First things first—hire a mover!
As soon as you have an idea on when you will be moving—start getting quotes from moving companies. Go over your moving options and budget and decide if you will need to take advantage of some of the services a professional mover can help you with. This includes supplying you with moving supplies, packing, unpacking, and more. After you get some quotes and get an idea of what services you can afford, you can map out the rest of your moving checklist.

Get organized.
Keep a file of everything that relates to your move. This includes your moving checklist, paperwork and receipts from your chosen mover, a thorough checklist of everything that is going to be moved, names and numbers to utility companies for your current home and your new home, and anything else you feel is related to your move.

Sort through your belongings—take what you need and leave what you don’t.
We all somehow seem to accumulate more things in our homes over time. When deciding to move, it is a good idea to take some time out and go through all of those things. Keep what you want or need, and then get rid of everything else. Give your unwanted items to family members or neighbors who need them. Donate it to charity if you want to. Why pay money to transport things to your new place that you are never going to use anyway? This task is one that you do not want to stray from on your moving checklist. Not only will you save money by paying to move fewer things, you will also get a chance to organize your belongings so that what you do want to keep can be found easily.

Start packing.
Next agenda on your moving checklist is to start packing. Make sure as you are sorting through your things, that you keep extremely valuable items off to the side. You may want to consider transporting highly valuable family heirlooms with you during your move. While moving companies are required by law to carry insurance, some things just can’t be replaced—family heirlooms are one of them. Accidents can happen, and you will feel more comfortable knowing these items are with you if they do. When packing your belongings, make sure every box is labeled. Not only does it make it easier for you to find things in your new home, it helps the movers know what is fragile and what it not.

Keep in touch with your movers.
As moving day gets closer, it is always a good idea to touch base with your moving company to make sure everything is still going as planned. Things happen that are beyond anyone’s control—staff can get sick, a moving truck can start to have mechanical issues, and inclement weather can delay your move. Make it a priority on your moving checklist to keep in touch with your movers.

Make sure to notify the USPS of your move.
Fill out a change of address form on the USPS website or by going into your local branch. This way your mail is forwarded to your new location. This is a must-do on your moving checklist.

Contact anyone else you feel may need to know about your move.
If you have kids in school, you will obviously need to advise the school of your move. You will also need to notify your bank, utility companies, and anybody else you feel needs to be notified of your move.

As moving day approaches, you will start to think of additional things to add or go over on your moving checklist. As long as you have a moving checklist to reference, you will do just fine with your move.

Your moving checklist will contain easily remembered items such as gathering boxes and packing items you seldom use first, such as off-season clothes, holiday decorations, and small appliances that you might not need for a few weeks. Getting these out of the way helps reduce the last-minute packing rush.

There are other items that might not be as easy to remember, so make sure they get included on your moving checklist. You need to change your address with everyone, including credit card companies, insurance, magazine subscriptions, friends and relatives, and anyone you do business with. File a change of address with the post office, which covers anything that might fall through the notification cracks, but try to notify as many businesses as possible. You don’t want your bills getting delayed even a few days because of a forwarding order.

Don’t forget to add utility companies to your moving checklist. If you are moving within the same utility region, you just need to contact each utility to shut off the old service, start the new service, and update your mailing address. If you are moving to a new utility district, you’ll have to shut off the service with one company, then contact the new company to arrange start-up service in your new home.

Other items that you might forget include medical, dental, and veterinary records. If you are moving locally and plan to keep the same providers, you don’t need to worry about this. However, for a long-distance move, make sure you include these items on your moving checklist. You can get a copy of your records or arrange to have them transferred. Don’t forget the school records, as this will make enrolling in a new school easier.

The main point of a moving checklist is to take the time to sit down and consider each part of your move. Whether it’s estimating how long it will take to pack, making a list of companies to contact, or scheduling services, the moving checklist really just gives you an organized way to plan your move. Whether it’s a local or cross-country move, buying and selling homes simultaneously, or just moving to a new apartment, any move can be stressful. The more thought and planning you put into the move, the more smoothly it will run, which means less stress for you.

Regardless of the type of moving checklist you are creating, one of the first items should be to schedule your moving company. You don’t want to wait until the last minute and find that you can’t find a good mover for the date you want. Get this scheduled, then you can use that as the starting point for your checklist. For more information about our services and a price quote, fill out the above quote form.