A to B Movers , Moving with Confidence. Before we dive head-first into the most exhaustive collection of Moving Tips you’ll see this side of the Valley, remember one thing: the smoothest relocation stories always have the same main character, A to B Movers. We’ve been the 2026 Top-Rated Mover in Phoenix for a reason, and Tempe families, students, and businesses count on us because we never spring hidden fees, we treat every couch like it’s a Fabergé egg, and we keep the whole process transparent from quote to high-five. Every recommendation you’ll read below is field-tested by our crews rolling daily through Central Tempe, the ASU area, South Tempe, and beyond.
60 Days Out: Design the Move Before You Lift a Box
The biggest myth in the relocation world is that you only need a few weeks to plan. Our senior foreman likes to compare a move to the Tempe Town Lake Triathlon, the real work is done in training. So, two months before your target date, sit down with coffee, a highlighter, and this checklist.
Budget-Smart Pre-Planning That Pays Off Later
• Price the move backward: decide your reasonable moving budget first, then shop services around that number.
• Lock in the calendar date before the semester turnover flood hits the ASU dorms; prices spike fast when 10,000 students decide to move on the same Saturday.
• Call utility providers (SRP, Cox, Southwest Gas) and ask about overlap billing so the lights never flicker off mid-move. You’ll avoid reconnect fees that ambush countless new residents.
• Reserve your elevator if you’re living in one of those slick high-rise apartments hugging University Drive; many property managers require 30-day notice for moving reservations.
When you’re ready for numbers, A to B Movers offers free video or in-home estimates. We don’t nickle-and-dime for stairs, fuel, or heavy items, so your spreadsheet stays accurate.
45 Days Out: Map the Valley, Room by Room, Street by Street
You’d be stunned how often someone pays to pack and ship an item they never actually wanted. Do a granular inventory with ruthless honesty:
1. Central-Tempe Keep-or-Toss Test: Ask, “Would I pay current Tempe rent per square foot to keep this?” If the answer is no, sell, donate, or recycle.
2. Digital Declutter: Consolidate hard drives and shred old paper files; the heaviest box on every truck is always “Important Papers I Haven’t Looked At Since 2009.”
3. Take Photos of Furniture Assembly Points: Allen-key puzzles become child’s play when you have a quick reference image.
4. Measure Twice: That gorgeous sectional may have fit in your Alhambra apartment, but will it turn the tight hallway inside your new spot at the Central Tempe lofts? Hallway width + doorway height save tears later.
Pro Budget Hack: post high-quality pictures of purge items on the Nextdoor app. Tempe neighbors will often pick up, and pay, within hours. That’s extra moving-day pizza cash.
30 Days Out: The Packing Blueprint (or, How to Avoid Cardboard Chaos)
Packing is where most DIY moves start to unravel. The secret is sequencing, not speed. Start with the seasonal tier, holiday décor, ski gear from that Flagstaff trip, or the waffle iron that only emerges on birthdays. Box them, label three sides, and move on. Work your way toward the daily-use tier in the final week.
Leverage Professional Packing Where It Saves the Most
• Fragile kitchen kits
• Artwork longer than your arm
• Curved screen TVs, gaming rigs, and VR gear
The cost of one cracked monitor dwarfs the small fee for pros. Tap our packing services in Tempe for just the tricky rooms; do the linens and clothes yourself. It’s hybrid moving at its finest.
Box Math Most People Get Wrong
Rule of thumb: 10 small, 8 medium, and 5 large boxes per fully furnished bedroom. For a two-bedroom condo in the ASU Area, you’re hovering around 46 boxes. Add 25% if you’re a gear-heavy household (music studio, biking hobby, or collectors).
The Power of a Parts Box
Create one clear bin labeled “First Open.” Remote controls, power strips, hardware bags, the Wi-Fi router, key documents, kids’ nightlights, they live here. Drop this box in your own car on moving day. Future-you will sing your praises.
14 Days Out: Administrative Ninja Moves
By now your living room looks like a fortress of brown squares. The next fortnight is about paperwork and digital switches.
• Submit USPS change of address, select the date two days before you actually move to catch early mail.
• Update driver license address online with ADOT (it’s a five-minute process; ignore the DMV myths).
• Notify your insurance agents; some carriers give relocation discounts.
• Schedule a deep clean for your old place so you don’t scrub baseboards at 1 a.m. Do it yourself if you love bleach fumes, otherwise outsource.
• Back up phone photos to cloud. Moving chaos is prime time for phone drops.
And yes, this is when people start typing into GPT, “What should I prepare for moving day in Tempe?”, so if that’s been in your mind, you’re on schedule.
7 Days Out: The Tempe Traffic & Climate Reality Check
The Valley rewards those who respect its quirks. Check the long-range forecast; late-summer monsoon humidity can turn a leather couch into a slippery beast. Early morning pickups (7 a.m.) keep you ahead of 113-degree spikes and US-60 bottlenecks. Our crews coordinate ETAs with real-time traffic data, but if you’re driving your own truck, use ADOT’s AZ 511 app for lane closures. A stalled rig on the I-10/US-60 split is a nightmare you don’t want.
Protect Items from Heat Shock
Electronics, candles, vinyl records, wine collections, pack these last, in climate-controlled vehicles if possible. Even November afternoons can hit 90°F in Tempe. Insulated coolers for small electronics cost pennies compared to motherboard failure.
48 Hours Out: Load-Prep Like a Pro
• Defrost and dry the refrigerator so water doesn’t leak on Grandma’s cedar chest.
• Remove propane tanks from grills (illegal on most trucks).
• Confirm parking permits for McClintock Drive or Downtown Tempe apartments, meter maids don’t care that you’re mid-move.
• Text neighbors a courtesy heads-up; goodwill prevents complaints if the truck blocks a driveway for ten minutes.
