Moving Check List

If you search the internet for moving lists, you are bound to see hundreds, if not thousands, of check lists for moving into a new place. Well, when I sat down to start making a list of things I needed to do before and after the move, I thought hell, why not, I’ll add one more list to the results myself. So here is my list of things to do for a move. Feel free to comment if I left anything out!

Before The Move

Keys – Before you move, make sure to grab all your spare keys for your house, garage, mailbox, etc… from friends and relatives.

Reserve a Truck – Make sure to reserve your truck in plenty of enough time, especially if you live in a smaller city, to make sure you get a moving truck. UHaul, Budget, and Penske offer truck reservations online and make it quick and easy without even the need to pick up a phone.

Give Notice To Your Landlord – This applies only to renters of course. Most leases will require the renter to give a notice to the landlord a specific period of time before they move out. Most leases are 30 days, but be sure to check the original lease.

Estimate Boxes – This is pretty important. I’ve moved over 15 times in my life growing up, and I’m up to about 18 as an adult. One thing my parents and I always did was over buy boxes. Sure if you don’t use them all you can just store them somewhere. However this takes up space and requires you to sink money in the boxes that might end up ruined by the time you move out anyway. The best thing you can do is go to each room and estimate how many boxes and of what size.

Get a Tape Gun – You might think this is a waste of money, but wait until you start taping and cutting boxes. A six dollar tape gun is well worth the money for all the work you are about to do. Also, make sure to have at least two rolls of tape on hand through out the time before the move. This will ensure that you will have a backup roll so you don’t stop the packing, but will also prevent you from over buying tape.

Turn Off/On Utilities – Once you know your exact move in date, make a list of all your utilities and make sure to call each one to turn it off. Then, turn around and activate your new utilities at the new location to make sure you are only paying up until you move in date on your old location and only the move in date on for the new location. A list of some possible utilities include :

  • Electric
  • Water
  • Cable
  • Phone
  • Garbage
  • Recycling
  • Sewer

Financial Debt – Most people in the world have some sort of debt, whether it be a house, student loans, or a car. If this pertains to you, then it is probably wise to switch the address over just before you move to prevent any chance of you loosing track of a bill and start to get some very annoying phone calls.

Change of Address – The post office will need to know where to send your mail if you receive any at your old address. The USPS has a great online option to use that’s quick. You’ll want to make sure you do this a few days before you move since it will take a few days for the change of address to take effect.

After The Move

Switch Over Work Items – Most employers will offer a few benefits including insurance, and maybe some memberships. These items may not require immediate attention before the move, but should be done shortly after you move into your new place. These items could include :

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • IRA Information
  • Health Savings Account Information

Entertainment – This includes items that you may receive on a monthly basis or randomly like Netflix. To prevent your items from ending up in the wrong hands, switch them over shortly after your move. Some of these items would include :

  • Magazine subscriptions
  • Netflix
  • Book club subscriptions

Cell Phone – Pretty straight forward. As soon as you move, make sure you change your address so the cell phone companies know where to send the bill.

Identification Cards – When moving across town, it might just be as simple as getting a new drivers license with an updated address. If you are moving to a different state, then you will need to find a local DMV and update you license. This process might take a little longer and will usually require some proofs of identification other than your current license.

Misc. Income – This will include things like your google adsense account, your freelance work on misc websites, etc… It’s best sit down and make a list of all the sources shortly after you move in to make sure you are still getting paid.

Jacob Saylor

Software developer in Kentucky

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