Moving Checklist
There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re leaving your home, and when the clock is ticking, you won’t have a chance to go back and take care of missed tasks without a lot of inconvenience and/or expense. Make it easy on yourself with this handy moving checklist. Print this out, check it twice and you’ll be able to say “goodbye” to your previous residence with minimal stress.
Things to do as far in advance as possible:
· Decide whether you’ll be moving yourself or hiring a move and secure insurance accordingly.
· Set up a moving budget taking into consideration the costs of hiring a mover/renting a truck and packing supplies.
· If you have children, contact your child’s current school to alert them of the move, as well as the new school.
· Talk with an insurance provider about getting a Renter’s Insurance policy for your rental home.
· Begin weeding out your possessions. This is a great time for a garage sale, giveaway or eBay blitz.
· Begin collecting moving/packing supplies.
· Start packing.
A month before:
· File a change of address form with the U.S. Postal Service. (https://moversguide.usps.com/icoa/flow.do?_flowExecutionKey=_c12767DC5-0FE7-85F1-47CA-1A1539516D22_k0C4C8A59-3868-DA3E-4F72-5724D07B4CCF)
· Begin notifying any services you may be using with an end or transfer date and set up new services at your destination. These businesses could include:
— Power
— Phone
— Water
— Cable/Satellite TV
— Alarm
— Lawn service
— Subscriptions to newspapers or magazines
· Notify friends and family of your new address. Try an online service that can help you generate cards with your contact information.
· Locate all of your most important papers to make sure they travel with you during the move.
· Get records from doctors, dentists, optometrists and veterinarians.
· Make travel arrangements for your pets.
· Send rugs, drapes and bedding to cleaners.
· If you’ll be driving a long distance to your new rental home, get your car tuned up.
Two to three weeks before:
· Start notifying friends and family you would like to have help you move.
· Begin closing out bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, etc.
· Back up your computers.
· Confirm any travel/moving arrangements.
· Begin assembling a survival kit with everything you’ll need the first night in your new rental home. Include items such as Paper Plates, Paper Towels, Toilet paper and a shower.
· Begin packing a box with irreplaceable items such as a computer back-up drive, photo albums, video tape, personal papers, etc. Make special moving arrangements for important items if need be.
· Retrieve all dry cleaning.
· Return rented movies, library books, etc.
A few days before:
· Hit the ATM and get cash for travel and paying movers.
· Gather cleaning supplies and pack them in an easily accessible box in case parts of your rental home need to be cleaned on arrival.
· Pack a few day’s worth of personal items such as clothes, medications and toiletries in a suitcase to get you through until you unpack.
· Use up any items that you don’t want to move such as food or extra household supplies.
· Order new checks with your new address on them.
Moving day:
· Check closets, cupboards and drawers to make sure you are leaving nothing behind.
· Separate or pack your car with items you will need right away or need to be transported carefully.
· Work with professional movers or volunteers you have recruited to make sure everything is loaded on the truck.
· Take out the garbage.
· Lock up your previous residence including turning off the thermostat and water if necessary.
· Travel to your rental home.
· Unpack the truck and make sure everything is accounted for.
· If using a moving company, sign the bill of landing and pay the movers.
· If you moved yourself return the rental truck.
· Unpack priority items that you will need right away.