Moving Timeline
Getting Ready For a Move Takes Time. Plan Ahead & Stay Organized
When you’re planning for a move, almost everything you do will take longer than you expect. Use that thought as a motivator to stay on track. Then make your mantra: Plan ahead and stay organized.
Here’s a timeline to help you to just that.
8 weeks before
- Pick a mover
- Make an inventory of everything you plan on moving
- Decide what goes in the truck, car or trash
- Consider where you want to place furniture your new home
6 weeks before
- Clean out closets
- Have a yard sale
- Transfer academic records to your kids’ new school
- Transfer medical records to your new doctor
4 weeks before
- Confirm the booking with your moving company
- Arrange to have the movers come over two days before moving day, if they are packing for you
- Get boxes and packing tape if you are packing yourself
- Start packing out-of-season clothing and other items you won’t need right away
- Fill out change-of-address cards at the post office
- Notify friends, family, the bank and your insurance agent of your new address
- Send a change-of-address email to publishers for your magazine subscriptions
- Collect all your important papers, such as birth certificates, passports, and medical and dental records
3 weeks before
- Arrange to have the utilities disconnected a few days after the move
- Get the utilities set up at your new residence
- Start packing room by room
- Arrange for a babysitter on moving day if you need one
- Reserve the freight elevator in your building for moving day
2 weeks before
- Arrange to move plants and pets
- Get rid of items you’re not allowed to move, such as gasoline and propane
- Keep packing
- Consider hiring a plumber or electrician to disconnect appliances you plan to move
1 week before
- Open your new bank accounts if you’re making a long-distance move
- Make sure you have enough medication to last through the move
- Have your doctor write a new prescription you can fill after you move
- Disconnect any appliances you’ll be movin
- Drain gas and oil from any power equipment you’ll be moving
- Finish packing
- Pack a bag of first-night essentials, including a broom, dustpan, garbage bags and light bulbs
Moving Day
- Supervise the move
- Strip your beds
- Ensure that everything gets on the truck
