Are you planning to move to Vancouver, but are not sure where to start? Moving is a huge task, from start to finish. It can be exhausting, but it doesn’t have to be. Enlisting the right assistance and preparing for the move with the right organization will go a long way towards making your Vancouver moving day go much more smoothly. To help you with your moving plans, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 tips you’ll want to know for the big day.

1. Plan your time wisely

Spare yourself from a last-minute panic and start planning the packing details at least six weeks before your moving date. This will save you from a lot of unnecessary frustration, expenses and late nights spent searching for a moving company to help you pack on a short notice.

2. Use lists

If you want to be able to tell the difference between a box of pajamas and a box of frying pans, make a labeling system and record everything you pack in a file. Make sure your list includes every possession you would miss if something disappeared – you will need this list for a comparison to the moving company’s when it’s time to depart for your destination.

3. Decide to handle household appliances

Moving major appliances provides a challenge for most homeowners. Carefully consider which items to take with you. This includes the washer, dryer, refrigerator, freezer, oven, and dishwasher. Each has its own particular moving preparation requirements that must be followed carefully to ensure that the items will work upon arrival. Most moving companies can provide this service for an extra fee.

4. Notify services of your moving date

Call companies who will be billing you to inform them of your new address, and to change your service to that address on the moving date. This will include notifying the utilities company, the post office, the telephone company, any insurance companies, bank and credit card companies, the newspaper and the driver’s license bureau.

5. Pack wisely

When it comes time to start packing, be smart. If you haven’t used something in the past two years, chances are, you won’t be using it anytime soon. Hold a garage sale to rid yourself of the excess weight.

6. Collect records

Collect any medical, dental, and veterinary records you might want at your new location. Also request any last-minute services, such as prescription refills, you might need in the next two months while you are still scouting for new practitioners at your new home.

7. Dispose of items that shouldn’t be moved

Some items can’t be taken with you on the move. This means all flammables must be disposed of, which includes aerosols and propane tanks, and fuel must be drained from items such as lawn mowers. You must also dispose of, eat, or give away remaining perishable food and decide whether moving canned food would be worth the trouble.

8. Share floor plans with movers

Explain or provide a picture of the floor plan at both addresses to your movers so they can prepare for any obstacles they might face, such as staircases, when moving large furniture. If you will be moving your belongings yourself, enlist help from friends and collect supplies: doorstops, extra boxes and tape will help.

9. Learn the lay of the land

After moving, you will want to visit Tourism Vancouver to learn more about the area and discover the attractions, dining hotspots and nearby shopping centres. You should also contact an attorney to learn about different laws in Vancouver which you might not yet be aware of.

10. Get settled

Make the move permanent by obtaining new identification cards. Your driver’s license, health card, car registration and voter registration are all at the top of the priority list.

Author Bio: Lorne W. MacInnes is a managing partner of Ferguson Moving & Storage Ltd. They are one of the oldest and most respected movers in Vancouver.

Category: Advice
Keywords: movers vancouver, moving to vancouver, vancouver, bc, canada, movers