For Sellers, Seller Resources

Planning Your Move

Planning your move

As you put your home on the market, the next step is planning the logistics of your move. There are many things to consider, but the item to tackle right away is choosing a reputable moving company. You can ask friends, relatives, and your Texas REALTOR® about their experiences with and recommendations for moving companies.

Keep in mind that many people move between May and September when they’re children are out from school. If you can’t avoid this peak moving time, be sure to call to schedule your move far in advance.

Moving day can be stressful, but thinking ahead and being prepared can make the process run more smoothly. Make sure you’re on hand to answer questions the day the movers are packing your belongings into the moving truck. As a driver does an inventory of the home, walk through with him to verify that he is accounting for everything. It’s also imperative to sign the bill of lading, which is the contract between you and the mover, which will allow for claims to be made and will legally ensure that everything is accounted for when the truck reaches its destination.

A few other helpful tips include not packing your jewelry and other valuables like family heirlooms, antiques, and silverware. It’s better to take these items with you than place them on the moving truck. Also make sure you keep important papers with you like school records, birth certificates, passports, closing papers, and mover estimates. These documents are very hard to replace if lost in your move.

Finally, consider using different colors to designate which boxes go to which room. You can use a red sticker for the living room, green for the kitchen, etc. When the moving truck gets to your home, you can have these colors on the doors of the respective rooms so that the boxes can quickly and efficiently be unpacked.

Texas Association of Realtors®