The two-week countdown to a stress-free move

A move that feels calm on the day almost always started two weeks earlier. The families who hand us the keys and relax aren’t lucky — they just front-loaded a few small decisions so nothing piles up at the end. Here’s the same countdown our crews walk clients through, week by week.

Two weeks out: decide what’s actually moving

The cheapest, fastest move is the one with less in it. Before you pack a single box, do a quick walk-through of every room and sort things into three piles: moving, donating, and tossing. Be honest about the garage and the back of the closet — that’s where the “we’ll deal with it later” boxes hide.

This is also the week to lock your date with us. Local moves can often go the same week, but two weeks of lead time gives you the best pick of arrival windows, especially in summer.

Ten days out: handle the paperwork

The boring stuff is the stuff people forget on move day. Knock it out now:

• Submit your change of address with USPS and update billing addresses.
• Schedule utilities — internet and power should be on at the new place the day before you arrive, and stay on at the old place through move day.
• If you’re in an apartment or HOA, reserve the elevator or loading zone and confirm any certificate-of-insurance requirements. Tell us about these — they shape the crew and timing.

One week out: pack the “open me first” box

Pack room by room, heaviest items in the smallest boxes, and label every box on the side (not the top — you can’t read the top once they’re stacked). Write the room it’s going to, not the room it came from.

Then pack one box you’ll keep with you: phone chargers, a box cutter, paper towels, medications, a change of clothes, and the coffee setup. When everything else is on the truck, this is the box that makes the first night livable.

Two days out: protect the path

Clear the walkways. Take down anything fragile or sentimental you’d rather move yourself, and set it aside in one labeled spot. If you have specialty items — a piano, a hot tub, a glass tabletop — make sure we already know; those get purpose-built equipment and a plan, not a last-minute improvisation.

Move day: let the crew run it

Here’s the part that surprises people — on move day, your job is mostly to point. A uniformed crew arrives in the window we confirmed, pads and wraps everything, and loads with a plan. Walk the rooms with the lead, flag the “load this last so it comes off first” items, and then get out of the heat.

We don’t leave until you’ve done a final walk-through and everything is where it belongs. That’s the whole point of the two-week countdown: by the time the truck pulls up, the hard part is already done.

Ready to put a date on the calendar? Get a free quote and we’ll build the plan around you.