Moving checklist and countdown

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Eight weeks out

Choose who moves you

Upcoming 0 of 6

Shortlist three licensed movers and check each USDOT numberAnyone can print business cards. A live USDOT number and active operating authority is the first filter. Compare movers in West Virginia →
Get three written estimates, in-home or by videoA price given over the phone without seeing your things is the most common way a bill doubles later.
Read the low-star reviews, not just the averageOn company pages with enough reviews we sort what reviewers report: held belongings, bills above the quote, denied claims.
Ask what liability coverage is included and what full value protection costsBasic coverage on interstate moves pays 60 cents per pound. A 40-pound TV is worth $24 to them.
Set a budget with a 15 percent cushion
Give notice to your landlord or lock your closing date
Check the mover holds active interstate operating authorityCrossing a state line is federally regulated. A local license is not enough.
Read the federal Your Rights and Responsibilities booklet the mover must give youInterstate movers are required by law to hand it over. A mover who skips it is telling you something.

A truck cab door with its carrier plate under a magnifying glass and a check mark beside it

Six weeks out

Book and start shedding weight

Upcoming 0 of 6

Book your mover and get the date in writingPeak season runs May through September. Good crews are gone six to eight weeks ahead. Still choosing? Compare movers in West Virginia →
Go room by room and decide what is not coming with youYou pay to move weight and volume. Every box you skip is money. Count it up in the room-by-room inventory →
Sell, donate or dump what you skipped
Order boxes, tape, padding and markers
Measure doorways, stairs and elevators at the new placeA sofa that does not fit becomes a hoisting fee on moving day.
Request school and medical records
Decide whether you are paying for packing helpA four-bed house is roughly 100 boxes. Most people underestimate by half.

A clothes rail with garments, a folded stack beside it and a carton with an arrow leading out

Four weeks out

Tell everyone who needs to know

Upcoming 0 of 6

File a change of address with USPSMail forwarding takes about two weeks to kick in.
Book shut-off and switch-on dates for power, water, gas and internetInternet installation is the one that slips. Book it first.
Update the address on banking, insurance, subscriptions and your employer
Take moving day and the day after off work
Reserve the elevator and a parking spot at both endsBuildings often charge a deposit and need a certificate of insurance from your mover.
Start packing what you will not miss: books, off-season clothes, decor

An envelope with a mail forwarding arrow, a utility meter dial and a door key

Three weeks out

Confirm the details in writing

Upcoming 0 of 5

Confirm crew size, arrival window, payment method and the final price in writingA verbal quote is not evidence. An email is.
Photograph valuables and electronics before they are wrappedPhotos with a date are what wins a damage claim.
Arrange travel for pets and plants
Service the car if you are driving, or book vehicle transport
Start eating down the freezer and pantry
Get the delivery window in writing, not just the pickup dateLong-haul delivery spreads over days. Weeks-late delivery is one of the most common complaints in the reviews we read.

A ruled sheet of paper with a fountain pen across it and a stamp mark in the corner

Two weeks out

Pack in earnest

Upcoming 0 of 5

Pack room by room and label every box with the room and a number
Back up computers and phones
Refill prescriptions and transfer the pharmacy
Line up childcare and pet care for moving dayA crew works faster and safer with a clear floor.
Book move-out cleaning if you need the deposit back
Book storage if the dates do not line up

A floor plan of a small apartment seen from above with a marker pen beside it

The last week

Get ready for the truck

Upcoming 0 of 6

Pack an essentials box you keep with you: documents, chargers, meds, tools, a change of clothes
Set aside jewelry, cash, passports and hard drives to travel with youMovers are not liable for items of extraordinary value you did not declare.
Defrost and dry the fridge at least 24 hours ahead
Disassemble beds and take photos of how cables plug in
Reconfirm the arrival window the day before
Get cash for tips and small extras

A stack of sealed moving boxes with a roll of packing tape and a marker

Moving day

Sign nothing you have not read

Upcoming 0 of 6

Walk through with the crew leader before loading starts
Read the bill of lading and the inventory sheet before you signThis is the contract. Anything promised but missing from it is not promised.
If the price changes on the spot, stop and get the new number in writingA bill that grows once the truck is loaded is one of the three most reported problems in the reviews we read.
Photograph meter readings and leave keys as agreed
Check every closet, the attic and the garage before you lock up
At the new place, check items off the inventory as they come in

A box truck with the rear door open, a ramp down and a hand truck beside it

The first two weeks after

Close the move out properly

Upcoming 0 of 5

Check for damage and file a claim earlyDamaged or lost items is the problem reviewers report most often, ahead of late delivery and price increases. On interstate moves you have nine months to file and the mover has 30 days to acknowledge it — do it in week one, while photos are fresh.
Unpack the essentials, then one room a day
Update your driver’s license, vehicle registration and voter registration
Leave an honest review of your moverThe next person choosing a mover reads what you write. That is the whole point of this directory.
Change the locks and test the smoke alarms

A clipboard with a claim form, a cracked cup lying beside it and a camera on a tripod

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Quotes from movers in West Virginia

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The last week

Moving day

The first two weeks after

Quotes from movers in West Virginia

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