Homes: Moving Tips
Moving from one home to another, sometimes even one community to another, is both a time of great excitement and great stress. Here are some tips:
Getting Ready:
- Designate one drawer or a dresser for first-night essentials (sheets, towels, toiletries, plates). Load this last, unload it first.
- Reduce your load by having a garage sale beforehand. Consider the cost of shipping vs the cost of replacement for cross-country moves.
- Pack seldom-used or out-of-season items ahead of time
- Notify friends & relatives of your move. Start submitting change-of-address forms to post office.
- If you have kids, arrange all documents for changing kid's schools
- Gather all important personal, insurance, medical and dental documents
- Arrange disconnect and re-connect of utilities and telephone service
- Transfer banking (savings accounts, personal loans) to the new location
- Return any library books
Packing:
- Keep your pets out of the way (at a friends house) during loading
- pack heavy items in small boxes, light items in larger boxes (to keep weights more consistent)
- Remove bulbs from lamps
- Put pictures in boxes between sheets, blankets or towels for extra protection
- Stack plates and record albums on end vertically, not flat and stacked
- Have kids label their own room's boxes so they become familiar with the new address
- Take your current phone book with you. You may need to call people in your former hometown.
- Dispose of flammable liquids (contact the local fire department)
- Pick up dry-cleaning
Finishing Off:
- Clean all appliances, including the oven. Defrost the fridge
- Before the van leaves for your destination, give the driver a phone number where you can be reached (If you don't have a cellphone, this is a good time to get one with a pay-as-you-go plan)
- Write down your move Registration Number in case you have any questions.
- After cleaning your refrigerator, put an half-cup of coffee grinds, baking soda or charcoal in a sock to keep it smelling fresh.
- Wrap plants well for cold-weather moving (layers of cleaner bags are great). In hot weather, keep them away from windows and exterior walls of vans.
- Check all shelves, closets, and storage areas for items left behind
- At the destination, unload the TV first to keep the kids occupied during unloading
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