Moving Checklist
4 Weeks Prior to Move
- Make a "Move" file folder to keep track of documentation and records of the moving process.
- Set up a calendar for your move to mark deadlines and reminders.
- Hold a garage sale to rid yourself of furniture, clothes and other items you'd prefer not to move.
- Contact a local charity to donate any unneeded furniture and items not sold in the garage sale.
- Collect boxes, tape, rope, wrapping/padding material and other moving supplies.
- Line up a moving company (or make reservations to rent a moving truck if you plan to move yourself).
- Gather doctors, dentists, other medical and school records.
- Put together (and keep accessible) all financial, tax, and employment documentation that may be needed during your loan process.
- Contact your insurance company to transfer your policies (life, auto, homeowners).
3 Weeks Prior to Move
- Set a cutoff date with your current utility providers (this can include telephone, gas, electric, water, garage, and cable).
- Establish a start date for utility services at your new home.
- Let friends and relatives know of your upcoming move.
- Donate canned goods and other non-perishable food items to a local charity to save the expense of moving them.
- Verify your Voter Registration information and make any necessary changes in light of your move.
- Register your new address with your subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and association memberships.
- Complete a change of address card with your local post office.
- Research and keep record of tax deductions on moving expenses.
2 Weeks Prior to Move
- Transfer stocks, bonds, bank accounts, and contents of safety deposit boxes to a trusted financial institution near your new home.
- Organize the clothes you will be moving; separate them into suitcases, keeping those you need readily available.
- Review the moving checklist so far, making sure you are still on track for the move.
1 Week Prior to Move
- Drain outdoor equipment: water from hoses, propane tanks from barbecue grills, and gas and oil from lawn mowers.
- Discard any aerosol, paint, oils, and all flammable and/or toxic chemicals.
- Label items you need to easily access and place them in a separate room or closet.
- Schedule a pest control company to service your home before moving -- especially on new construction.
- Clean your refrigerator and let it air out at least 24 hours before moving.
Move Out Day
- RELAX
- Load items and boxes that you'll need first last. (Those items packed last will be unloaded first.)
- Conduct a final walk through of your home once everything is out of the house; check cupboards, closets, behind doors, attics, stairwells, overhead in the garage, outside the home, and any storage sheds.
Move In Day
- Prepare your new home before the moving trucks arrive; have it clean and be prepared to instruct where you'd like items placed.
- Take some time, sit back, and enjoy your new home!