RELOCATION TIPS AND CHECKLISTS

You’ve found your perfect home. Now you’re ready to move out of your current home or apartment. It’s moving day. Are you ready? Use the handy checklist below to help guide you through this hectic time.

Six Weeks Before Moving
Make an inventory of everything to be moved.

• Collect everything not to be moved for a garage sale or charitable donation.
• Contact the charity for date/time of pickup. Save receipts for tax records.
• Select mover, arrange for exact form of payment at destination (cash, check). Get cartons and packing materials to start packing NOW, unless you have packing services.
• Contact insurance agent to transfer/cancel insurance coverage.
• If relocating as part of employment, check with employer to find out what moving expenses they will pay.

Four Weeks Before Moving

• Notify all magazines of change of address.
• Check with veterinarian for pet records and immunizations.
• Contact utility companies for refunds of deposit, set turn-off date, establish record of new residence for transfer
• If relocating as part of employment, contact real estate broker in new community to set up utility turn-on date.
• Dry clean clothes to be moved, pack in protective wrappers.
• Collect everything you have loaned out and return everything you have borrowed.
• Service power mowers, boats, snowmobiles, etc. that are to be moved, drain all gas/oil to prevent fire in moving van.
• If relocating as part of employment, check with doctors and dentist for all family records and prescriptions and get children's school records.
• Check freezer and plan to use of food over next 2-3 weeks.
• Remove all jewelry and other valuables to a safe deposit box or other safe place to prevent loss during move.
• If relocating as part of employment, give away or arrange for transportation of house plants (most moving companies will not move plants, especially in winter). Plants also can be sold at a garage sale or given as thank you gifts.

One Week Before

• If relocating as part of employment, transfer or close checking and savings accounts. Arrange for cashier's check or money order to pay moving company on arrival to new community.
• If relocating as part of employment, have automobile serviced for trip.
• Fill out Post Office change of address forms, give to postmaster.
• Check and make inventory of all furniture for dents and scratches, notify moving company of your inventory and compare on final day.
• Dispose of all combustibles and spray cans (spray cans can explode or burn).
• Pack a separate carton for cleaning materials and tools.
• Separate cartons and luggage you need for personal travel.
• Organize at least one room in the house for packers and movers to work freely.
• Cancel all newspapers, garden service, snow removal, etc., or transfer to new residence.
• Review the entire list to make certain that you haven't overlooked anything. Check and double-check everything you have done before it's too late.

Moving Day

• Plan to spend the entire day at the house. Last minute decisions must be made by you. Don’t leave until after the movers have gone.
• Hire a sitter or send the kids to a friend’s house for the day.
• Stay with the moving van driver to oversee inventory.
• Tell packers and/or driver about fragile or precious items.
• Make a final check of the entire house- basement, closets, shelves, attic, garage, every room.
• Approve and sign Bill of Lading; if possible accompany driver to the weigh station.
• Double check with driver to make certain moving company records show the proper delivery address for your new house. Verify the scheduled delivery date, too.
• Give driver phone numbers both here and in new community to contact you in case of a problem.
• Get complete routing information form the driver and phone numbers so you can call the driver or company while en route.
• Disconnect all utilities and advise the real estate agent who sold or is selling your house.
• Lock all doors and windows. Advise your real estate agent and neighbors that the house is empty.

Moving Day Checklist

• Do not disconnect phone service until the day after loading. Phone service should be available at the new residence one day prior to anticipated delivery date. Do not forget to have customer-owned telephones packed. This is something that should be done at the last possible moment.
• Plan meals that will use perishable and frozen foods. You may want to consider giving excess food to a charity, friends, neighbors or relatives. Defrost and dry your refrigerator and freezer the night before pickup. Due to conditions beyond our control, we cannot transport frozen or perishable foods.
• All valuables must be taken with you to your new home. This includes all jewelry, cash, coin collections, and medications as these are excluded from coverage for loss or damage under the mover’s responsibility. Value of antiques must be supported with written appraisal from authorized appraiser or original purchase receipt.
• Insurance policies and other important papers should be taken with you. Do not leave tax forms, birth certificates, bonds, etc. to be packed with household goods.
• Be prepared to take with you enough clothing to hold the family over until the shipment arrives at destination. If goods are to be stored, please take into consideration change of seasons for clothing. Storage access is limited and costly.
• Separate goods to be carried with you or not to be moved.
• Beds will be disassembled and loaded last. You can stay in the home until the day of loading. Remove sheets and blankets yourself.
• As dressers will be moved full, check all dresser drawers for valuable and breakable items and remove these items so they may be taken with you or packed in a box.
• Any item permanently affixed to the walls or ceiling should be taken down by you if you wish to have it packed and/or transported on the moving van, unless you are willing to pay an extra fee for additional labor cost.
• All wines and liquor should be transported by you due to heat in the summer and extreme cold in the winter. It will be up to the driver’s discretion to take alcohol on the moving van.
• Change of address forms should be sent to the post office and those sending periodicals. Notify the gas, electric, and phone companies to discontinue service. The utilities should not be turned off until after the load has been completed.
• Lawn mowers and other gasoline powered engines must be emptied of oil and gas. Also, gas cans that are being transported should be washed out to avoid fumes. If autos are being moved, the gas tank should be 1/4 full or less. The oil level in the automobile should remain at normal level.
• Trash cans as well as barbecue grills that use charcoal must be washed out prior to leaving. If moving a garden hose, drain as much of the water out as possible and connect the two ends of the hose together to avoid leakage in the van.
• All items that are flammable or explosive must be transported by you or disposed of prior to moving. Examples are aerosol cans of any kind, propane tanks for barbecue grills (even if empty), fire extinguishers, paints and paint cleaners and ammonia of any kind.
• All small handguns, including ammunition, should be taken with you. Larger guns will be inventoried with serial numbers and should be made known to the driver.

Moving with children
Moving can be a disruptive experience for families because so many changes take place. Relocation affects all members of the family, and it is often easy to overlook the needs of small children.

1. Tell your children why you are moving.
2. Have a family discussion concerning what you are sad about leaving and what you are looking forward to once you move.
3. Ask children what they would like to know about the new area -- don't make assumptions.
4. Plan a party to say good-bye to friends; develop ways to stay in touch.
5. Utilize a calendar to explain what will happen in what order during the moving process.
6. Read your child stories about moving.
7. Take a camera on your house hunting trip. Take pictures of other children, their activities and the inside of the school. Take these back to youngsters at home.
8. Allow children to participate in the packing process.
9. If possible, have all family members present on moving day to watch the loading of the van. Try to put children's possessions in last so they will be unloaded first.
10. Celebrate your arrival at your new home.
11. Explore the neighborhood with your children to alleviate their concerns about getting lost.
12. Help your children plan their first day of school -- what to wear and take along and how to get there.
13. Spend extra time with your children throughout the relocation so that you can understand their concerns and take steps to alleviate them.