Planning Your Move to A New Home

Planning your move to a new home far enough in advance will make the move much less stressful and flow more smoothly. By mapping out the move with a great strategy, comprehensive list, and timetable, you can feel confident and help ensure the best possible outcome.

It’s a good idea to start planning your move at least two months before the move date to make sure you have plenty of time to get everything done without feeling rushed and stressed out in the final weeks.

To help you in planning your move to a new home, download a comprehensive checklist of everything you will need to do before, during, and after your move. You can also research moving hacks to get some great time-saving and problem-solving ideas for your move.

Eight Weeks Before Your Move

Create a moving binder to keep all the important information together in one place so it’s easy to find when you need it. It’s a good idea to make a backup copy of your binder information online in case you need to access it remotely or misplace your binder. You can use free apps such as Google docs to create a text document or spreadsheet that you can access from your phone or laptop.

Begin by creating a moving budget and listing all your moving expenses so you don’t have any unexpected surprises during the moving process. You will most likely be adding to this list as you go through the planning and prep process.

If you plan to hire a moving company, start scheduling in-home estimates. Confirm they are licensed and insured and check the ratings and reviews of all companies you are considering. Get three-to-five estimates if possible.

The next thing to consider is how many of the items in your current home will be making the move with you. If your new home is smaller, it’s time to downsize. Make a list of everything you will be taking with you and take photos of each item including TV, stereo, and computer wiring and connections. The photos will come in handy later if something expensive gets damaged during the move or you can’t remember how to connect electronic components together once you’ve unpacked in your new home.

Planning your move to a new home is a great opportunity to declutter your current home and decide what you can live without. The sooner you start this process the better as you may get overwhelmed closer to moving day. If there are items you wish to sell, don’t wait until the last couple of weeks before your move. Go ahead and start selling items you know you want to get rid of as soon as possible to leave time for more important tasks as your move date gets closer.

Six Weeks Before Your Move

Decide on which moving company you are going to use and book them for the move date. If you are renting a truck instead, go ahead and get it reserved for the big day along with moving pads, a hand truck, and whatever else you may need that day. Contact whoever will be helping you load and unload and schedule them for the move date.

Take care of any home and car maintenance that needs to be done before the move, so you don’t have any last-minute surprises.

Add a list to your binder of all your doctors, dentists, veterinarians, clubs, friends and relatives, and anyone else who needs to be notified of your new address. Make a list of utility companies that you will need to stop services from such as power, water, gas, refuse, cable, etc.

If you are moving out of town, you will need to set up accounts for the same services at your new home. You can do that in advance and let them know the start date. Get referrals for healthcare and other services from your current providers or by searching online.

Make a list of all the packing materials you will need and decide where to get them. You can get boxes and other packing materials for free, but you may want to buy them to have clean new boxes and packing materials. Don’t forget to get mattress bags and packing paper too. You may also want to buy a few wardrobe boxes for your best clothes. You can search online for the best prices on packing materials from companies like ULINE and Amazon or pick them up locally at places like Home Depot.

Begin packing the items you don’t use very often and pack a few boxes each week to keep it from being a monumental task later.

Four Weeks Before Your Move

Gather all your important financial, legal and medical documents and put them in a folder to take with you during the move. Make sure to include birth certificates and passports. You may want to scan the documents and upload them to a secure online backup service or make copies to keep with a friend or relative until after the move.

Purchase moving insurance to cover your belongings during the move and let your homeowner’s insurance company know when you are moving.

Go through your binder list and schedule service cutoff dates for all utilities at your current home and schedule service installation and turn-on dates at your new address.

If you are moving a long distance, go ahead and plan your route and book hotels along the way.

Have a garage sale and get rid of anything you still have that you won’t be taking with you. Donate anything you don’t sell to local charities and non-profit organizations. Continue organizing and packing!

Two Weeks Before Your Move

Backup computer files to a secure online backup service and create a list of all your login information for online apps and websites in your binder and back it up online.

Make sure all utilities and refuse pickup are scheduled to be turned off at your current address and connected or started at your new address.

If you are moving out of town, make sure to retrieve anything that was borrowed from you and return anything you borrowed from friends and neighbors. Cancel gym and club memberships and clean out your locker.

Go by your bank and remove everything from your safety deposit box. fill any prescriptions and have them transferred to your new pharmacy.

Double-check with your moving company or truck rental office that everything is on schedule for your move date.

Update your address with your bank and credit card companies and don’t forget to do the same for Social Security and Medicare if applicable.

Pick up the pace with organizing and packing. Use colored labels to make it easy to determine which boxes go in which rooms of your new home.

The Day Before Your Move

In all the hustle of moving day, it’s easy to forget simple things like a change of clothes, meals, water and other essentials. Make sure to plan ahead and all have those things set aside so you not only have them on moving day but after you arrive at your new home. It may take a while to get things unpacked so make sure you pack a suitcase with enough clothes for a few days.

Run any last-minute errands you still need to do so you don’t have to think about anything else on move day.

Moving Day

This will vary depending on whether you are moving a short distance, across town or across the country.

In any case, take inventory of all belongings and check your mover’s inventory sheet once they are finished loading to make sure they have everything on the list in case something goes missing.

Do a final sweep of your home to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything before you leave.

After Moving

There are a few important things you will need to remember to do once you are living in your new home. If you didn’t buy or build a new house, you should change the locks on your home and take care of any detailed cleaning or maintenance issues. Send your change of address to your home and auto insurance company and any government agencies such as the state and the IRS. Update your driver’s license with your new address. If you moved to a new state, you will need to get a new license and possibly find a new insurance company for home and auto insurance. Don’t forget to update your voter registration! And, last but not least, you did the work planning your move to a new home, so check out the amenities in your new community and enjoy your new home!