Moving checklists

	14 days until ...
	Compare moving box costs from several online companies. Order your moving boxes and moving supplies, such as packing tape, plastic bubble wrap, permanent markers, etc. Use three-day delivery.
	Done
	Talk to your insurance company to find out what needs to be done for continuous homeowners or renters insurance coverage.
	Done
	Call your doctor’s office and dentist’s office and see if they can recommend someone in your new location. Advise them of the date by which medical records will be needed.
	Done
	Arrange for any storage of furniture or items if needed.
	Done
	If you are moving because of your job, find out what your company is going to pay for and what are going to be considered your out-of-pocket expenses.
	Done
	Start looking at all the stuff you have in every room and think about how much money you would make from a gigantic moving sale. Go over all the advantages of leaving all of the heaviest and largest items behind.
	Done
	If you have a new address already, get post office "change of address" forms and mail them out to everyone who needs to be notified of your new address. If you will not have a new address till after the move, get a forwarding post office box.
	Done
	Set the date and advertise your moving sale. CraigsList.com is a good free place to list where a lot of people will see it. Make arrangements to give any good items that are left to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Recycle or dispose of the rest. Any good clothing can be taken to a homeless shelter.
	Done
	Make a list of your valuables and what you will keep with you during the move. Some valuables can be shipped insured through the post office.
	Done
	Notify your health club, newspaper delivery subscription, etc. of your move.
	Done
	Start making a list of people to notify of your move - utility companies, friends and relatives.
	Done
	Make it a point to start using up things you cannot move, such as foods or cleaning chemicals, gas in the lawnmower, etc.
	Done
	Go through each room and take an inventory of your belongings. Make one list of furniture and possessions to move, and another list of what you can sell in a moving sale.
	Done
	Make a file into which you can place all the paperwork having to do with the move. This will be handy when it is time to fill out your tax forms.
	Done
	If you are planning to use a professional moving company, get some different quotes on the cost of the move. Find out what the difference in cost is if you pack your own moving boxes or have the moving company do it.
	Done

	10 days until ...
	If you are in a city, especially in the winter, be sure to arrange for overnight parking for the moving truck.
	Done
	Make sure to call all essential services and set up disconnect and connect dates. For example, disconnect the electric, telephone, water, cable TV, etc. a day after you have moved out. Schedule these services to be turned on in the new house the day before you arrive.
	Done
	If you have to drive a long distance, make sure to get your car fully serviced so it won‘t break down on the way.
	Done
	Start packing the things you won’t use much between now and the move - might include off - season clothing, sports equipment, etc.
	Done
	Plant-lovers will have to decide which plants can make the trip. If none of them can, you can give them to friends or people who will appreciate them, such as those in nursing homes. Some plants cannot be transported from state to state.
	Done
	Take items like paint, oil, batteries, pesticides, and other poisonous items to the recycling center.
	Done
	Be sure to get the name of each customer service person you speak with and get a reference number for your call. Put that list in your moving folder- just in case!
	Done

	7 days until ...
	Write down the serial numbers of all electronics.
	Done
	If you use a cleaning service, schedule a final cleaning after you leave. Also reserve a new cleaning company at your new residence. If cleaning yourself, make sure you have all supplies needed. Start doing the cleaning a little at a time so you are not overwhelmed the last week.
	Done
	Order a change in your internet service from one location to the other.
	Done
	If you have bank accounts, either close them or transfer the money to a bank near where you are moving. Obtain whatever cash you will need before and during the move. If you are staying in the same region, change the address on your bank accounts. If you are traveling a great distance, get some traveler’s checks.
	Done
	Plan some fun things to do the weekend before the move to reduce stress: barbecue, have friends over, do some outside physical activity - like swimming, cycling, skiing, etc.
	Done
	Get any letters of recommendation you might need - from your university or college if you are a student, letters of reference from previous employers and/or your church, if you attend one.
	Done
	Hold your Moving Sale!
	Done

	6 days until ...
	Get some rest. Moving sales are exhausting.
	Done

	5 days until ...
	Finish packing your moving boxes, leaving out items for the few days before the move.
	Done
	Get a small box and mark it Priority. Stash in it anything that is important, like insurance policies, dog or cat vaccination and registration papers, lease, mortgage or other documents concerning moving, pens, envelopes, stamps, coins for toll booths, etc.
	Done
	If you are using a moving company, doublecheck everything, including time of arrival of moving truck at both locations.
	Done
	Figure out how to make meals that will use up all of your food, refrigerator and freezer contents.
	Done
	Pick up your dry cleaning or laundry for the last time.
	Done
	Take your valuables out of your safety deposit box and close it. Store them in a safe place or send them on to your new address via an insured carrier.
	Done

	3 days before ...
	Don’t forget to return your library books.
	Done
	Do a backup of your entire computer before moving it. Unplug all attachments and place in plastic bags with labels.
	Done
	Remember to get together a checklist of personal items to remember on moving day. Items here might include toothpaste, deodorant, hair dryer, make-up, soap, towels, meds, comb, hairbrush, fingernail clippers, etc.
	Done
	Pack your personal items and clothing needed during and after the move. Make sure to label the box so everyone knows to keep it out of the moving boxes in the truck or that it should go on last and come off first.
	Done
	Make sure a friend or family member knows the route you will be driving and can get in touch with you if necessary.
	Done
	Doublecheck airplane reservations if you will be flying.
	Done
	Make sure to get any prescriptions filled for the move.
	Done

	2 days before ...
	Retrieve all the items you have loaned out.
	Done
	Make sure to get your money back on anything you made a deposit on when you moved into your current residence.
	Done
	Take it easy. Finish any last minute packing.
	Done

	1 day before ...
	Put items you plan to carry with you in the bathtub so the movers won't load them on the truck.
	Done
	Pack a box labeled LAST ON/FIRST OFF. Put essentials in it such as toilet paper, hand soap, tissues, coffee pot and coffee supplies, paper plates and cups, etc. in it so you will have them handy without searching through boxes for them.
	Done
	If you are taking your laptop computer with you, make sure to unplug all attachments and store it in its protective travel bag. Do a complete backup of all files on the laptop as well.
	Done
	Either greet the moving packers or load the truck.
	Done
	Disconnect all electronic equipment - TVs, DVDs, VCRs, stereo equipment, radios, etc. Put all cords in plastic bags and label them.
	Done

	On that day ...
	Either greet the moving truck when it arrives or drive there it there yourself. Have a tall, cold one! You deserve it. Take your time unpacking.
	Done