Moving is a considerable undertaking – to say the least. For most people, it’s a stressful process that is extremely trying in the best of conditions.

The best way to approach the moving process is with a plan and a timeline.

A timeline will help you anticipate the important steps and prepare for what is ahead.

Don’t know where to begin? Read on for a straightforward moving timeline that you can use to manage your move quickly and easily.

3 Months Before the Move

• Create a moving binder.
  The key to an outstanding, stress-free move is staying organized. Grab a three-ring notebook and place pocket dividers. Place all of your moving-related receipts, contracts, notes, and lists in the file. Then label it.

• Create a moving budget.
  Designate how much money you will spend on the move.

• Contact moving companies.
  Research moving companies then reach out to several companies to get estimates.

• Pare down on your stuff.
  Lighten your load and save money by paring down and getting rid of things you don’t want or need any longer. Host a garage sale or donate your overstock to the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries.

• Create an inventory list.
  Keep a detailed list, by room, of your home’s contents. Place the list in your moving binder.
  
  
• Document the details.
  Keep notes about names, phone numbers, and conversations in your moving binder. It will help to have all your vital information in one spot for reference.

2 Months Before the Move

• Contact current and old utility companies.
  Call your utility companies and service providers including electric, gas, phone, cable, water, and sewer companies to arrange for service to be transferred or halted.

• Contact current and new schools.
  Call your children’s current school as well as their new school to transfer academic records.

• Gather your packing materials.
  Purchase packing material including boxes, tape, packing paper, and bubble wrap.

• Sort out your insurance.
  Contact your insurance company or agent to see if you can transfer your coverage to your new house.

• Obtain your medical records.
  Contact your doctors office to get your medical and dental records. Arrange to have those forwarded to your new doctors once you are established in your new community.

• Obtain health certificates from veterinarians.
  Save time, money and headache by contacting your pets’ veterinarian ahead of the move to obtain their medical records as well.

1 Month Before the Move

• Start packing seasonal items.
  Box up items you use less frequently like holiday decor, good china, and photo albums.

• Complete a change of address.
  Change your address by completing a change of address form on the USPS website. Notify credit card companies and banks about your new address.

• Cancel things.
  Cancel subscriptions to magazines and newspapers as well as non-transferable memberships to clubs and organizations.

2 Weeks Before the Move

• Separate out your valuables.
  Keep jewelry, heirlooms, and other valuables packed separately from your other belongings. Pack in a specially marked box and keep that in a safe place as that box should stay with you throughout the move.

• Start packing the rest of your belonging.
  Box up and label almost everything remaining in your home.

1 Week Before the Move

• Pack an “essentials box.”
  Include items for use at your new home that you might need before your movers arrive with your other boxes. This should include things like medicines, toiletries, toilet paper, tool kit, soap and paper towels.

• Complete the packing process.
  As you head into the final stretch you need to finish all of the packing and make sure all the boxes are labeled with the box contents and room destination on each one.

• Get some cash.
  It’s a good idea to have some money with you just in case you need it for an emergency situation.

1 Day Before the Move

• Count the boxes.
  Walk through your house, tally the boxes in each room, and record the number in your moving binder. Make sure your boxes are numbered (i.e., 8 out of 21).
  
  
• Complete a final walk-through
  Do a walk through with your mover. Ask any final questions, and confirm your box count with your mover.

Moving Day

• Start the day early.
  If you’re using professional movers, be on-time, greet the movers, show them around and let them get busy.
  
  
• Keep the paths clear.
  Make sure that you keep children and pets out of the movers path and out of harm’s way.

• Final review.
  After the movers have finished, lock the windows, turn off the lights, and take a final tour of the house. Make sure everything has been removed and say a final farewell to your home.

Help With Your Next Move

Browning Moving & Storage is ready to help you with your move. Contact us for a quote today.

According to science, checklists improve work performance and help to reduce human error.

Do you need to move offices but aren’t sure where to start? Not to worry! In this guide, we’ll go over an office moving checklist. This way you won’t miss anything, and you’ll reduce some stress.

Want to learn more? Keep reading to find out!

Office Moving Checklist: A Guide

Moving is intense, but you can reduce some of the angst by following our tips. By planning, organizing, and breaking the tasks down, you’ll finish in no time.

When Are You Moving?

Knowing when you’re moving will help you plan your future actions. Research local movers and get estimates. Once you find a reputable mover, set a date and stick to it.

Write a list of everything in your office that needs to move. Contact your insurance company as well. You’re going to want to know if you need extra coverage.

Plan for Your Moving Day

Once you have a set date, now it’s time to make a plan. The more organized you are beforehand, the smoother the move will go. Try and declutter your office before packing.

If you have a large office, assign specific tasks to everyone. Make a contact list for everyone involved in the project.

Do you want a professional packing service? It could help and is more cost-effective than employees doing it. A company with experience is efficient and knows the ropes.

For network and communication systems, find out what you’ll need in your new space.

Update your customers, vendors, partners, and suppliers about your upcoming move. Update your accounts with the new address and with the U.S. Postal Service. Change your address on all your social media accounts.

Move Office Furniture

Moving a household is difficult. An office move is a massive undertaking. Conference tables, filing cabinets, and desks are heavy and time-consuming to move.

Know where things are going in the new office. Consider drafting up a layout for your new space. Share the floor plan with your movers, so they know where everything goes. Label the furniture too!

If you aren’t taking everything with you, decide what you’ll sell and donate. If you have new pieces coming into your office, try and schedule the delivery one day after your move.

Make sure every employee packs up their desk a day before. If employees are helping, make sure they know what’s expected of them and what isn’t. You don’t want anyone getting injured during the move.

