Create a Detailed Moving Plan Moving an entire household is no simple matter – as you’ve already found out, no doubt, if you’ve begun the process of moving yours or you’ve moved in the past. But if this is your first such move and you’re just thinking about it right now, you’re probably already trembling in anticipation of the complexities involved. Don’t tremble. PLAN! The more detailed and comprehensive your moving plan, and the sooner you create it, the smoother your move will go. The more pleasant it will be, too! Need some help? We’ve developed a downloadable Move Plan Template. Use it as you see fit to organize the various elements of your move. Essentially, it’s a checklist that splits typical move considerations into smaller, more easily handled stages, the tasks of which can be divvied up over time. Here’s what it encourages you to think about: 8 Weeks before Move Day Begin collecting estimates from moving companies. Make reservations. Call and reserve moving equipment. Schedule whatever moving help you might need. Create a Move Budget. Take into account the cost of moving supplies, truck rental, and new items you might need for your new home. Use a binder to hold all your move-related paperwork, including quotes and receipts. Pare down what you’ll ship or take with you. Cut the clutter. Throw stuff out you don’t need. Donate to charity. Have a yard sale. Offload items online. Just get rid of the nonessentials. Research the new community you’ll be calling home, if you haven’t done so already. Take an inventory of your possessions in each room of your house. List them room by room and print the list out to help you catalog items as you pack. Start packing. Avoid the hassle, confusion, and stress of packing at the last minute. Pack one room at a time over the next couple of months, boxing up bedrooms, the kitchen, and “First Night” provisions last. 7 Weeks before Move Day Compile medical and dental records, including a list of shots and prescription medications. Get referrals for doctors in your new community. Arrange for school and veterinarian records to be transferred. Gather all your legal and financial documents. Contact your insurance agent to find out what changes, if any, must be made to existing policies or what new policies might be advisable. Contact health clubs and any other organizations of which you’re a member to cancel or transfer memberships. 6 Weeks before Move Day Make plans to move valuables. Carrying them with you, personally, is one of the best options. Using certified mail is another. Start using up or in some way disposing of goods that shouldn’t or can’t be shipped: frozen foods, bleach, and aerosols, for instance. 5 Weeks before Move Day Order boxes and moving supplies. Pack some of your least-used items, labeling the contents and room destination of each box. 4 Weeks before Move Day Transfer utility, Internet, and cable TV services to your new home. Notify the post office of your change of address. Submit a Change of Address form online or by visiting your nearest post office branch. As applicable, notify various professional, community, home, utility, financial, and government services of your change of address also. Cancel local newspapers and other home delivery services you’ve engaged. Switch magazine, newspaper, and catalog subscriptions to your new address. Put into storage any large pieces of furniture and other items you’re not selling or having shipped to your new home. Make travel arrangements for your pets. 3 Weeks before Move Day Figure out how you’ll transport plants, as they can’t be loaded on the truck. Dispose of flammable, corrosive, and poisonous materials, which can’t be shipped either. Have your vehicles serviced. 2 Weeks before Move Day CONFIRM EVERYTHING! Call and confirm your truck rental and moving help to ensure they’ll be where you need them when you need them there. Confirm also the travel arrangements for your family and pets. Confirm parking for your moving trailer or moving container and obtain permits if required. Pack two boxes of essentials and label them your “First Night” boxes. These won’t be shipped; you’ll bring them with you. Box 1 should contain basic cleaning products – paper towels, sponges, an all-purpose cleaner – and a few tools such as a hammer, wrench, screwdriver, and nails. Box 2 should contain items like a first-aid kit, hand/body soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, changes of clothing, clean sheets, towels, snacks, bottled water, paper plates, cups and napkins, plastic spoons, forks , and knives … and whatever else might fit that you’d find useful the first night in your new home. Remember, most of what you own will still be packed up and inaccessible to you. Conduct a walk-through inspection of your house and make sure everything is in good working condition. If repairs are needed, make them. Put together a folder of important information about your house for the next owner. 1 Week before Move Day Review your moving plans with your Move Concierge, consultant, or other moving company representative. Let your credit-card company or bank know if you plan on paying for your move by credit card or debit card. Print two copies of your Bill of Lading (BOL) and keep them in your move binder. Notify friends and relatives of your new address and phone number. Drain gas and oil from lawn equipment, gas grilles, heaters, and other such equipment. Drain waterhoses and waterbeds. Make sure large pieces of furniture being moved will fit through doors: take measurements. Fill whatever prescriptions you might need during your move. 2 Days before Move Day Do laundry. You won’t want to take dirty clothes with you. And you won’t want to wash them when you get to your new home, with everything else you’ll have to do there. Do some housecleaning. Wipe down windows. Sweep floors. Vacuum carpets. With everything packed and ready to go that’s easier to accomplish. And the new owners will appreciate it. On Move Day Eat a balanced breakfast. You’ll need the energy. Have plenty of water and snacks on hand – to keep the energy going. Stop in wherever you made your truck reservation to pick up your equipment. If you’ve hired a moving crew, make sure everything is ready for them at the house before they arrive. Confirm again any arrangements you made for children or pets. Drop them off the babysitter’s, if that’s the plan, or keep them busy in an out-of-the-way room until you’re ready to go. Make copies of moving receipts and statements for future reference and taxes. Put them in your move binder. Stay calm. Take everything one step at a time. Supervise moving crews during the Move Day packing and loading. Make a final check of every room and closet to ensure that nothing is left behind. 1st Day and Night in Your New Home Explore every room, taking time to adjust to your new surroundings. Take pictures. These will help you make decorating decisions as you begin to unpack and position furniture. And they’ll be fun for you and your family to use in comparing “before and after” pictures once you’re settled in. Get out those two “First Night” boxes you packed about two weeks ago, and put ’em to use! Additional Planning Tips for Your Move Selecting a Mover. If you’re like most people, you’ll want to hire a moving company to handle your move. Different companies charge different rates depending on the services you choose. And those services can encompass everything from packing, loading, and transporting your possessions to car transit, shuttle, assembly/disassembly, and other services. Make sure you understand what each service provided actually entails, then choose the mover and the services that best fit your needs and budget. Supplies. Don’t forget to set money aside for moving supplies. You’ll need boxes in a variety of sizes and configurations (including specialty boxes and custom crates), tape, packing paper, newsprint, and other such materials. All this can add up to quite an expense. If family and friends can provide some of the supplies you need, you might save a bundle. Service Transfer Fees. These are extra fees some utility, Internet, TV, and phone companies charge for transferring your service to another location. Contact your providers before Move Day to see what they charge for this, if anything, so you can fit the expense into your budget. Travel expenses. Whether you and your family are traveling to your new home by plane or car, there will be some costs associated with this – for hotel rooms, gas, snacks, and meals, if nothing else. Plane tickets obviously will cost you, as will the taxi or shuttle you’ll need to get to your new home from the airport. Fix-Up Fees. Plan on spending more money to make your new home your own. Even the newest house may need a little touch-up before you feel truly comfortable in it: some new interior paint or a few more décor pieces, for instance. But maybe you need to do little renovating as well, such as knocking out a wall to open up a space. This you should have determined when you bought the home so you could include the costs in your move budget up front. In short: Plan ahead. Plan carefully. Plan in detail. And your move might actually turn out to be the exciting adventure you’d hoped it would be. At the very least, it’ll be a far more organized and enjoyable experience than if you’d left it to the last minute – and to chance! Get help from the experts >>