☐ Set the date. NOTE: Mondays – Thursdays are your best choices so that banks and offices are open in case you have a problem. Realtor
☐ Arrange for utility transfers.
☐ Notify current and future utility providers of your move date. Note when current security deposits will be refunded and how much is due when for the new ones. This includes:
☐ Cable/satellite television Realtor
☐ Cell phone service
☐ Electricity
☐ Gas
☐ Internet/ broadband
☐ Local phone service
☐ Long distance phone service
☐ Propane
☐ Recycling pick-up
☐ Sewer
☐ Security system
☐ Trash pick-up
☐ Water
NOTE: It’s a good idea to schedule utility “turn on dates” at least one day prior to the move date and “turn off dates” at least one day after the move to allow for emergencies or issues that may arise.
☐ File change of address.
At minimum, file a Temporary Change of Address with the U.S. Post Office to buy you time before you notify everyone else. You can file online at
http://www.MoversGuide.com or call 1-800-ASK-USPS (1-800-275-8777) (both have a $1 fee), or go to the local Post Office and complete form PS 3575.
☐ Make sure you have enough cash.
☐ Most moving companies insist on being paid in cash before they unload a single box. Be sure have the correct amount with you with moving expenses, deposits, tips, and anything else you’ll need on moving day.
B
☐ Start a “change of address log.”
☐ Create a change of address log by writing down who you receive mail from each day. Then contact those organizations with your change of address each morning or evening. This breaks up the task and helps make sure you aren’t missing important contacts.
☐ Notify specific people of your change of address.
Some of the people who might need your change of address include:
☐ Accountant/tax preparer
☐ Alumni associations
☐ Attorneys
☐ Babysitter/ child care provider
☐ Banks (auto loans, checking accounts, credit cards, home equity, IRA, mortgage, safe deposit box, savings account)
☐ Broker
☐ Business cards (order new ones)
☐ Cell phone provider
☐ Child care/ daycare
☐ Chiropractor
☐ Courts, especially for traffic tickets or local disputes
☐ Credit bureaus
☐ Credit card issuers
☐ Dentist
☐ Department of Motor Vehicles
☐ Diaper service
☐ Doctor
☐ Dry cleaning pick-up and delivery
☐ Family members
☐ Health clubs
☐ House cleaning service
☐ House of worship
☐ Insurance providers (auto, health, life, other vehicles)
☐ IRS (form 8822)
☐ Lawn care
☐ Luggage tags (replace existing ones)
☐ Magazine subscriptions
☐ New business cards
☐ New employer
☐ Newspaper subscriptions
☐ Old employer
☐ Orthodontist
☐ Parent-teacher association
☐ Passport
☐ Pet sitter/ dog walker/ pet day care
☐ Pharmacy (BONUS: get year-to-date expense summary for taxes)
☐ Physical therapist
☐ Physician (BONUS: get referral for new location)
☐ Post office
☐ Professional organizations
☐ Retirement plan holders
☐ Return address labels (order new ones)
☐ Schools (BONUS: get copies of transcripts)
☐ Snow removal service
☐ Social Security Administration
☐ Swimming pool maintenance (pool cleaning, pool opening or closing)
☐ Swimming pool memberships
☐ Veterinarian BONUS get vet records and recommendations
☐ Water delivery service
Resources
A
☐ Hire movers or reserve the truck.
☐ If you will be using professional movers, find details on profesional movers.
☐ Recruit help for the move.
☐ If moving yourself, start recruiting friends, family, neighbors and co-workers well in advance. Offer free breakfast, lunch, snacks, and drinks for your workforce, and be sure to deliver as promised!
☐ Get the essential moving supplies.
☐ At minimum, you will need:
☐ Markers to label boxes (preferably wide tip, dark color)
☐ Moving boxes
☐ Newsprint, packing peanuts or other cushioning material
☐ Packing tape
☐ Scissors or utility knife
B
☐ Get or make a moving organizer.
You can make a moving organizer for all your important notes, receipts, and important information by getting:
☐ Binder , 3-ring, at least 1 ½” wide
☐ Pocket dividers to separate sections and hold important receipts
☐ Paper for keeping all your notes (3-holed graph paper is ideal for this).
Packing
A
☐ Start packing! Almost everyone under-estimates how much time it takes to pack, so start early and leave plenty of extra time.
☐ Start separating cherished items from the non-essential.
One of the biggest secrets of moving success is eliminating as many items from the move as possible. Donate items to charity, give them to friends, prepare them for a yard sale or throw them out.
2 Weeks Prior to Moving Day
☐ Make arrangements to return items.
