7 things we often forget when moving

In the two years leading up to 2021, 2.1 million (13.8% of 15 million) Canadian households moved. Among these households, renters (1.2 million) were more likely to be on the move than owners (870,000).¹

With so much to think about prior to and during a move, it’s no wonder we forget a few things in the process. If you’re contemplating a move in the near future, here are a few things you may want to put on your moving checklist – because these are the things we often forget in the moving minutiae.

If you hire a professional moving company to help with your move*, make sure you check to see what they won’t move for you. Those items may include things like aerosol cans, paints, pesticides, fertilizer, cleaning products, propane tanks, and fire extinguishers.

If you have fine art, sculpture, wine, or other valuable and fragile items, we suggest using a transportation company that specializes in moving those items. Also, our in-house specialists can provide advice on how to best package and transport your valuables during a move, as well as how to ensure that they are safe in your new home.

You may keep important papers or valuable items such as jewellery in a safety deposit box. Don’t forget to retrieve those items and carefully consider how you’ll transport them safely to their new destination. Like other valuables in your home, fine jewellery deserves special treatment when moving from home-to-home or bank-to-bank.

Before you put anything into a box or allow your moving company to start packing, make sure you have a complete inventory of your possessions, especially those that are most valuable. If you then label all of your boxes and packages with specific contents, you’ll know exactly what you have and where it is at all times. That way, if you are missing something after the move, you’ll either be able to locate it easily or you’ll have the documentation you need to make a claim.

If you’re taking your furniture with you to your new home, you may want to take measurements of both the furniture and your new space, just to make sure the furniture will fit through the doors and will work well in your new home. After all, you wouldn’t want to haul your favorite sectional across the country, province (or even across the street) just to find out it is too large for your new living room.

If your plants are making a move across province lines with you, contact your moving company or the provinces you’ll be crossing for specific rules and regulations. Not all provinces welcome all types of plants, as some are considered invasive and therefore not wanted.

If you’re just moving an hour or two away, your pets should be fine going from place to place. However, if you’re moving hundreds of miles, you may want to talk to your veterinarian for ideas on how to make your furry friends comfortable before, during, and after the move. After all, most pets are used to a particular location and routine, and may not take well to flying in a plane or driving across country for days.