No matter how many checklists of household inventory or lists of stuff to be done before relocation starts, it is just inevitable to find out you forgot to pack some items the moment you begin to unpack your boxes. For that reason, we decided to provide you with an ultimate list of the most common things you forget to do when you move and how to prevent this from happening.

Things to Remember to Do When Moving

The main focus when relocating is to pack everything and leave the place in perfect condition. However, many often fail to do it since they don’t inspect each room and check if all the windows and doors are properly closed or locked. Here is an ultimate checklist of things to remember to do before leaving the keys to new tenants that will help you avoid any moving stress.

Inspect Each Room

Before the cross-country movers pick up all the boxes, ensure to take another walk-through of the entire place and check if everything is packed. Remember to open up once again all the closets, cupboards, or drawers, especially in the kitchen and bathroom. Look into the garage, attic, or basement and inspect every corner of it. This could indeed be time-consuming, but keep in mind that you will not have this opportunity again once you leave the property, so make sure you really checked everything.

Secure the House

Believe it or not, one of the most common things people fail to remember when making final preparations for relocating out is checking if all the windows and doors are properly closed or locked. Forgetting to do this may lead to damage caused by bad weather conditions, and new owners will certainly not like this.

Clean the House in Detail

Once the truck of the international moving company is packed and on its way, ensure that the house will be cleaned in detail. From cleaning the dust, windows, mopping, and sweeping floors to cleaning the refrigerator and garbage disposal. Everything has to be in perfect condition before giving the keys back to the landlord or new property owners.

Leaving All the Copies of Keys Behind to New Owners

Another thing people sometimes forget to do is leave all the copies of keys to new owners. This is quite understandable because of the habit of bringing your home keys with you always and everywhere. You can always leave the keys at the kitchen counter and write a polite welcome note to new owners wishing them a pleasant and fulfilled life out there.

Things People Forget to Pack

Although you might think forgetting any of the elements listed below is impossible, the rich experiences of Denver movers show the opposite. We made a list of the most common things people fail to pack when relocating to another address.

Important Documents

Forgetting your passport when moving internationally could be a real nightmare. And, believe it or not, documents are one of the most often forgotten items during the relocation process. They are usually left in drawers or even safe boxes, so remember to put the documents on your relocation checklist as well, especially if you’re moving without a job to another state and have to fix all the paperwork.

It would be best to get a binder, divide it into sections, and put all the necessary documents in there. This will be the easiest way to notice if something is missing. This is how your document sections could be organized:

• Personal documents: passports, IDs, birth certificates, marriage certificates, driving licenses, diplomas.
• Employment documents: professional qualifications, work contracts, evaluations.
• Medical records
• Financial documents: all documents associated with the bank or IRS.
• Car documents: vehicle registration, insurance policies.
• Kids’ school records.

Medicine Essential Box

Another most commonly forgotten item is medicine. This usually happens because you left them out of the medicine closets or cabinets or didn’t take a thorough walkthrough before leaving the place, which is one of the most usual moving mistakes.

Medicine is something that you should pack in the essentials boxes, especially in the case of cross-country moving or international moving, which can be very exhausting and long, or you are traveling with your kids. If any one of your relocation companions uses the medicine daily, forgetting to pack it could be very problematic.

Before boxing them up into an essential relocation box, ensure that you’ll sort them out and get rid of everything that is expired, you can’t find out what it is for, or you simply know you won’t use it.

Clothes Left at the Dry Cleaner’s

The easiest way to forget to take something with you is not having it at home while boxing up the stuff. One of those items could be your clothes left at the local dry cleaner’s. It would be a good idea to include “going to the dry cleaner” in your relocation checklist and explore the best ways to pack clothes for moving. If you’re not sure whether you have something there, you could always call them and ask if there is something left in your name.

Items From Storage Areas

People fail to remember to pack pieces from storage areas for the same reason they leave their clothes at the dry cleaner’s. If it is not in front of them, they’re most likely not to pack it.

This is why you should set aside at least one whole day for boxing up the storage areas, such as basements, attics, tool sheds, or walk-in closets.

Be ready to find a lot of stuff that you don’t need anymore, that is broken, or was just left there because you didn’t have any free space in the home. And this means only one thing – decluttering. Sort out all the pieces you don’t have to take with you. Recycle them or organize a garage sale if any of that stuff is usable.

Be realistic about the pieces you will really need. For example, if you’re relocating to a new city alone and switching from a house to an apartment, it is quite certain that you won’t be using gardening supplies anytime soon again. Instead of packing them and then storing them again, ask some of your neighbors or friends if they would like to take them. The whole point is to ensure your relocation is as smooth and easy as possible.

