On moving day, you’ll have a big task. You’ll need to get your possessions from your old property to your new one — ideally without delays or damage! Surprisingly, many people underestimate the time and costs involved in doing that. Careful planning and budgeting are crucial to ensuring moving day goes smoothly.

You basically have three options:

1. Hire a moving company to handle everything.
2. Hire a truck and crew, while doing some of the work yourself. (For example, you can pack and help with loading.)
3. Do it all yourself by renting a moving van and getting friends and family to help.

If you’re going with option one, get quotations as early in the buying/selling process as possible. Services, costs and quality vary widely among full-service moving companies.

If you’re going to do some or all of the move yourself, the best place to start is by making a list of what you’ll need. In addition to renting a moving van, or hiring a truck and crew, there are many supplies you may require. For example, you’ll need boxes, protective fill and/or wrapping (i.e. bubble wrap), markers for labeling boxes, packing tape, and more.

You may decide to rely on friends to help load the truck on moving day. That’s fine. Just be sure you have enough people to do the job within a reasonable timeframe, and confirm everyone’s attendance at least a couple of days before. And preordering pizza for your friends doesn’t hurt either.

And one last thing, if you’re moving to or from a condo apartment, I would suggest contacting the property manager regarding booking an elevator. Many condominiums have restrictions on which days and times for move ins / outs, and require you to book the elevator ahead of time.