Even from the first news that you’ll be moving, whether around the block or cross country, there is a lot that can be done to prepare for your move. I have moved 9 times in my married life – sometimes on our own and sometimes with a moving company. Either way, it is a whole lot of work, but worth it!
- Make a household inventory (there’s a fine one in Home ePlanner).
- Create a file for moving paperwork.
- Reserve a moving company/moving truck.
- Schedule disconnection/connection of utilities.
- Transfer medical/school records.
- Return library books.
- Change address on magazines and all accounts.
- Create floorplan of new home so you know where everything is going.
- Make travel plans for during move.
- Be sure water, furnace, air conditioner, and lights are off. Note all utility meter readings.
For a chance to win a Moving ePlanner, please leave a comment telling about a move you have made in the past.
View Comments (6)
Using Random.org to randomly find a winner, the new owner of a Moving ePlanner from ListPlanIt.com is. . .
Nicole (SAHM Ramblings)!
This is a great list. We just moved two weeks ago, and I don't care how organized you are, it is a beating! We listed all room and contents on outside of boxes, and it really helped, but with kids doing some of their own packing, we still had lots of boxes labeled "stuff." Sheesh. I just forward the mail to my new address, then I change subscriptions, bills, etc when they get delivered to the new place.
Thanks for stopping by - so nice to meet you here and on your planner blog!
Katherine
hey! i hope u have fun with your kids today at the family fun fest!
I have moved 3 time sin the last two years and am about to move again this fall.
my husband is in the navy. he is deployed and i moved back to CA to be with my parents. so i had to pack our whole apartment by myself, organize the movers, clean the apartment, and everything else!
needless to say, i felt accomplished and strong after all of that.
take care!
Melissa
http://www.lifeofanavywife.blogspot.com
I was exactly the opposite of Mara. On my first move - the one that I was able to be organized for, I had a cheat sheet of all the belongings and the boxes were marked very simply by number. When we added the moving company sticker, we cross referenced to my list. I was told that if the moving/storage company had a theft problem, then marking the boxes made it easy for them. But for this most recent move, the one where we had two kids to deal with at the same time, boxes simply got marked with their room destination. I know we lost some boxes in the move because some things are missing but it was most likely just delivered to the family before or after us. It was chaos and I regret it.
When I was 12 yrs. old my father was stationed in France. There were so many restrictions on what we could take and how much. I learned how to choose only essentials and let go of sentiment.
It was hard but there was no choice. I still think of the gifts I threw away that my brother had given me. He died five years later.
One of the things I try to do when we move is to list items on an index card and tape it to the box so I'll be able to find what I need easier when we get into the new house.
Also, write the name of the room on the outside of the box in big letters so those moving them into the house know where they go. That way, they're already in the rooms they need be when you need to start unpacking.