How to Deal with Last-minute Moves

People can be in situations where they need to change their location in a pinch. The reasons can range from the expiration of rent to the sudden opening of an apartment a person has desired for a while.

The cause doesn’t change the fact that a move has to happen and it has to happen quickly. A pre-planned move is already a very difficult thing to pull off successfully. So, imagine the difficulty in a move that has to happen with little preparation time.

Still, there is a way to handle last-minute moves and have no damage to property or injury to people.

What is a Last-minute Move?

A last-minute move can have a variety of meanings. It can be a move that was planned and executed within a day. It can also mean moving forward the initially planned moving date. Last-minute moves can even be the response to an eviction.

Whatever the angle you look at it from, it is clear that a last-minute move is one where the planning to execution time is very limited. It is usually a matter of days or even hours.

A well-planned move with ample time can stress people out, and that is even more true when the time is shortened but the items to move are the same. A last-minute move, if done wrong, can be a disaster.

Packing items is the most time-consuming part of moving. So, there is a higher chance of success if the packing for a last-minute move is done right.

You can conduct a last-minute move yourself or hire a moving company to do it for you. It all depends on the peculiarity of the move.

How to Deal with Last-Minute Moves

There is a way to handle a last-minute move without losing your mind. At the point where you are executing a last-minute move, there is no room for any regrets, blaming, or panicking.

There are steps you can take to ease the stress of moving so quickly and reduce the mistakes that follow even pre-planned moves.

Organize Everything into a Checklist

Writing might seem like a waste of time when you are rushing to beat a deadline but trust us, it will save more time than you realize.

Write down everything in as much detail as your racing mind will allow. State how you will get your things packed, loaded, and transported to the destination. Write how you will offload the items including people you will call to assist you.

The advantage of writing all this down is that it condenses the thinking part of the move into one single act. After you have written down your plan, you can execute it mindlessly. It will save more time than beginning packing and then asking yourself what is next.

Do the Harder Things First

Do the harder things first. This means if packing your kitchen is more difficult than packing your bedroom, pack the kitchen first. At the beginning of executing the move, you will have more energy. This energy will help you in tackling difficult things as quickly as you can.

We usually advise people to pack the kitchen first especially when there are a lot of utensils to pack. If you are already exhausted when packing the kitchen, you might make a mistake with a knife and have an accident. Just generally do the hard things first and work your way to the easier stuff.

Contact A Mover as Quickly as Possible

If you aren’t sure if you need a moving company or if you should do it yourself, ask yourself if you can afford a mover first of all. If you can, always choose a mover. Movers will always be quicker than DIY moves.

If you decide to choose a mover, there is a second step which is getting one that can move your stuff to the destination. The fastest way to get reliable movers is to check the website of the regulatory bodies of moving companies for licensed movers. You can also ask your friends for good referrals.

Contact the mover of your choice as early as possible. You can contact a mover as early as when you decide to move. This is to ensure that you have a slot and that other clients haven’t booked the mover for the time you intend to move. This is particularly important during peak moving periods like weekends, the end of months, and the summer.

Sell or Donate as Much of Your Stuff as Possible

Decluttering your possessions is an unspoken rule in moving. It is a rule to follow even more strictly if you are moving quickly.

You should donate or sell anything you aren’t going to use in the new place. For example, get rid of your winter coats if you’re moving to a tropical state.

Reducing your load will help you pack and move faster and will reduce the cost of the move whether you are hiring a mover or not. You can quickly contact your friends and family to take the stuff you won’t use again.

Pack a Few Days’ Supply Separately

When you get to your destination, you might not have the strength to unpack and arrange your items especially when you did the moving yourself.

The best way to prepare for such a scenario is to pack a separate bag with a few days’ worth of supplies. That way, you can rest when you arrive and still have toiletries and a change of clothes outside the sealed moving boxes in your apartment.

Pack items like toothbrushes, change of clothes, a towel for showering, your documents, identity cards, and keys in a separate bag and keep that bag with you throughout the move.

Number the Boxes

In the rush to get your stuff out the door you might see labeling and numbering your moving boxes as a waste of time. Trust us, it isn’t.

Labeling your boxes will tell you what is in them and writing more details with markers will even inform you on how to lift and carry them. Numbering the boxes has its advantages. It tells you how many boxes you have in total. You can even use the numbering to tell you how many moving boxes belong in each room.

This will reduce the chances of forgetting a box in your old apartment while you hurriedly move to your new one. It will even give you an idea of what vehicle to use when transporting the items. In addition, it makes drawing up an inventory list easy.

Pay for a Full-Service if You Can

A full-service move is a move where professionals pack, load, transport, and unpack the items you intend to move. This is the most convenient form of moving. It takes away the stress of a last-minute move because the time frame isn’t in your hands but rather in the hands of people that are experienced moving items.

It is more expensive than a conventional move but if you can’t pack your items yourself, and don’t have help from friends and family, you will benefit from such a service.

Even if you can’t afford a full-service move, consider paying for packing services at least. In this case, you pay a company to send staff over to your apartment with their packing supplies and they pack your items, ready for the move.

Comb Through After Loading Your Things

After loading your items into the truck or vehicle, head back into the apartment and comb through every room, opening cabinets and drawers. It will help you find anything you might’ve glazed over in the packing and loading process.

It also gives allows you to take a picture of the apartment while it is empty as proof of the state you left it in. You should if you have the time take a picture of your setup before you begin packing as well. This will make unpacking in your new place much easier.

Are Last-minute Moves Always Available?

The short answer to that is yes. However, a more accurate answer will be that the availability of last-minute moves depends on when you need the service from a mover.

Peak moving periods like the end of the month, the summer, or even the weekend, are times when last-minute moves are difficult to come by. This is due to high demand. So, yes, they are available but are difficult to come by when demand is at its highest.

Finally, There Is Help

Moving is complicated, moving within a limited time frame is simply just compressing the complication. You can, however, pull off last-minute moves with finesse if you take the right steps.

The tips like drawing up a checklist, contacting a mover in time, and decluttering your items are helpful but still open to modifications. Remember that a move aims to get you from one point to another with as little error as possible. Modify moving tips to suit your peculiar needs.

Speaking of peculiar needs, the best way to handle a last-minute move is to contact Three Movers. We will handle your move in all its uniqueness.

last minute moves