoid running into issues along the way that can cause unnecessary delays in your move.

Avoid the peak season

One of the best ways to ensure your move is quick is to stay clear of the peak moving season, which is summertime. During the summer, people are more likely to move than during any other time of the year, whether it’s to coordinate for the upcoming school year or to move during the warmer months. Movers are usually very busy during the summer, making delays more commonplace. So, consider the time of year you’re moving and stay clear of the busy season if you can.

Share the load

Sometimes moving calls for renting your own moving truck. But a last-minute move doesn’t usually leave a wide selection of vehicles for you to choose from. That means you may have to settle for renting two smaller vans if the truck you need isn’t available. You can also share the load with family and friends to make moving your items from one home to the next easier at the last minute.

Toss the junk

Don’t let unnecessary items follow you into your next home and slow down the moving process. Make packing easier by getting rid of as much junk as possible. Declutter by sorting your items in piles where you separate them into categories for selling, donating, keeping, tossing or recycling.

Hire packers

If your budget allows for packers, save yourself time and hire them. Professional packers, such as the movers from Suddath^®, are trained to pack up your items quickly and correctly so you don’t have to worry about finding help. If packing yourself consider using garbage bags for moving your linens and clothes — but not your fragile items — to speed up the process.

Hire Cleaners

It’s better to wait to do your final clean until after the move. Make the process easy by hiring cleaners to make your home ready for its new owners, saving you time, especially if you’ve already packed all your cleaning supplies!

Ask for help

If you want to make your last-minute move go faster, ask your friends and family for help. However, you may need to do more than just ordering pizza if you want to convince them to help you at the last minute. A nice dinner may be the best way to “seal the deal.” Also, plan out assignments for each person in advance so everyone knows what to do instead of running around asking how they can help.

Final thoughts

When you move at the last minute, it can feel like there’s not enough time to get everything done. But with a little help from friends, family, packers and cleaners, and a well-defined plan, you can simplify your last-minute move.