Buyer - Checklist for Moving
Two Months Before -
- Sort through your belongings to reduce the number of items.
- Have a garage sale or donate items to charity.
- Decide whether to move yourself or hire professionals.
- Make reservations with a moving company or truck rental company. Tip: Call three companies for pricing estimates
- Gather packing supplies: boxes, packing material, tape, felt markers, and scissors.
- Moving long distance, make travel arrangements with airline, hotel, and rental car agency.
- If driving to your new home, gather maps and plan your travel route.
- Save all moving receipts, some moving expenses may be tax deductible.
- Place your legal, medical, financial, and insurance records in a safe place.
- Purchase insurance coverage for valuables being moved.
One Month Prior to the Move -
- Start packing items that aren't regularly used such as off-season clothes, decorations and items in storage.
- Make travel arrangements for your pets.
- If driving, get a car tuned.
- Get medical records from your doctor, dentist, optometrist, and veterinarian.
- Send items (rugs, drapes, clothing, quilts, etc., to the cleaners.
- Back up important computer files to floppy disk or CD.
- Contact bank to make arrangements for account transfer.
Two Weeks Prior to the Move -
- Contact your utility companies (gas, electric, water, cable, trash collector, and
local phone service providers) to notify them of your move. - Sign up for services at your new address.
- Contact your long distance phone company and notify them of your move.
- Contact phone company for your new address.
- Confirm your travel reservations.
- Arrange to close or transfer your bank account.
- Set up bank account with your new address.
- Gather items from safety deposit box.
One Week Prior to Your move -
- Pick up items from the cleaners, repair shops, or friends.
- Pack a survival kit of clothes, medicines, special foods, etc,
to carry you through the day after your arrival at your new home. - Finish packing all boxes minus what you'll need in the final week.
- Inform the post office of your upcoming move.
- Send change-of-address cards with your new address and phone number to:
- Friends and family, Banks, insurance companies, credit card companies, and other financial institutions
- Magazines and newspapers, Doctors, lawyer, accountant, Realtor, and other service providers,
- State and federal tax authorities and any other government agencies as needed,
- Workplace, schools, and alma maters
- Voter registration office and motor vehicle bureau.
- Do not purchase perishable food.
- Have home cleaning supplies ready.
The Day Before Your Move
- Pad corners and stairways of house.
- Lay down old sheets in the entry and hallways to protect floor coverings.
- Remove hanging fixtures.
- If moving yourself, pick up the rental truck and a hand truck or dolly to move boxes.
- If you're driving, check oil and gas in your car.
- If you're traveling, make sure you have tickets, charge cards, and other essentials.
- Clean and defrost refrigerator and freezer.
Moving Day - Carry With You:
- The keys to your new home – change locks with one set for all doors.
- Map of new town and directions to your house.
- The telephone number of the moving company.
- Cash or traveler's checks.
- Documentation related to the sale of your home.
- Your insurance policies and agent's phone number.
- Your current address book or personal planner.
- Prescription and non-prescription medicines.
- Enough clothing to get by if the movers are late.
- Any important personal records and documents.
- Any items of great personal value to you that are irreplaceable, example: photo album.
- Back-up copies of important computer files.
- Sheets and towels for the first night in your new home.
- Personal hygiene items (for example, toothpaste, soap, razor).
Arrival Day
- Show movers where to place furniture and boxes.
- Check inventory to ensure that everything was delivered before signing delivery papers.
- Check for damages on the inventory sheet.
- Tip: Have the movers read off the inventory numbers on boxes and furniture while you check the inventory list.
- Unpack any valuable items, such as silver, art, and jewelry, upon arrival.
- Check furnace and hot water heater, appliances.
After the Move
- Walk and drive around your neighborhood and community to orient yourself
- Get new driver's licenses, library cards, voter registration cards.
- Enroll children in school.
- Arrange for medical services: doctor, dentist, veterinarian, etc.
- RELAX & ENJOY!!
Welcome - we look forward to helping you with any questions.
Call us at 508-842-1700 or e-mail homes@bilazarian.com.