How to Oversee and Coordinate Your Move

1. Overseeing And Coordinating Your Move
2. Create Your Plan
3. Ensure Quick Access
4. Preparing & Protecting Your Home
5. Loading The Truck

Overseeing and Coordinating Your Move

Over the last decade nearly 40 million Americans have moved each year, according to the US Census Bureau. This is a lot of people and trying to coordinate and oversee everything that a move entails can be a bit of a nightmare for most people. Then again, with proper knowledge and solid preparation, you could just find that you end up making things go even smoother than anticipated. Here's how.

Create Your Plan

The first step of any large project must naturally be to develop a plan of attack. The moving company will likely be able to provide you with a lot of information and a number of checklists regarding what should be done before and during the move. Use these to your advantage and then create a solid plan that you feel can be accomplished.

If you have family or friends that are coming, make sure they are accounted for in your plan. That way everyone can pitch in and make sure all of the work is done and you can supervise, going from one thing to the next, ensuring everything is being done according to the plan.

Ensure Quick Access

One of the most common things that happen on moving day is that you end up without access to a number of needed items that have all been packed away. Some of these things include:

• Wallet (ID's, ATM cards, etc...)
• Medication, aspirin, vitamins
• Water or other drinks
• Snacks
• Disposable cups and tableware
• Toothbrush, paste, soap, etc...
• Pet food, dishes, bowls, litter
• Towels
• Tape and scissors

It helps to pack up most of these items yourself (or have some you trust—make sure to check). Do this about two or three days before the move. Then, keep the bag or box somewhere close by where you will have easy access. You want to ensure these items stay near you during that hectic moving day!

Preparing & Protecting Your Home

A professional moving should make the actual process of moving go much more smoothly. However, it is still always a good idea to protect your home from potential damage. This includes placing plastic protectors on doorways and corners to help save walls from getting nicked. Lay out some runners in order to protect the carpet and/or floor from getting dirty. Just in case things get wet and nasty outside, be sure to have a clean mat or rug just outside the door to allow the movers to easily wipe their feet.

Loading the Truck

This is another area where professional movers will be a huge help. Even still, this is your move, these are your things...so go ahead and check. Make sure the truck is loaded properly. This means that the boxes are organized correctly, but also that those doing the lifting and carrying are being safe. You know, the old lift with the legs and not the back rule.

In the truck, you want to have the heaviest items loaded in first. Also, make sure the weight is properly balanced between front and back and side to side. It helps to have someone standing near the truck to keep an eye on this process. The last step of the moving out process is to do a final walk-through of the home, ensuring nothing was forgotten, tossed by mistake, etc...