Here are some critical items to return prior to moving:
☐ Cable/ satellite receiver boxes, remote controls, dishes
☐ Cable/DSL modems
☐ Carpet shampooer
☐ Clothing (borrowed)
☐ DVD and video game rentals
☐ Library books (neighborhood and school)
☐ Tools (borrowed or rented)
☐ Trash cans/ recycle bins
☐ Unwanted purchases
☐ Make arrangements to retrieve items.
☐ Clothing at dry cleaners, tailors or in storage
☐ Clothing lent to friends
☐ Items at repair shops
☐ Tools lent to neighbors or friends
☐ Open bank accounts near your new address.
You may want to open a new safe deposit box at the same time, and move all vital papers and/or jewelry into the box in advance. That way you don’t have to worry about them on moving day. Realtor
☐ Create one “Open Me First” box for specific rooms.
You’ll need to access certain packed items almost immediately after you arrive, and they need to be packed together in special boxes (one per room) and marked with either bright red markers or special stickers so you can spot them easily. The specific rooms are:
☐ Kitchen:
☐ aluminum foil
☐ break-proof or disposable flatware, cups, and plates
☐ coffee maker (don’t forget the filters!)
☐ dish detergent
☐ frying pan and spatula
☐ pet food and bowels
☐ scissors
☐ tea kettle
☐ Main Bathroom
☐ bath mat
☐ bath towels
☐ first-aid kit (aspirin, band-aids, hydrogen peroxide)
☐ hair dryer
☐ shampoo
☐ shower curtain and rings
☐ soap
☐ toothbrushes and toothpaste
☐ Tool room or drawer
☐ batteries Realtor
☐ duct tape
☐ flashlight
☐ flat-head screwdriver
☐ hammer
☐ level
☐ Phillips-head screwdriver
☐ picture hangers
☐ tape measure
☐ utility knife
☐ Finish off packing for “non-living” rooms. Realtor
You want to be completed for non-essential rooms such as the basement, garage, attic, utility rooms, etc. so you can focus on main living areas in the last weeks.
B
☐ Start eating up perishable food from freezer and refrigerator.
☐ Consider holding a “Packing Party.”
Invite trusted friends over for a “Farewell Packing Party.” Provide free food and drinks, provide upbeat background music, and allow friends to tackle projects that require little supervision, such as packing books or pots and pans. Have friends take pictures and send you copies.
☐ Hold a yard sale.
You might be surprised to learn that you can earn a few hundred dollars by selling non-essential items, earning you cash and making your move more efficient.
1 Week Prior to Moving Day
Organizing Realtor
A
☐ Confirm start time, current home address and future home address with movers.
☐ Even if you already have this information, it’s a good idea to double-check.
☐ Recruit friends for “moving day madness.”
☐ Having extra help for last-minute errands or helping to watch movers and answer questions can be invaluable.
B
☐ Make arrangements for child and/or pet sitting.
☐ Having small children and pets watched on Moving Day can eliminate a lot of stress and confusion on the big day, especially while taking care of all the other important details. Realtor
1 Day Prior to Moving Day
☐ Make sure everyone’s cell phone is fully charged.
This would be a bad day to be out of contact.
Packing
A
☐ Have everyone pack one or two suitcases (no more).
Even if you’re only moving across the street, having a suitcase with the following, taken with you instead of on the moving truck if possible, will make things easier once you move in:
☐ Eyeglasses
☐ Favorite toy for the kids
☐ Prescriptions
☐ Something to read
☐ Three days’ worth of changes of clothes
☐ Toothbrush and toothpaste (if not in “Open Me First” box) Realtor
Moving Day Realtor
☐ Start early.
☐ Moving is stressful enough without waking up late and running around with movers waiting outside.
☐ Take all garbage out of the house.
☐ Movers get into huge trouble for leaving anything behind. So many people have been shocked to find their garbage packed into their garbage cans and sent along for the move!
☐ Make sure drivers have your cell phone number and you have theirs, along with their names.
☐ Things come up on moving day- make sure you have a way to stay in contact.
☐ Be available for movers’ questions.
☐ You need to be visible and available at all times- near the door is usually a good spot.
☐ Perform final checks before leaving current home.
☐ Are the air conditioning, fans, and heat turned off?
☐ Is the water shut off, including to hoses?
☐ Are the light switches turned off?
☐ Are the keys and garage door openers for current home turned in or left on the kitchen counter?
☐ Anything left in refrigerator, freezer, stove, drawer under stove, in closets, in bathroom, under porch, in garage, in attic, in crawlway?
☐ Did you pack your hoses and sprinklers?