At your present home...

• First, decide whether you will hire a mover or move yourself; check out "Moving Kit"


• Take inventory of your household goods, decide what will be moved and what will not be moved


• Collect everything not being moved and hold a garage sale or make charitable donations


• Clean out basement, closets, attic and garage 3-4 weeks before moving; discard trash weekly


• Plan to use any existing household goods and food supplies 2-3 weeks before moving


• Properly dispose of any combustible or hazardous materials that won't be moved


• Call your home & auto insurance agent and cancel or transfer coverage


• Call all utilities (gas, electric, phone, cable & water); schedule turn-off date


• Go to Post Office, complete change of address forms and mail out promptly


• Notify credit card accounts, magazines, family and friends of new address


• Fill all prescriptions, obtain copies of all school records, medical, dental & veterinarian records


• Close/transfer any bank accounts; remove all contents of safe deposit box


• Cancel your newspaper and any other regular deliveries or services (lawn, cleaning, etc.)


• Notify everybody on your email lists that you are moving & that your email may not be working


• Arrange for moving delicate items such as plants, antiques or grandfather clock


• Schedule final cleaning service when the house is empty or on moving day


• Arrange for child care and/or pet care on moving day


• Take a final walk through your home for anything left behind, check all closets


• Make sure you have cash or traveler's checks to pay for movers and other moving day costs


• Carry all jewelry and important papers with you

At your new home...

• Plan how you will arrange your furniture and decide what room boxes will go in when unloaded


• Make arrangements to have all utilities turned on prior to your arrival, change all locks


• Check pilot light on gas range, heater and furnace to make sure it is lit, check all appliances


• Test all smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors; plan fire escape route


• Set up your bedrooms first so you will have a readily available place to sleep, then unpack


• Change your driver's license, register your car, register to vote, locate new house of worship


• Locate new doctor, dentist, pharmacy and/or veterinarian, register kids at new school


• Schedule delivery of newspaper, set up account with new ISP service, email old friends list


• Visit municipal building, get list of town services and get new recycling schedule, find new bank


• Get a local map of neighborhood and drive around, make sure kids know the way to new home


• Throw a house warming party and invite your new neighbors!!