GET ORGANIZED!

• • Set aside time each day to work on your move – consider it a part-time job and find ways to pay or reward yourself for the effort.
  • Become familiar with the jargon related to moving.
  • Create a Moving Binder. This binder will NOT go on the moving truck. It stays with you at all times.

MOVING COMPANY

• • Contact Cummings Moving Company for a Free Moving Quote.
  • Choose your mover and get your move date on the books ASAP – weekends and end-of-month dates go fast!
  • Decide who will be packing your belongings for the move.

LEASING

• • If renting, submit final notice to your landlord in writing. Check your lease to make sure you have enough lead-time.
  • If renting, make sure you have (or get) a copy of your new lease and proof of security deposit and first month’s rent. You will want to have the paperwork on hand when you arrive at your new digs.
  • Make specific plans to get keys to your new place and put date in your calendar so you make sure you have them well ahead of your move date.

GATHER PAPERWORK

• • Pull together all important paperwork. Place in Moving Binder or portable file box to take in car or carry on plane with you. This will NOT go on the moving truck. It stays with you at all times and includes medical/dental records, prescription and vaccination records, eyeglasses prescription and copies of your insurance cards.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS

• • Make all travel arrangements needed for your move now while you can still get EXACTLY what you need for an easy time of it. Include plane, train, rental car, hotel and any other reservations you may need. Keep all your reservation information in one place. Since you likely have her family in toe, consider buying trip insurance for this adventure.

HOME ORGANIZATION

• • Move items from your attic, basement, storage areas and hall closets into your home – begin to prune, purge and pack the seasonal items you will not use for many months.
  • Take a good look around your home to see what can be sold, donated or tossed. Take some swift and decisive action and get the ball rolling.
  • Make a list of items to sell and determine if they require the help of an auction house of if you can sell them yourself on eBay or craigslist. Maybe you want to have a garage sale. Weigh the value and return-on-investment of your time, versus donating items for a tax write-off. Set dates for listing items online and/or dates for a garage sale – get this in motion now. Plan to have these items GONE – sold or donated – a full 30 days before your move.
  • Make list of charitable organizations in your area that will pick-up items from you. Make a note of how much notice each needs in order to schedule a pick-up. Consider getting a date on the books with ONE of them now, for a date 2-3 weeks before your scheduled move. Make sure to find out what they do NOT take – mattresses for instance.
  • Start to shop your kitchen. Start enjoying the things you can’t move easily such as refrigerated and frozen foods, glass jars from pantry and bottles of liqueur and wine.
  • Put ALL your cleaning supplies in one central location. Many of them will not be allowed on the moving truck and will need moved in your car. So use them up now!
  • Make a few “Packing Kits” and put them around the house. A Packing Kit is essentially a shoebox which includes the things you need to easily pack a box in that room. Scroll to the end of this blog post for the “Packing Kit Checklist.”

NEW HOME

• • Check with Chamber of Commerce in your new city for info about community programs, schools, parks and utility providers locally. Ask for some leads on contractors, plumbers and hand-folks in the area, just in case you have a surprise when you get to town!
  • If you have kids, this is the time to begin to get your children involved in the process and excited about what’s to come.

PACKING TO-DO’S

• Begin to collect and/or purchase packing materials.
• Start a Checklist for contents of your “LAST ON – FIRST OFF” box