Moving Calendar
One Month Prior to Move Day
- Book a moving company. If you are moving in the summer , you may wish to call movers 2-3 months in advance to ensure availability on your desired date.
- Notify the post office.
- Notify doctors, dentists, and other service providers.
- Notify your Human Resources and/or Payroll department at work.
- Order moving supplies. Gentle Giant’s Box Xpress service offers free delivery in Eastern MA.
- Sort and discard, or donate unwanted items. Many charitable organizations will pick items up.
- Confirm elevator, loading dock, and parking space reservations for move day at both origin and destination addresses.
- Begin packing; clearly labeling boxes with your name, contents, and destination for the box (i.e. “DR” for Dining Room, “MBR” for Master Bedroom. See our Packing Guide for further tips.)
Two Weeks Prior to Move Day
- Notify department of motor vehicles. Click on your state for details: Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, or Virginia.
- Notify utility companies, as applicable:
- Telephone
- Cell Phone
- Electric
- Gas/Oil (also schedule gas appliances to be disconnected)
- Cable
- Internet Service Provider
- Water
- Home security/alarm
- Make arrangements for disassembly of difficult items (pool tables, swing sets, etc.).
- Make arrangements for parking permits, where applicable. If moving with Gentle Giant, your Move Coordinator can advise you how to proceed with this.
- Make arrangements for a babysitter/pet-sitter on move day, as necessary.
- Arrange for time off from work to prepare for the move and to be present on move day.
One Week Prior to Move Day
- Confirm move date and time with your moving company. If moving with Gentle Giant, your Move Coordinator will contact you 5-7 days prior to the move to ensure that all details are accurate for move day.
- Provide moving company with new telephone number, if applicable
- Complete the high-value inventory form, provided by your moving company, and choose the appropriate valuation option. If moving with Gentle Giant, your Move Coordinator can assist with this process.
- Remove fragile and loose items from drawers and pack carefully in small moving boxes.
- Remove all permanently affixed items you wish to take from walls and ceilings (drapes, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans, etc.).
- Change address with all newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals to which you subscribe.
- Alert friends and family to new address and contact details.
One Day Prior to Move Day
- Consolidate clearly-marked boxes of fragile items in one area of your home. Alert your moving crew about these boxes on move day.
- Identify furniture that is fragile by nature or has been weakened by previous damage and prepare to bring it to your crew's attention on move day.
- Separate and label items not intended for transport by your movers.
- Isolate checkbook, keys, passports, plane tickets, cash, credit cards and prescription medications. These should travel with you in your personal vehicle on move day.
- Confirm that telephones are in working order at both current and new locations.
- Defrost, drain, wash, and dry refrigerators and freezers.
- Drain waterbed.
- Drain gas and oil from lawn mowers, generators, snow blowers, etc.
- Disconnect propane tank from gas grill. Your movers will not be able to transport the tank on move day.
- Clear walkways and driveway during inclement weather.