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Moving Checklist and Packing Tips

Moving is a very stressful time because there seems to be so many details to attend to and any kind of change is hard for most people. If you use checklists and write everything down, it becomes manageable. Here are some helpful guidelines to get you started.

1. Sort through all your belongings, hold a garage sale, and then give away the rest of the items to friends or charities.

2. Call moving companies and begin getting estimates.

3. Check with your insurance company about coverage on valuable pieces regarding the move or if items will be stored.

4. Start using items up like frozen foods and cleaning products. Pack a small cleaning supply bucket for your new home and carry it with you into your new home.

5. Make a list of all friends, family and co-workers whom you will be notifying of your move.

6. Make a list of all credit card companies, banks, insurance companies, etc... Fill out change of address forms.

7. Notify the Post Office of your new forwarding address, or go online at http://moversguide.usps.com/ and fill out the form.

8. Make a color coded floor plan of your new home, then go through your things and put stickers on furniture and items that will correspond to the color coded rooms of your new house. If you are not packing up your own items, this will help the moving company tremendously to pack and unpack in the right locations. (When you arrive in your new home, put the color coded stickers in the rooms.)

9. If you are moving to a new State, get drivers license info, car registration info from their DMV.

10. Ask all your Doctors about referrals for the new town, have all medical and dental records transferred to the new doctors. **Get extra prescriptions of your medicines.**

11. Transfer all school records to the new schools.

12. Contact all utility, phone and cable providers for both homes.

13. Pack a “First Open” box with such items as paper plates, plastic dinnerware, cups, toilet paper, soap, toothbrushes, shampoo, scissors, box openers, work gloves, garbage bags, address book, snacks and a few basic tools.

14. If you are packing items yourself, try to keep the weight under 50 lbs.

15. Label every side of the container.

16. Use your sheets, towels and linens to pack around breakable items. Don’t leave empty spaces in boxes, the items are more prone to shift and break.

17. Use your big pots to pack kitchen items and tape the lids closed.

18. Wrap every fragile item separately with newspapers or bubble wrap.

19. Get the children involved. Let them pack their things. Have them put aside one or two special toys to take in the car during the trip.

20. Pets – moving day is very chaotic. Keep them safe in a locked room or bathroom so they don’t escape with all people in and out. Make sure you put their food in your “open first” box. Have their carriers all ready to go with a few of their toys stashed inside. **Make sure their tags have your cell phone number and/or new address just in case they get lost**

21. If traveling by plane, check with the airline for their requirements regarding pets.

22. Empty your safe deposit box.

23. Empty your refrigerator.

24. Let friends or relative know your exact route to your new home.

25. If traveling by car, have your car serviced 1 week before.

26. Upon arriving at your new home, once unloading begins, make a note of any damaged or missing items on the bill of lading and notify your move coordinator of same.

27. If you are moving yourself and need help, call the local High School to see if there are any teenagers looking for work. Who knows, you might also find one or two good babysitters too!

28. If possible, go online to Pea Pods or a similar store and have food ordered and ready to be delivered the next day.

I hope this list helps your move go more smoothly but most importantly less stressful. I have lists of suggested moving companies, so please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any more information.

*Written by April Gasparino. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior written authorization.