How to Create a Moving and Storage Checklist
Create a Moving and Storage Checklist
A good plan makes moving into a new home far easier than approaching it without any idea of what you need to do. Moving and storage checklists are a handy way to make sure you are on the right track, and the following plan will help you get your move off without a hitch. The key to a smooth transition from one home to the next is starting early. With this plan, we’ll start two months out, which should give anyone plenty of time.
Eight Weeks Prior to the Move
- Stop buying long term, bulk items
- Make a list of everyone you need to notify about the move – friends, employer, creditors, banks, and subscriptions
- Spend time talking with your children about moving
- Start looking for a storage company
- Make sure you have all of your paperwork for vehicles, as well as personal and legal records and documents
Five Weeks Prior to the Move
- Send a change of address form to the post office
- Consider how you will move your pets to the new location
- Arrange for the start of utilities at your new place and arrange for the disconnect of utilities at the current residence after your last day there
- Plan a yard sale to sell some of the items you do not need
- Start donating items to charity
Four Weeks Prior to the Move
- Consider how you will decorate your new home and arrange the furniture
- Start looking for a moving company, or begin buying your own supplies if packing on your own
- Make sure your vehicle is in good enough condition to get to your destination
- Look for a rental truck if you are moving on your own
- Begin packing items you rarely use
Two Weeks Prior to the Move
- Continue packing and labeling your boxes
- Drain gas from lawn mowers
- Start saying goodbye to friends
A Few Days Prior to the Move
- Check to make sure the utilities are on in your new home
- Prepare driving directions to your new place
- Defrost the fridge and freezer
- Prepare a survival kit of essentials and a box of necessary personal items for moving day – these go in the car with you rather than the moving truck
Moving Day
- Prepare the final boxes for moving
- Load everything into the moving truck, or let the movers handle it
- Make sure everything is loaded into the truck
- Make sure the home is clean when you leave
- Arrive to the new home before the movers do
- Bring in the boxes, and place the large furniture
- Set up computers and televisions for cable and Internet installation
This checklist should cover nearly everything you have to do leading up to your move. Feel free to add to, subtract from, and adjust the list to suit your needs. Having the list will make your move much easier whether moving on your own or with the help of the pros.
