Two Months before Moving

• Sort through your belongings to reduce the number of things you have to move.
• Have a garage sale or donate items you no longer need to charity
• Decide whether to move yourself or hire professionals. Make reservations with a moving company or a truck rental company
  Tip: Call three companies for estimates to compare.
• Gather packing supplies: boxes, packing material, tape, felt markers, and scissors
• If you’re moving a long distance, make travel arrangements with the airline, hotel and rental car agency. If you’re moving to your new home, get maps and plan your travel route
• Save all moving receipts, because some moving expenses may be tax deductible. Check the current tax code for requirements.
• Place you legal, medical, Financial, and insurance records in a sage and accessible place.
• Purchase insurance coverage for valuables to be moved.

One Month Before Moving

• Start packing items that aren’t regularly used such as off-season clothes and decorations and items in storage areas (garage, attic, and closets)
• Make travel arrangements for you pets
• If you’re driving, get your car tuned up.
• Get medical records from you doctors, dentist, optometrist and veterinarian
• Send items (rugs, drapes, clothing, quilts, bedding) to the cleaners
• Back up important computer files

Two Weeks Before Moving

• Contact your utility companies (gas, electric, water, cable, trash collector, and local phone service providers) and notify them of your move.
• Sign up for services at your new address
• Contact your long distance phone company and notify them of your move.
• Call Friends and family and recruit help for the moving day if necessary
• Confirm you travel reservations
• Arrange to close or transfer you back account, if appropriate, pick up items for safety deposit box.

One Week Before Moving

• Pick up items from the cleaners, repair shops or friends
• Pack a survival kit of clothes, medicines, special foods, and so on to carry you through the day after arrival in your new homes.
• Finish packing all boxes minus what you’ll need in the final week
• Inform the post office of your upcoming move.
• Send change-of- address cards with your new address and phone number to:
  • Friends and family
  • Banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, and other financial institutions
  • Magazines and newspapers
  • Doctors, lawyer, accountant, realtor, and other service providers
  • State and federal tax authorities and any other government agencies as needed
  • Workplace, schools and alma maters
  • Voter registration office and motor vehicle bureau

The Day Before

• Set aside moving materials, such as tape measures, pocket knife, and rope.
• Pad corners and stairways of house.
• Lay down old sheets in the entry and hallways to protect floor coverings
• Remove hanging fixtures
• If moving yourself, pick up; the rental truck and a hand truck or dolly to move heavy boxes.
• If you’re driving, check oil and gas in your car
• If you’re traveling, make sure you have tickets, charge cards and other essentials

Moving Day

Carry with you:

• The keys to your new home
• Map of new town and directions to you house.
• The telephone number of the moving company
• Cash or travelers checks
• Documentation related to the sale of your homes
• Your insurance policies and agent’s phone number
• Your current address book or personal planner
• Prescription and non-prescription medicines
• Enough clothing to get by on if the movers are late.
• Any important personal records and documents
• Any items of greater personal value to you that are virtually irreplaceable (for example, a photo album.)
• Back up copies of important computer files
• Sheets and towels for the first night in you new home
• Personal hygiene items (for example: toothpaste, soap, razor)

Arrival Day

• Show movers where to place furniture and boxes
• Check inventory to ensure that everything was delivered before signing delivery papers. Note any damage on the inventory sheet
  Tip: It’s helpful to have the movers read off the inventory numbers on boxes and furniture while you check the inventory list.
• Unpack any valuable items, such as silver, art and jewelry, upon arrival

After the Move

• Walk and drive around you neighborhood and community to orient yourself and your family
• Get new drivers licenses, library cards, voter registration cards, and bus passes.
• Enroll children in school