When you need to move, it's completely up to you how much you do on your own, and how much you leave to the professionals. If you're really busy and want to simplify your move, you can hire the pros to pack and move everything. They'll take apart your furniture, box everything up, put it in a truck, and unload it into your new home. While this full-service moving will make your life easier, there are still a few things you need to do before your packing and moving team arrives on-scene.

Set aside your important paperwork.

There's some paperwork that you'll need access to during your move. This includes your homeowner's insurance policy, any contracts you have signed with your new rental company or landlord, and maybe even your vehicle registration forms. Collect your important documents and put them all into one folder so they don't accidentally get packed away, out of reach, by the moving company.

Pack up your unmentionables.

If you want the movers to pack up your underwear and other personal items, they'll likely do so. But most homeowners would rather protect their privacy and do this themselves! Put any items you don't want the movers to see and handle into boxes. Label them something vague, like "bring along for move" or "dresser contents" so that you know what's in the box, but the movers are not clued in. If there's anything particularly private, you may want to bring it with you in your car or on the plane rather than letting the movers load it into the truck with everything else.

Make plans for your pets.

Some moving companies won't even pack up your things if there is a pet roaming loose in their home. Even if your pet is completely friendly, you have to understand the movers' desire to protect themselves. Also, you would not want your pet to escape when someone unknowingly leaves the door open. So, make some concrete plans for your pets before moving day. If you have a spare basement room, you could just lock them in there with food, water, and other necessities. Or, you may want to have a friend watch them at their house. In the worst case scenario, you can drop your dog or cat off at a local pet daycare for the day. 

Get rid of garbage.

Your movers will err on the side of caution when it comes to getting rid of trash. In other words, if there is any question as to whether you intended for a bag to be packed or disposed of, they will pack it rather than throwing it away. So, if you don't take the time to go through your home and throw away trash, it may all end up in your new home. You can either bag up all of your trash and take it out yourself, or pile the things you want to throw away in one room. Tell the movers that everything in that room is to be thrown away. 

Take pictures of furniture that's tough to assemble.

Many movers will put furniture back together for you if you request this service. However, it can be nice to settle in for a while and take your time unpacking and decorating in your new home. This might mean that certain furnishings sit around, unassembled, for weeks before you put them back together. You don't want to forget how they fit back together! So, take pictures of any hard-to-assemble furnishings before your movers arrive. You can then reference these photos when the time comes to put the pieces back together.

To learn more about the moving process, contact companies like Redondo Van & Storage.