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Buying a Home - Moving Day

7. Moving Day!

Moving day starts weeks before the day of the closing.  Planning ahead makes this a day of hard work and celebration.  Some ideas and checklist items:

• Deciding what to move and what not to move. Possibly plan a garage sale!
• Getting estimates from several moving companies or truck rental companies, depending on how you plan to make the move.
• Planning your travel itinerary and making transportation and lodging reservations in advance. (Leave a copy with a friend or relative.)
• Transferring your bank accounts. They will be happy to open your accounts by mail.
• Contacting your local credit bureau to find out if they are on the same system your new home town subscribes to; if not, they will be able to transfer your credit file.
• Requesting records from doctors and dentists, including eye glass prescriptions, dental x-rays and vaccinations.
• Obtaining your children's school records to make for an easier transfer.
• Drawing up a floor plan of where your furniture should be placed. This will help avoid confusion for you and your movers.
• Paying existing bills and closing out local charge accounts.
• Recording expenses incurred during your house-hunting trips. You will also want to save your moving expense receipts (if the move is employment-related) for tax deductions.

• Deciding what to move and what not to move. Possibly plan a garage sale (extra cash & less to move).

• Getting estimates from several moving companies, or truck rental companies if you’re moving yourself. Be sure to obtain a hand truck (appliance dolly) if you’re moving yourself.

• Arranging transfer of children’s school records if applicable.

• Drawing up a floor plan of where your furniture should be placed to avoid confusion for you and/or your movers.

• Arranging any special movers, such as for an expensive piano, or such as is necessary to break down and move a pool table or above-ground swimming pool.

• Cancel or transfer deliveries, newspaper, garbage collection, etc. Coordinate the transfer of gas, electric, (water & sewer when not handled by title company.) with the next occupant of your old home, as well as with the previous owner of your new home, so as to avoid lapses in service and extra re-start expenses.

• Check on personal items that might be at the photo shop, bank safe deposit box, a neighbor’s house, on lay-away or in the repair shop (i.e., shoe repair, jewelry store, small appliance repair or dressmaker).

• Make arrangements for transporting your plants and pets.

• Save the phone book from your former city residence for tying up loose ends or for future correspondence.

• Transfer insurance policies or arrange for new policies.

• Gather all valuables, jewelry, important papers (birth certificates, deeds, documents) to take with you personally.

• Have the car serviced for the trip.

• Pack an arrival kit of necessities just in case you arrive before the mover.

• Get refunds from your present utility and phone companies and arrange for service at your new home.

• Purchase moving insurance. Your mover’s liability for lost or damaged goods will not equal their replacement cost.

• Appraise valuable items, such as antiques, art pieces, etc.

• Check with your attorney about your will if crossing state lines.

• Ask for professional referrals if available (i.e. doctor, accountant, etc.)

• Change these addresses: Post Office, charge accounts, subscriptions (at least four weeks in advance), relatives and friends, national and alumni organizations, church, mail order clubs (books, tapes, catalogues), firms with which you have time payments, past employer in order to receive your W-2 form.

• Save your old address labels to speed up your change of address forms.

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