Moving Tips

Over the years, we’ve completed over 100 moves successfully, and each moving project has equipped us with invaluable insights into what actually works and how to make a relocation more manageable. As a result, A Plus Moving has curated this page to share real experience-based tips to help clients reduce stress, avoid typical pitfalls, and move more efficiently.

Think Strategically Before Moving

1. Create a “Moving Binder” or a digital folder: This is to have all the essential relocation-related information, such as moving contracts, receipts, checklists, and contact information, centralized or in one place for easy access and to avoid last-minute panic.
2. Measure doorways and furniture ahead of time: Many houses, especially the condos and older homes in Calgary, have tight entryways. Therefore, ensure you measure your sofas, large furniture pieces, and appliances such as a refrigerator beforehand to plan for disassembly and alternative entry routes if need be.
3. Plan meals to empty your fridge: Start eating perishable foods at least one or two weeks before your moving day to reduce the amount of perishable food you need to transport, save on packing, prevent potential spoilage, and unnecessary waste.
4. Label boxes for rooms + priority instead of just contents: For example, instead of just writing “plates,” you can write “kitchen – open first” on the boxes entailing kitchen essentials, signaling to your movers and yourself that these items should be unpacked first upon arrival.

Packing Like a Pro

1. Color code with tape, not just markers: It’s faster to scan for colors than it is to read small writing on box sides. Assign a specific color to each room, such as blue for the bedroom and green for the living room, ensuring that the boxes for each room contain the right color code tape.
2. Use linens, towels, and clothes to wrap breakables: This helps protect fragile items and reduces the number of packing materials you need to purchase for the move. For example, you can wrap plates using T-shirts or cushion your vases with bath towels.
3. Pack ” First Night” essentials in a laundry basket: First night essentials include things such as medication, pajamas, toiletries, bedding, snacks, chargers, phone, and laptop. Packing them in a clearly labeled laundry basket saves you the hassle of searching through numerous boxes.
4. QR code box labels: Create a quick system where you can link a QR code on each box to a simple spreadsheet or Google Doc with contents listed. So when unpacking, you will just quickly scan the QR code with a smartphone to see exactly what’s inside without having to open the box.

Moving Day Mindset

1. Keep a cooler with drinks /snacks for yourself and any helpers: It helps you and the moving crew stay hydrated and energized throughout the move. Options such as water bottles, fruits, and Granola bars are ideal choices.
2. Take photos of electronics before unplugging: Snap a quick photo of the cable setup behind your TV, sound system, or even WiFi routers, before you disconnect them, which helps with quick reconnection later after moving.
3. Take a photo of meter readings on both ends (the old and new place): Ensure the photos you capture show clear readings for gas, electricity, and water, and time stamps of when the pictures were taken to protect yourself from potential disputes over utility bills.

Settling In

1. Unpack one room at a time instead of spreading items everywhere: For example, the bedroom is a logical starting point, then you can move to the kitchen, and so on, helping avoid creating a mess in every part of the house.
2. Change locks in your new home for peace of mind (especially if it’s not a new build): This is to ensure security and control over who has access to your new property.
3. Introduce pets gradually: Give them one room (containing their familiar items like toys) to start with, then once they’ve acclimated, gradually introduce them to other areas of the house, just one at a time under supervision.
4. Leave reviews for services you loved, including movers, if they were great. The reviews you leave help other customers make informed decisions and acknowledge the services we provide, hence supporting our business and our movers.

Call us (888) 454-5107 daily for a personalized consultation about your move, the makeup of the moving team, the right moving truck for you, and the moving process.