Planning Your Move
It’s never easy boxing up your life into neat bundles and relocating to a new city. With everything that needs to be done during the move, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. However, with the right preparation and plenty of advance planning, you can turn this whirlwind into a piece of cake. After recently going through the whole process myself, you can bet that maintaining a running list is the best way to stay organized.
Tying up loose ends
Before packing there will be plenty to keep you occupied. Unfortunately most of it involves ridiculously long wait times on the phone and heaps of paperwork. The good news is that your life will be leagues easier after this. Around three months before your moving date, get in touch with all of your household services and arrange to cancel services around the time of your move (for things like electricity, schedule cancellation for the day after your move to avoid having to move in the dark).
- Rent/lease contracts (landlords usually require sixty days notice)
- Utilities (heat, water, gas, electricity)
- Cable (phone, television, internet)
- Newspapers, magazines and other subscription services
- Mail service
This is also a good time to shop around for services in your new city and decide which ones to sign up with (depending on what your new apartment or house already provides).
About a month before the big day
Rent a moving van. Don’t underestimate the importance of booking early. In fact, it’s better to get started two months in advance! The last thing you want to find is that there aren’t any available. Shop around - although most rentals don’t advertise this fact, they will reduce their price if you show them a competitor’s quote. Ask them about pick-up and drop-off times and locations, length of the rental period, mileage charges and insurance. Despite the added cost, the extra insurance is a good bet as it usually covers the cost of any damages to the vehicle as well as damages to your luggage.
Submit your change of address online to the government, bank, lawyer, accountant, work, family and friends. Do the same with your doctor, optician, vet and children’s school if applicable, and get copies of all files. Don’t forget your insurance company, as your premium is likely to change after moving. Ensure that stray pieces of mail don’t get lost in the shuffle by requesting a mail forwarding service at the post office.
Moving inter-state? Depending on the area, you might get a refund on the unused portion your old license and plates. Equally important, research tax deductible moving expenses for your area and maintain a designated envelope for related receipts.
There really isn’t any grand trick to an easy move – rather, the key is to stay well-organized and get started early. Wait too late and you might end up facing hefty cancellation and last-minute fees!
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It’s never easy boxing up your life into neat bundles and relocating to a new city. With everything that needs to be done during the move, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed. However, with the right preparation and plenty of advance planning, you can turn this whirlwind into a piece of cake. After recently going through the whole process myself, you can bet that maintaining a running list is the best way to stay organized.
Tying up loose ends
Before packing there will be plenty to keep you occupied. Unfortunately most of it involves ridiculously long wait times on the phone and heaps of paperwork. The good news is that your life will be leagues easier after this. Around three months before your moving date, get in touch with all of your household services and arrange to cancel services around the time of your move (for things like electricity, schedule cancellation for the day after your move to avoid having to move in the dark).
ü Rent/lease contracts (landlords usually require sixty days notice)
ü Utilities (heat, water, gas, electricity)
ü Cable (phone, television, internet)
ü Newspapers, magazines and other subscription services
ü Mail service
This is also a good time to shop around for services in your new city and decide which ones to sign up with (depending on what your new apartment or house already provides).
About a month before the big day
Rent a moving van. Don’t underestimate the importance of booking early. In fact, it’s better to get started two months in advance! The last thing you want to find is that there aren’t any available. Shop around - although most rentals don’t advertise this fact, they will reduce their price if you show them a competitor’s quote. Ask them about pick-up and drop-off times and locations, length of the rental period, mileage charges and insurance. Despite the added cost, the extra insurance is a good bet as it usually covers the cost of any damages to the vehicle as well as damages to your luggage.
Submit your change of address online to the government, bank, lawyer, accountant, work, family and friends. Do the same with your doctor, optician, vet and children’s school if applicable, and get copies of all files. Don’t forget your insurance company, as your premium is likely to change after moving. Ensure that stray pieces of mail don’t get lost in the shuffle by requesting a mail forwarding service at the post office.
Moving inter-state? Depending on the area, you might get a refund on the unused portion your old license and plates. Equally important, research tax deductible moving expenses for your area and maintain a designated envelope for related receipts.
There really isn’t any grand trick to an easy move – rather, the key is to stay well-organized and get started early. Wait too late and you might end up facing hefty cancellation and last-minute fees!
