Five To Six Weeks Before

Shifting to another place requires a lot of research work. This research work should be well planned and carried out five to six weeks before the move. The checklist below details the same:

• Reserve a rental truck or moving company.
• Make a check list of everything that you need to do prior to and shortly after your move.
• Enlist the help of friends and relatives as required

Three to Four Weeks Before

• Arrange tenant insurance for your new rental property.
• Utilities. Arrange to disconnect utilities as required at your existing home and arrange for set up as required at your new rental home.
• Phone/Cable/Internet. Arrange to disconnect phone/cable/internet service at your current home and arrange to set up these services at your new home. Some landlords even offer specialized packages with certain phone/cable/internet providers.
• Arrange to have your mail redirected to your new home with local postal authorities. Often this can be done online or in person at your neighbourhood postal outlet.
• Medical Considerations – if you are changing cities, remember to have your prescriptions filled and ensure that your medical and dental records are ready to be transferred to your new health care providers.
• Children – Talk to your children about the move and their new home. Make sure they understand what is happening and reassure any anxieties they may have. Arrange for the transfer of school records and remember to arrange for babysitting on the day of the move for small children as required.
• Pets – Moving can be a stressful time for your pet. Remember to make arrangements to transport your pets to your new home and ensure that they are well looked after on the day of your move. Remember to keep aside any items they may require such as special food, treats and dishes, etc.
• Create an inventory list of all items that you need to move. Don’t forget to include items that you may currently have in storage.
• Plan a yard sale after deciding which items you want to keep and which items you want to discard. Plan to donate any items left over to a local charity.
• Collect boxes. If you choose to use a full service moving company, they will be able to provided specialized boxes for your packing needs. You can also collect boxes from local grocery stores. Liquor store boxes are ideal for packing glassware and dishes as they are strong and come with useful dividers.
• Memberships – arrange for the transfer of any memberships you may have in local clubs.
• Arrange to cancel or transfer any newspaper or magazine subscriptions you may have.
• Advise your bank and credit card companies of your upcoming move.
• Arrange to book time off work for your move.
• Ensure that your automobile has been properly serviced prior to your move date.

One to Two Weeks Before

• Start packing. Unless you will be using a full service moving company, it is best to start packing at lease two weeks in advance of your move. Make sure your boxes are properly labelled. Colour coding each box according to the room that it will be going into in your new home is also a good idea.
• Arrange for sufficient cash to cover moving expenses.
• Ensure that you have all copies of keys to return to your current landlord and schedule any move out inspections as required.

Moving Day

• Be available to supervise your movers and volunteers on the day of your move and to answer any questions they may have.
• Do a walk through once your movers and volunteers are finished packing up your existing home to ensure nothing is left behind. Remember to check all cupboards and closets. Ensure all windows are closed and the heat is set at an appropriate level.
• Prior to allowing your movers and volunteers to start bringing items into your new home, conduct a walk through or inspection of your new home, noting any deficiencies to your landlord. Having a camera on hand for this is quite useful.
• Make sure all utilities are set up as required.
• Remind your movers and volunteers that boxes are colour coded by room.
• Remember to keep lots of cold drinks and snacks on hand for your volunteers. Moving is hard work!

One to Two Weeks After

• Check your belongings, in particular your furniture and electronics for any damage. Report any damage immediately to your moving company.
• Remember that it took at least two weeks to pack your belongings so be patient with yourself in unpacking and setting up your new home.
• Take a walk with your children around the new area to familiarize them with their new neighbourhood. Provide boundaries and point out any safety concerns you may have.
• Join local clubs and organizations. Become involved in your new community.
• Your move was a success. Congratulations on your new home!
• Don’t forget to recycle your boxes!

Three Weeks After

1. Familiarize: Familiarity with nice places around will make you feel at home. Look for places like Coffee Houses, Restaurants etc
2. Tourism Places: To get accustomed to the city find the local getaways and attractions. Go out with family or ask your neighbors to accompany you while you visit these places. This will make your movement a thrilling experience, relax you after the hectic shifting process and add the much required zing in the life. Also, if you can arrange going out with neighbors it will help in breaking the ice , making you both closer.
3. Night Out: One can consider a night out in the new city to understand what kind of night life the city provides. You will find coll places like pubs and night clubs etc
4. Community Connect: Involvement with neighbors is required. Invite neighbors at lunch or dinner. You can also keep a house-warming party. Other than that, start going to the clubs you have membership of, try finding some new such organizations or volunteering organizations so as to have a better community connect.

If you follow these points a stress-free and tension-free shift will be ensured and it will not be too long when all the toil and hard work will be paid off as you set to live a new life in your new Home.