Moving Countdown: 3 Weeks Before

3 Weeks Before Move-Out Day: Organize Your Communication

1. Communication is Key

Whomever is helping you move, a moving company, family or friends, make sure at this point that you are communicating with them to coordinate that you're all on the same page. Staying organized now is essential.

• Talk to your moving company agent and let them know how much packing you will handle by yourself, if any. Remember, leave the big items for them. They are experienced, trained and licensed to ensure the safety of your possessions.
• If you are doing the move yourself make sure you've ordered wheel carts and other helpful moving equipment for large items, heavy items and stacks of boxes.
• Keep your toolbox out or at least several screwdrivers (Phillips and flat), pliers, hammer, etc.
• When using a moving company you will have received a list of requirements and deadlines to let them know how many boxes you will have and large items, like beds, dressers, chairs, recliners, desks, patio furniture, etc. You will have itemized these on your Master List in Week 5. Make sure to notify your Moving Agent if you add items to, or subtract items from, your planned household goods shipment or if there are any changes in the dates of your move.
• If you have young children, make sure your arrangements for childcare are still scheduled as well as necessary pet care for all days through moving.
• If you have any miscommunication with utilities, gas, phone or other companies on either end of the move make sure to contact each of them and follow through to make sure that disconnects and connects are on schedule.
• You will need to carry valuable jewelry and the like with you. If you've hidden any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them and pack them, ready for your personal carriage.

2. Communicate With Your Family for Packing Strategies

As you get closer to the last two weeks before you move, you want to organize your family around the following strategy to make the packing, box collecting and stacking work smoothly. Empty one room for box stacking. The bottom line is that organizing your packing into one or two empty rooms makes the actual moving process much faster. You won't have boxes spread all over the house in every single room and closet. You will have more empty spaces then full ones, and the people loading will not be searching every cabinet, drawer and room for items to load onto the truck. This is where you want to be! It's also much more efficient when the movers arrive to head them into the designated rooms with no distractions but to get the boxes out and empty the room.

3. Keep Packing, Pruning and Pitching

It's never too early to start packing. Continue packing each day if you are moving yourself, or readying your house for the movers.

What not to pack, prune and pitch? There are different philosophies on how soon to let go of items you don't or won't use. If you're a pack rat it's hard to let go of about anything. But it's important to your mental health to risk change.

By this time you might just wish your house had burned down. This is a tough one, but necessary. Avoid moving anything you don't really need, won't use and don't want. It is expensive, time-consuming, and physically unnecessary to move things you won't be using. If you don't use it now, you most likely won't use it later. I know you may question this, but at least do it with two out of three items and lighten your load! Keep up the good work; you'll get there.

The last two weeks before Move-Out Day are fourteen days that you must really keep on top of. It's easy to get overwhelmed and stressed wanting the whole thing to be over. Hang in there. Follow your Master List from Week 6. Check your Master File Folder making sure you have everything organized and ready for the move.