Moving is a chaotic time. You have to worry about selling your home, buying a new one and how everything else will fall into place in between those two things happening. While you, understandably, hope to simply move from one house to the other, that isn’t always the case. You never truly know how long it will take you to sell your house or find a new one. 

Whether you’re moving right into your new place or taking a slight detour, you need to make sure you plan ahead every step of the way. Here are the things you should never fail to book ahead of time during a move. 

Movers

While you might luck out and find movers available on short notice during the week, if you’re moving on the weekend, you need to book them out as far as possible. Some popular moving companies can get booked up as far as two or three months out. The second you know that you’re moving, start calling around for quotes so that you can get someone booked. 

When calling the movers, don’t forget to ask if they have moving pads, dollies, and tie-down straps. Anything they don’t have, you’ll have to get before the move. 

Moving Truck

Many movers don’t use their own truck. If this is the case, you’ll have to secure one. If you wait until the last minute to book a truck, it likely won’t be the size you need if you can even find an available one. Because most people need bigger trucks, you’ll probably find that you get a smaller truck that requires more back and forth trips. These extra trips mean more money spent on gas and paying the movers for more time. 

Temporary Home

In the event that your house isn’t ready to move into, you need to find a place to live in the meantime. Luckily, you can usually find furnished short term rentals, so you don’t need to worry about moving all your stuff in, just to repack and move it a couple of months later. You simply need to bring your clothes and personal necessities. 

It is common for short term rental companies to charge more at the last minute, so save yourself some money by booking ahead of time. 

Storage Unit

If you’re moving into a temporary home, you need somewhere to put your things until your new home is ready. While storage units are always available, you want to find the right size in the right location. So, if you wait too long to book it, you might find that you’re paying for more than you need and you have to drive across town to access it.