Lists of Things to Do When Moving Out of State

Preparation

• Start preparing for the move as soon as possible. At least eight weeks should allow you ample time. Organizing personal belongings and household items are one of the first things to do. Separate items into two groups: possessions to keep and possessions s to throw out. Bringing unnecessary items will make the move more difficult. Gather packing materials, such as boxes and tape, ahead of time to make the process easier.

Moving Arrangements

• Moving arrangements should be made at least six weeks prior to the scheduled moving day. A moving company should be contracted, travel arrangements completed and final details of the new home worked out. These details need to be in place before moving.

Contact Information

• The new contact information should be given to important people such as friends, family or business associates, about two or three weeks in advance. People should have the information of the new location just in case a situation arises. The local post office should be notified of a forwarding address. Utility companies, such as telephone, electric and gas, need to be notified of shutoff and start dates for the old and new locations. Other companies such as banks, doctors and local government agencies should be supplied with the new contact information.

Final Preparations

• Final preparations should be made about two weeks prior to the moving date. During this time, verify moving dates with the contracted movers and real estate agency. Make any last minute changes. If you are not driving to the new destination, arrangements need to be made for vehicles and pets. All nonessential items should be packed away at this time. Perishable items need to be thrown away. At about one week before the moving date, all items should be packed away and labeled. Prescription medications need to be transferred from the old pharmacy to the new. Cleaning should begin on the old space.

Moving Day

• Moving day will be a busy one while you are dealing with moving vans and overseeing the movers. Last minute cleaning of the old house should be done after everything is moved out. Staying on schedule as much as possible while traveling to the new destination is important. After arriving at the new location, cleaning may need to be done. Check in with the movers to determine when they will be there with the belongings.