Tape or lock up the desk drawers. For any hardware that’s removed, keep it all together in one bag, so it doesn’t get lost.

Contact Us Today

Having an office moving checklist will help your transition to the new space go well.

Want to learn more? Contact us today! We would love to chat about how we can help your move.

Everyone loves their dogs and thinks of them as members of the family.

But what happens when you have to move and can’t explain to your furry friends what is happening.

Moving with a dog isn’t always easy, which is why we put together these tips to help you with the process.

1. Try to Stick to the Routine

When preparing to move, you might not be able to tend to your dog as you usually do, but try to feed and walk your dog as you normally would.

Stick to its routine as much as possible.

Since dogs are creatures of habit, change might stress them or cause them to act out. The last thing you want during this stressful time is having to worry about your dog’s well being.

2. Arrange for Someone to Watch the Dog

A dog sitter might not be possible if you’re moving across the country or overseas. But if you’re moving across town, you should look into a possibility of arranging for one.

Having someone watch your dog for a couple of days before the big move could be a huge help.

The dog sitter can keep your dog in a stress-free environment while you deal with the anxiety of moving.

3. Introduce Your Dogs to the Moving Supplies

Imagine your dog wakes up and finds boxes all over the house overcrowding its space.

If you have a nervous dog, this could agitate them. Let them sniff the boxes and get familiar with them before you start packing everything.

Avoid this tension by introducing your dog to the packing supplies early on. Try to keep the boxes organized and out of their way a much as possible.

4. Burn Off Some Energy

If your dog knows something is up and that you’re paying less attention to him, it might cause him to be unsettled. A restless dog can then get rowdy and potential cause some trouble.

Help diffuse the tension by taking your dog out to burn off some steam.

Go on a long walk to the park, play fetch, or go to the dog park and watch him make some friends.

5. Set Up Their Space Right Away

Once you move into your new home, make sure you set up your dog’s living space.

It will make your dog feel more at home if his living area is all set up.

Ideally, position your dog’s bowls, toy basket, and bed in similar locations to where they were placed in your previous home. If the dog’s bowls were near the back door, locate them in the same position.

Try These Tips When Moving With a Dog

Moving with a dog isn’t always easy. You need to put their needs first and prioritize their well being even in the middle of the move.

Are you planning on moving and need movers? Let Browning Moving & Storage give you a hand. Take a look at our moving services or request a quote.

So business has grown, and now you need to move to another space. It’s an exciting time, and it means your business is on an upswing.

More and more small US businesses are growing, and now yours is one of them. But like any move, it means there’s a lot to do. You want everything to go as smooth as possible so you can get back to work fast.

If you’ve got an office move to plan for, don’t let it stress you out. Here are 10 top tips for a smooth move.

1. Let Your Employees Know ASAP

The first and one of the most important steps when it comes to moving is to let people know. Moving your office isn’t something to surprise your staff with, so tell them as soon as possible.

Like any move, moving your office can bring with it some mental adjustment. When you let them know early, they can start to prepare themselves.

It can also give them more time to make any arrangements: i.e., learn a new route to work.

2. Hire Commercial Movers

Office relocation is like a home move, but with more responsibility. You don’t want to run the risk of damaging company property or losing valuable items.

Instead, hire a commercial moving company who knows what they’re doing. They will make sure everything gets to the new location safe and sound.

They save a lot of worries as well as time and energy!

3. What Needs to Go?

In your time in this office, you and your employees have accumulated a lot of stuff. Lots will be useful, but lots can go.

Make a list of everything you need for the new place. Cull through old files, any that don’t meet the offices’ retention criteria should be eliminated. Reducing clutter has a lot of great benefits and can make us more productive.

4. Take Inventory

When you know what you’re bringing to the new space, it’s important to take stock. Make a list of everything in inventory and make sure to keep it safe.

This will help when you move into the new office location to make sure that everything is accounted for. Also, let each department head know which of their items are there and give them a list too.

5. Update Your Address

You must also update your business address. Make sure the business address is up to date on the company website and marketing materials.

Alert your clients, and vendors before the move so that they are aware of the situation and have your new address and phone numbers available.

6. Plan the Timeline of the Move

It’s one thing to know the move out date of your old office space, but make sure you coordinate with the move-in date. If you leave your old space before you can move into the new one, it could pose a challenge.

Lots of office spaces won’t let you move in during business hours, so you’ll need to plan it for an evening or weekend. Try to schedule the move within these hours, so you aren’t office-less for any amount of time!

7. Make the IT Department a Priority

One of the first things to do when relocating your offices is to move the IT department first. It’s not favoritism; it’s smart thinking.

Get all the IT equipment set up first so you can get back online and have the phones going again. Even if everything else takes a little longer, you won’t be losing business by being off the network.

8. Get a Deep Clean

Like any other move, you want the place to be shiny and new when you arrive. This means giving it a deep clean. Get professionals in to clear the cobwebs and make the place feel fresh.

It might also be a good idea to get the old office space a clean before you leave.

9. Change the Locks

When you get to your new place, change the locks and security codes. Only give your employees access to it and don’t let strangers know.

You don’t know who worked at the last place or if they could come back. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so change the locks for more secure entry.

10. Throw a Party!

The last and and yet a key step for any move: throw an office-warming party! You and your employees have worked hard to get to this new place, and it’s time to celebrate!

Start creating great new memories and reward everyone for their hard work with a great party! It’s sure to be the best way to put everyone in a great mood and love their new office.

These Tips Will Make Your Office Move Easy

An office move is a great new start for your business and can mean great things. These tips will help everything go smoothly so you can get back to work fast.

Moving your offices soon? Check out our corporate moving services to see how we can help.