HOME MOVING TIPS
There are simple things you can do to make your move less stressful and less expensive. A good way to start is with a simple calendar beginning one or two months before the big day. Here is a sample timeline to help keep you on track:
One to Two Months Before Moving
- Walk through your current home and decide what you want to take, what you want to throw out, and what you want to donate to charity or sell.
- Arrange for important school, medical, financial, and legal records to be transferred.
- Book the movers: it is a good idea to obtain estimates from more than one company, not only to get the best price, but because likely not all of them will be available on the day you want to move.
- If you rent, give your landlord written notice and make arrangements for the return of any deposits.
- Inform home services such as newspaper delivery of your move. Now would be a good time to arrange for service at your new address.
- If you are moving far from your current home, you might want to consider transferring gym memberships and prescription records to a more local service.
- Change the address on your driver’s license effective the day of the move.
Three Weeks Before Moving
- Arrange to have your pets transported or boarded.
- Start preparing your plants for the move or, if it will be a long trip, consider giving them to friends, hospitals, libraries, or selling them. If you decide to move them, it is a good idea to prune plants and re-pot them into unbreakable plastic containers before putting them in cardboard moving boxes with holes punched in the sides for air.
- Dispose of flammable items such as paint, aerosol cans, and cleaning fluids.
- Send change of address information to the post office, bank, credit card, insurance companies and any other services where you get a monthly statement or newsletter.
- Start using up frozen food and staples. Do not buy any more than you absolutely have to before moving.
Happiness doesn’t have just one address.
JAMES H. KEN
Two Weeks Before Moving
- Schedule a date for a service firm to disconnect and prepare the appliances you are moving.
- Start packing non-essential items.
- Arrange for a babysitter or pet sitter for moving day if needed.
- Start planning to disconnect utilities including phone and cable.
- Based on your return visits to your new home, draw up a floor plan for your new home and start planning your furniture arrangement.
- Have your oil/propane tank read and filled and, if required, give the receipt to your legal professional.
One Week Before Moving
- Finish packing suitcases and basic essentials. Make sure valuable documents, currency, and jewelry are in a safe and easily accessible place.
- Drain garden hoses, lawn mowers, and other machinery.
- Clean and dry the fridge and freezer.
- Take down items such as curtain rods, shelves, light fixtures and mirrors that you are taking with you.
- Dismantle large power tools, such as lathes and grinders.
Packing Day
- Leave a clear workspace for the packers.
- Identify fragile and valuable items, items you are taking with you, and items being left for the new owners.
Moving Out Day
- Do a final check for overlooked items. Make sure windows and doors are locked, lights are turned off, utilities are discontinued or turned off, and the keys have been left behind for whoever will be moving into your home.
Moving In Day
- Make sure the utilities are connected.
- Take another look to see if where you want your furniture to go is correct.
- When the mover arrives, check items unloaded against the inventory.
- Make arrangements for installation of appliances.
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