Make Moving Easier

Make moving easier by improving the preparation you put into your move. Check and print the timeline below to help you keep your move on track.

Bear in mind that a typical timeline for moving begins about ten weeks before moving day, but there are many factors that can affect this timeline. Summer is the busiest moving season, and the first and last weeks of the month are extra-busy for movers.  Realtors, airlines, and even hotels can be booked far in advance. If you have to move on a particular day, start making your arrangements as soon as possible.

Ten Weeks Before Your Move

• If your move is job related, confirm exactly what the company will pay for and what services they can offer to help during your relocation.
• Contact realtors that specialize in your area and ask for references and their recommendations on how to market your home.
• Start making necessary changes to present your home to its best advantage.

Eight Weeks Before Your Move

• Select the realtor with whom you feel most comfortable working and go through the marketing plan together. Set the price and discuss the timetable for sale.
• Ask your realtor for a referral to a realtor in your destination locale and request demographics and information to help you narrow down the communities that will interest you most.
• Arrange a house-hunting trip with time to personally investigate the schools, driving time to work, services, and neighborhoods you are considering.
• Make travel arrangements to your destination, including flight bookings and arrangements to ship any cars, pets, etc.
• Postpone new purchases until after you arrive in you new location.
• Purchase a notebook with pocket dividers to start keeping track of the lists, notes, receipts and contracts involved in your move.

Six Weeks Before Your Move

• Ask your friends, relatives, and coworkers for the names of reliable movers. Get estimates from at least three different companies based on the amount of household goods you need to pack and move.
• Make sure your house is on the market and listed in the multiple listing service (MLS).
• Arrange a garage sale. Invite your neighbors to join you and share advertising costs.
• Get a change of address kit from the post office.
• Start using up food from the freezer and non-transportable items including liquids, flammables, and chemicals, etc.

Five Weeks Before Your Move

• Start a list of friends, relatives, creditors, medical professionals, service providers, and newspapers, etc. who will need to be notified about your move.
• Pick up change of address cards from the post office and send them in, or use the secure online form at https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS to save time and effort. If you don’t know your new address, arrange for a post office box at your destination location.
• If you’re not moving directly into your new home, arrange for a storage facility or with your moving company to hold your possessions until you are ready.
• Contact your insurance carrier to verify that your belongings are covered during the move. Check to make sure that they are covering items for replacement value instead of by weight. Find out what items will need to be specially appraised and purchase any additional coverage.
• Contact your veterinarian to ensure that your pets are healthy and have all the shots they will need in their new home.
• Cancel magazine subscriptions or have them forwarded to the new address. The post office offers an online service at https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS to make this easier.
  

Four Weeks Before Your Move

• Pick up boxes, tape, packing paper and box markers. Get sheets of different colored stickers to help you color code boxes and furniture according to the room in which they should be placed.
• Set aside several clearly labeled boxes to hold the tools, dishes, utensils, towels, cleaning supplies, food/drink, and necessary papers that you will need during the move and in the first day or two in your new home.  If you have children, purchase a handful of new travel games or toys and set them aside for the move so that they will be new and interesting.
• Start packing items you won’t need before the move, beginning with the garage, basement, attic, and other storage areas.
• Plan out your route and/or travel time and book any required hotel rooms.

Three Weeks Before Your Move

• Confirm with post office that it received notification of your address change.
• Pick up any necessary school, medical, dental, and veterinary records and pick up any necessary travel medication for family members and pets.
• Refill prescriptions for the family.
• Arrange for a sitter for children and pets on moving day. 

Two Weeks Before Your Move

• Contact all local utility and service providers to arrange shut off on the day after your movers finish. (Keep your cell phone service turned on to use during the move and to provide a constant point of contact for family and friends.)
• Set up electrical, gas, water, cable, telephone, garbage, and other utilities to start service on the day you arrive in your new home.
• Have your car checked and serviced in preparation for shipping or driving.
• Give away plants, and arrange for a professional to empty propane tanks and dispose of paints, oils, ammunition, etc.
• Drain gas and oil and gas from lawn mowers and other machinery.
• Check with the mover and confirm all packing and moving arrangements.

One Weeks Before Your Move

• Pick up travelers checks and any cashiers checks needed for movers, deposits, etc.
• Pick up items from your safe deposit box and transfer savings accounts and CDs to your new destination. (Keep your checking account open and keep jewelry and other valuables with you during the move.)
• Clean your refrigerator and defrost the freezer.
• Return library books and movie rentals.
• Pack clothes and travel items.
• Pick up ready-to-eat food and snacks for moving day and travel.

Moving Day

• Supervise the movers carefully and check the bill of lading before they leave. Mark any additional information you want on the boxes to help you identify contents.
• Make sure the mover has your cell phone number or the phone number at your new home.
• Perform a final inspection after the movers depart. Turn off lights and appliances, set the thermostat to off, lock doors and windows.
• Turn over keys to your real estate agent, settlement agent, or relative.
• If the new buyer isn’t moving in right away, inform police that the house will be vacant.

Move-In Day

• Arrive early and check that the utilities and phone are working.
• Have a plan prepared to place furniture and boxes in appropriate locations. Know which boxes you want the movers to help you unpack and which boxes they will need to put safely out of the way for you to unpack over the next few weeks.
• Have your cashier's check in hand to pay the movers when they arrive.
• Check all furniture and boxes for damaged items and mark these clearly on the bill of lading. Make sure all boxes and furniture have arrived and note any missing items before signing the bill of lading.