Moving Checklist

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Moving Checklist

Set the date. [NOTE: Mondays - Thursdays are your best choices so that banks and offices are open in case you have a problem]
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
Cell phone service
Electricity
Gas / propane
Internet / broadband
Local phone service
Long distance phone service
Recycling pick-up
Security system
Water / sewer

Organize
Get or make a moving organizer
Binder, 3-ring, at least 1 " wide
Pocket dividers to separate sections and hold important receipts
Paper for keeping all your notes (3-holed graph paper is ideal for this).
 
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.
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. https://moversguide.usps.com for $1

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
Credit bureaus
Credit card issuers
Dentist
Department of Motor Vehicles
Doctor
Family members
Health clubs
House of worship
Insurance providers (auto, health, life, other vehicles)
IRS (form 8822)
Magazine subscriptions
New business cards
New employer
Newspaper subscriptions
Old employer
Orthodontist
Parent-teacher association
Passport
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
 
Hire/Recruit
Hire movers or reserve the truck.
Hire a cleaning company to come in and clean after you have moved out, allowing you to concentrate on the new home
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

Packing
Start packing!
Start separating cherished items from the non-essential.
     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.
     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.

Open Me First Boxes
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.
Create one "Open Me First" box for specific rooms.

The specific rooms include:
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 bowls
Scissors

Main Bathroom:
Toilet paper
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
Duct tape
Flashlight
Flat-head screwdriver
Hammer
Level
Phillips-head screwdriver
Picture hangers
Tape measure
Utility knife

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, 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)
Finish off packing for "non-living" rooms.

2 Weeks Prior to Moving Day

Make arrangements to return items:
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

Banking
You may want to open a new safe deposit box at the same time and move all vital papers and jewelry into the box so you don't have to worry about them on moving day.
Open bank accounts near your new address.

Extra Tips
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

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.
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.)

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.)

Moving Day

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.
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 (did you take the 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? 

For a list of movers and house cleaning companies, contact your Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, Inc. real estate agent or call (800) 236-1550.

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