Its official: you've signed the papers, dotted all the I’s and crossed the t’s—you own a new home! You’ve almost reached the end of your journey. However, now, faced with the daunting task of moving, it may seem as though the journey has just begun. Moving can be a time-consuming and stressful experience if you let yourself be overwhelmed by the job. Remember, though, having a successful move means taking care of the details, one by one. If you break the process down into steps and arrange your time accordingly, you can make it manageable. Use the following checklist to ensure you’re covering all the basis, and you will be well on your way to a successful move!
HOUSEHOLD
- Arrange to have your mail forwarded to your new address:
- Forward or cease all deliveries to your home, and forward or cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions.
- Disconnect or take care of utility, cable and phone services and accounts.
- Arrange for utilities to be connected to your new house.
- Cancel pre-authorized bill payments
- Begin going through closets and discarding any unnecessary items.
PACKING
- Plan your packing. Start by purchasing or acquiring suitable containers. Most moving companies have specialized containers you can buy. Also, speak with others who have recently moved—they may be looking to get rid of boxes.
You’ll need the following: small boxes for heavy items (books, tools, etc.); large boxes for bulky items (bedding, stuffed toys, etc.); medium boxes for bulky but less heavy items (towels, small appliances, etc.).
- Begin to collect other packing materials. Decide which items you’ll need from the following checklist:
- White paper
- Tissue paper
- Paper towels
- Newspapers
- Nonprinted paper
- Packaging tape or twine to seal boxes and containers
- Scissors
- Labels and stickers (available from your moving company)
- Felt markers to label boxes
- Notebook and pen for listing contents