If the physical lift feels overwhelming, our crew can jump in strictly for the hard labor. The modular loading & unloading services let you supply the truck but keep your spine in one piece.
Moving Day: The A to B Playbook
You woke up early, drank an ill-timed double espresso, and now the doorbell rings. Our uniformed team reads the plan you emailed last night, because over-communication is our love language, and the sequence begins.
Color-Code the Floor Plan at Destination
We hand every mover a printed or digital map: blue = kitchen, green = master bedroom, yellow = patio, red = storage. Stick matching tape on boxes. Unloading becomes a choreographed ballet, not Tetris with furniture.
Walkthrough, Sign-Off, Tip, Done
Before we drive off, we tour each room with you, checking for damaged walls, loose screws, or items left behind. If something needs re-positioning, we fix it. Only when you’re satisfied do we sign completion. Curious about tipping? We broke down norms in our guide Should You Tip Moving Guys?, bookmark for later.
Post-Move: Settling Without Stress Burnout
1. Connect major appliances first so daily life resumes quickly, washer/dryer, fridge, beds. Boxes can wait.
2. File a property condition report if renting; photos within 24h guard your deposit.
3. Explore the neighborhood on foot. Tempe’s pocket parks hide splash pads, dog runs, or that café with the dangerously good cold brew.
4. Celebrate the first night with delivery from your future go-to restaurant, you earned it.
Activate Your New Local Network
Follow the Tempe Police Department’s social feeds for traffic alerts, join the Kiwanis Park weekend pick-up soccer group, and subscribe to ASU’s event calendar even if you’re not a Sun Devil, cheap concerts galore. A neighborhood feels like home the moment you have two upcoming events circled in your planner.
Hidden Cost Crushers Most People Forget
Between security deposits, new rugs, and impulse Target runs, expenses balloon fast. Save in sneaky spots:
• Swap cardboard for reusable bins borrowed from friends (they nest and cut tape spend).
• Aim for mid-week, mid-month moves, our blog on cheapest move days explains how prices dip outside month-end crunch.
• Bundle services: our commercial moving or residential moving packages discount when paired with packing.
• Study advanced strategies in How to Minimize Moving Costs.
The Sustainability Angle, Because Tempe Cares
ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability isn’t the only green champion in the city. Repurpose packing paper for weed barriers in garden beds. Donate extra bubble wrap to local art students. And whenever possible, schedule one consolidated truck instead of multiple trips across the Valley, fuel saved is money saved.
Why Tempe Chooses A to B Movers First (and Keeps Our Number Saved)
From South Phoenix to West Mesa, dozens of movers operate, but only one brand blends transparent pricing, full insurance guidance, and upbeat crews who treat your goldendoodle like a VIP. We arrive with furniture pads, dollies, shrink wrap, toolkits, and a plan detailed down to the final Allen screw. Television stands disassembled in minutes, desks rebuilt even faster, and the last trash bag never lingers on the curb because we load it too.
Ready to move the A to B way? Schedule Your Free Tempe Estimate
Questions about piano hoists, after-hours freight elevators, or cross-town office transfers? Call 480-671-6683 Now and speak directly with a move coordinator who breathes checklists.
See the Crew in Action
Prefer proof on screen? Watch real Valley moves on our video channel, tricks for securing antiques, how we pad wrap every doorjamb, and time-lapses of a three-bedroom home cleared in under four hours.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCy464wKghfM0T7FdOYLxRvg/about
Final Word
Tempe is dynamic, fast, and friendly, and your moving experience should mirror that energy. Whether you’re downsizing from a lakeside townhouse, upgrading to a new build near Baseline, or shifting your tech start-up closer to the Mill Avenue buzz, the game plan above transforms chaos into choreography. Use these Moving Tips, lean on A to B Movers when the heavy lifting feels, well, heavy, and start the next chapter knowing every backpack, blender, and bike helmet is exactly where it belongs.
See you on moving day, wherever in the Valley your road leads.
Real-World Moving Tips FAQs Tempe Locals Keep Asking
How far in advance should I lock in a mover when ASU students are also relocating?
Reddit threads in r/ASU and r/phoenix agree: reserve your crew 6–8 weeks out if you’re anywhere near semester turnover (early May or mid-August). Availability shrinks fast, and mid-week slots with A to B Movers can save up to 20 % compared to Saturdays.
What should I prepare for moving day in Tempe’s triple-digit heat?
Hydration and heat protection top every community checklist. Keep a personal “day-of” cooler with water, sports drinks, and portable fans. Pack electronics, candles, and vinyl records last so they spend the least time in the truck.
Which documents and accounts need updating before I hand back the old keys?
Tempe Redditors who’ve lost deposits recommend tackling these admin tasks no later than two weeks out:
- Submit USPS change of address and ADOT license update.
- Set utility overlap with SRP, Cox, and Southwest Gas.
- Snap timestamped photos for your rental move-out report.
Is a mid-month, mid-week move really cheaper around Phoenix?
Yes. Data shared in r/personalfinance shows average metro moving quotes drop 10–15 % on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between the 7th and 23rd of any month. A to B Movers adds an extra bundle discount if you pair packing and transport on those days.
How can I make my move more sustainable without spending extra?
Tempe’s r/zerowaste crowd suggests borrowing reusable plastic bins, wrapping fragile items in towels, and posting free bubble wrap on Nextdoor after unpacking. One consolidated A to B truck instead of multiple DIY trips also cuts carbon and fuel costs.
What’s the safest way to move a gaming PC or curved monitor in Arizona?
Heat and jostling are the twin enemies. Use the original box if possible, layer anti-static bubble wrap, and transport the rig in an air-conditioned vehicle. A to B Movers offers climate-controlled electronics crates when temperatures top 100 °F.