Relocating to a new house is often an exciting time, but it does come with its own set of stress-inducing tasks.
There’s a long list of to-dos and many moving pieces within the whole process. Missed details can make the whole relocation process more stressful than it already is. A moving checklist can help ensure that everything stays under control during what can otherwise be a chaotic time. Consider the following best practices as part of your moving into a new home checklist.
It goes without saying that relocation involves substantial costs. Hiring professional movers, buying packing materials, and numerous other expenses are going to come up. You won’t want to lose track of your spending for the entire process, so it’s always wise to create a budget for the move.
It’s not a good idea to hire the first moving company you come across in a telephone directory or online. You need to know which ones can give you the best service at the best possible price. So do your research, get the names and contact information of three licensed and insured movers at the very least, and ask for quotes.
If you have kids, then you would want to know beforehand about their school options when they get there. Do some research and get the names and contact details of the schools in your neighborhood so you can check which ones would be best for your children. Additionally, it can be helpful to collect your children’s transcripts so the new school has all the necessary information to continue their school work.
It’s going to add one more problem if you’re not sure if your things—like your favorite but incredibly massive couch—would fit through the front door or in the new home living room. So visit your future home and take the necessary measurements to see if you can bring your couch with you, or you’ll have to get rid of it because it just won’t fit.
Holding a garage sale is a great way to get rid of some unnecessary items before you move. Your garage sale profits can also help offset some of your upcoming moving expenses. Anything that doesn’t sell, donate. Having a bit of extra room might also save you money by allowing you to rent a smaller truck or hire a smaller team to help with the move!
Moving insurance is easily overlooked, but if you have some items that are expensive and would be hard to replace, it is a good idea to purchase insurance. Moving insurance doesn’t have to be expensive either, you can usually find policies that cost about one percent of the value of the items covered.
Another best practice when moving is to develop a system to organize all of your important documents if you haven’t already. If you need one, buy a file folder to store documents like birth and marriage certificates, financial documents, government identifications, etc. Once you have your documents organized, it’s important to keep those close during the move. Those should probably stay in your possession instead of being piled into the moving truck.
Always keep in mind that you need to transfer the gas, electricity, and water to your new house long before moving day to give the city enough time to get them up and running by the time you get there.
Your credit card company, magazine publishers, and correspondents will want to know your new address so don’t forget to notify them. This includes updating your voter registration. You should also share your new location with your friends and family.
There’s simply no way for you to know if you’re the only one who has the keys to every lock in your new home. If you want to keep your family safe, the smartest thing to do would be to change all the locks in your new house. You can do it yourself, or you can hire a local locksmith for the job.
Moving will always be stressful, but if you have a checklist of your to-dos in relation to the move, everything should be a bit easier. For more specific packing tips, be sure to check out our blog too!
08/05/2019
SCHEDULE A VISIT