Moving, especially to another state or country, takes work and planning. You will thus need a timeline to help you keep tabs on what you need to do and when you should do it.
Plan Early
When planning your timeline, you need to consider when you will move, where you will move, and how to get there. For example, most people move between the months of May and September. If you’re in that group, you need to book a moving company at least a month before the moving date. If you’re moving during the off-season, you can wait until about two weeks before the move to book movers.
If you’re moving to another country, you need to start planning things a year before the move, and you need to start with such items like the following:
- Applying for a visa
- Deciding what to do with your home
- Researching international moving companies
- Researching airlines
- Deciding what to do with your car and/or pets
While moving to another state won’t require a year’s worth of planning, you will still need a timeline to stay on track. If you own a house, you need to consult a real estate agent as soon as you know that you’re moving. They can tell you what the market is like and if you need to make any repairs or upgrades to make the house more marketable. They can help you set up a timeline for anything related to your current house.
For an interstate move, your timeline should look like the one below.
Eight weeks before the move:
- Set up a notebook or folder for all of the paperwork and notes related to the move.
- Set up another file for all important documents like passports, medical records, birth certificates, etc.
- Sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or sell.
- If you have kids, start the process for enrolling them at a new school.
Six weeks before the move:
- Contact your doctor to ask for your family’s medical records.
- Notify your kids’ current school about the impending move and ask for their records.
Five weeks before the move:
- Book a moving company, especially if you’re moving during the summer. Cheap movers Boston suggest you avoid booking a Friday or weekend, for those tend to be the busiest days.
Four weeks before the move:
- Start packing up things you won’t need in the near future like off-season clothing. Remember to label the boxes.
- If you live in a rental, tell your landlord about the move and ask when you can get your security deposit back.
- Start setting up utilities at your new home and inform your current utilities of the move.
Three weeks before the move:
- Get your car serviced, especially if you plan on driving to your new home.
- Tell your home and auto insurance agents about your move and ask them if they can transfer your policies.
- Fill out a change of address form on the USPS website.
- Make arrangements to transport pets and/or indoor plants.
Two weeks before the move:
- Start packing almost everything else. Keep valuables separate so you can carry them with you.
- If necessary, hire cleaners to scrub your new home.
One week before the move:
- Confirm the date and time with the moving company.
- Start packing a suitcase with everything you will need immediately at your new home.
- On the day before you leave, clean out your fridge, freezer, pantry, and cupboards.
- Contact your new landlord or real estate agent to make sure somebody will be present to let you and the movers in.
Moving Day:
- Work with the movers by pointing out large or fragile items. Do a final check of your old home to make sure nothing has been forgotten. Sign the bill of lading when you’re certain that you have accounted for everything.