Phone Chargers and Laptop Chargers

Although they are listed on every essential relocation checklist, phone and laptop chargers are still some of the most commonly forgotten items. They are often left plugged into the sockets, and this is probably happening because of their last-minute usage. If you don’t want to be unpleasantly surprised when you realize your battery is low or empty, always double-check if you have packed it into your purse or essential box.

Toiletries and Shower Curtains

Again, since they are necessary until the moment you get out of the property, toiletries such as shampoos, soaps, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, as well as the shower curtain, are the most commonly forgotten pieces. For this reason, an in-home walk is advised since you may find quite a few items have been left behind that you weren’t even aware of.

Decorations and Books

Lamps, chandeliers, outdoor decorative lanterns, and candles usually stay to welcome the new owner. Since they need some light until the moment they close and lock the door, it is not that unusual to leave them behind.

Even for a local move, packing plants can be complicated to perform. Not to mention if you’re moving to another state alone and want to bring some of your leafy friends with you. For that reason, consider shipping your plants by mail or airline or asking your family and friends if they are willing to take care of them. This is especially significant to organize in time and in advance for bigger potted plants whose relocation really has to be logistically organized.

In the absolute chaos that relocation is, you might omit to get back the books to their local libraries. The pity is even greater if you don’t take the books with you because the new owners might just throw this stuff out. So, in case you skipped out on visiting your local library to return the books, pack them with the rest of your books because you could always send them back by mail.

Other Things You Forget to Do When You Move

If you thought this above was a complete list of most commonly forgotten household elements, you’re wrong. Take a look at what other tasks you could fail to remember when you move.

Acquiring Free Items a Few Weeks Before Relocation

Do you know what the most common thing all people forget during the relocation process is? The possibility of finding free packing supplies! Although the expenses connected to packing supply purchases may seem insignificant at first sight, according to some calculations, the average cost of boxes for a medium-sized home with four bedrooms and three bathrooms amounts to $427. For pieces of cardboard, it’s just too much.

This is the reason why you should try to get some free boxes and other supplies, which is much easier than you might think. Visit local stores, explaining why you need those cardboard boxes, and your expenses will be lower. Some of the stores you should definitely check are:

• Supermarkets, especially big ones that have huge shipments at least twice a week,
• Local wineries,
• Local grocery stores,
• Bookstores that mostly deal with strong cardboard.

Labeling the Boxes

During the boxing-up process, you might be thinking you’ll absolutely succeed in memorizing each box’s contents, so you might fail to label them properly. This is especially problematic with boxes that contain some delicate and fragile items, which could lead to damage to your belongings. It would be the best idea to explore how to pack plates and how to pack glasses since they are breakable.

Another reason why you should label all the boxes is that it would be helpful to know what will be a priority for unpacking. If they’re not properly marked, you can only guess where a particular thing you need at that moment is. And this can only lead to chaos and frustration.

Creating a Moving Checklist of Items

One of the reasons why you could fail to pack so much stuff is because of forgetting to create a relocation checklist of all stuff you should take. Although making those new apartment checklists may be time-consuming, it is worth it. Not only will those lists help you pack everything, but they will also indicate how many boxes you need and how much the whole relocation could possibly cost.

Researching Packing Tips & Tricks

You should explore the experiences of others, which could save you a lot of time and nerves. Whether you need a piece of advice on how to move a piano or how to move with pets, the internet can be a useful source. So, if you want to conquer the relocation chaos successfully, check out the video below and find all the moving hacks for organizing your belongings for relocation.

Comparing Moving Companies and the Services They Provide

Choosing a reputable and trustworthy relocation company is of tremendous importance, especially if you are moving out for the first time and want to have a seamless experience. However, before choosing local or cross-country movers, compare companies or even ask for their references.

This is even more important if you’re planning a long-distance relocation. Once you start researching moving companies in Denver and the surrounding area, the important thing to keep in mind is to make sure they offer the services you need and fit your budget.

Before you confirm any service, create a list of the most important questions you should ask each of cross country movers:

• Do they offer full relocation service, door-to-door delivery, packing services, or an auto-shipping service?
• How much in advance should you book all the services, and when should you pay?
• Do they offer unpacking services, too?
• Can they provide some extra services such as cleaning?
• When can they perform an in-house estimate?

Ready for Moving Day?

Now that you’ve been introduced to all possible cases of how you could forget your belongings, we are sure you won’t leave any of your precious items behind. Prepare everything in advance, regularly analyze your relocation checklist, and don’t forget to prepare everything before professional movers knock on your door on the big day.