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Local Movings Check List!!

By Tomy Allen

MOVING CHECKLIST

ASSESS WHAT YOU NEED TO TAKE WITH YOU – THEN
EAT, DONATE, RECYCLE, OR THROW THE REST OUT!

• Perishable foods and leftovers
• Toxic materials (batteries, paints, cleaners, propane, flammables, bleach, batteries, mercury)
• Old electronics
• Old books, cds/DVD’s, magazines and newspapers
• Metals and wood from previous home repairs or building projects
• Decorations that may not have a place in your new home
• Return borrowed things and collect things you’ve loaned
• Cash for payment/tips/miscellaneous

FOR HELP WITH DONATING YOUR GOODS, CHECK OUT
DONATION TOWN (http://www.donationtown.org/about-us/)
WILL YOUR LARGER ITEMS FIT THROUGH STAIRS
AND DOORWAYS IN YOUR NEW HOME?

• Couch
• Large chairs/barcaloungers
• One-piece bookshelves, bed frames, and tables
• Framed art
• Fridge
• Washer/dryer

PREP IF MOVING YOURSELF

• Pick up boxes and supplies (tape, bubble wrap, etc).
• Get prices from truck/van companies and secure an affordable rental for the day of moving.
• Ask friends or family to help pack and move your belongings.
• Sketch out the floor plan of your new home to determine placement of furnishings.
• Write out directions for items requiring special attention (chandeliers, collectibles, delicate plants, etc.).
• Place all important documents in one binder (new and old leases, floor plans, maps to your new home, etc.).
• Have copies of keys ready for any friends helping out, in case they get to your new home ahead of you.
• Take an inventory of boxes and items that will be going with you.
• Be sure to have water and at least one meal ready to serve for friends and family helping you.
 

MOVING CHECKLIST
PREP IF USING MOVERS

• Get general pricing information from at least three moving companies.
• Get an on-site written estimate from the moving company you choose.
• Decide if you or the movers will be doing the packing.
• Sketch out the floor plan of your new home to determine placement of furnishings.
• Write out directions for items requiring special attention (chandeliers, collectibles, delicate plants, etc.).
Confirm all other arrangements (scheduling, number of movers, etc.) in writing or an email.
• Leave a representative at your old home to answer questions for the movers.
• Have copies of keys ready for the movers, in case they get to your new home ahead of you.
• Take an inventory of boxes and items that will be going with the movers.
• Be sure to have water and at least one meal ready for the movers.
• Keep bathrooms in both locations stocked with enough toilet paper and soap for the day.

LABEL IT AND YOU WON’T LOSE IT.

Use markers and colored stickers to label each box according to:
• Weight (heavy, medium, light)
• Color (each corresponds to a specific room)
• Fragility (not at all, somewhat, very)
• Need To Use (immediately, no rush, storage)
Initial all changes to all copies of all documents
Leave tape marks on the floor where furniture feet are to be placed

CHANGE OF ADDRESS

Use markers and colored stickers to label each box according to:
• Employer H.R. dept.
• Postal service
• Banks, checking and savings
• Credit cards
• Insurance companies
• Doctor
• Dentist
• Hospital
• Pharmacy
• Utility companies
• Voter registration
• Veterinarian
• Schools
• Loans
• Travel/auto club
• Creditors
• Telephone company
• Newspapers
• Trash company
• Cable company
 

MOVING CHECKLIST
REPAIRS NECESSARY TO GET YOUR DEPOSIT
BACK OR NOT SELL YOUR HOUSE AT A LOSS

• Fill tack or nail holes with caulk and paint them.
• Clean out fireplace and gutters if applicable.
• Clean and wash all surfaces including countertops, sinks, toilets and tubs.
• Sweep up all dust and any mess created during the moving process.
• Vacuum any permanent rugs, especially if you have pets.
• Taken out any trash or pet waste and deoderize those areas thoroughly.
• Reinstall any carbon monoxide or fire alarms you may have disabled by accident.
• Paint over any nicks and scratches on walls.
• Buff or sand away any severe grooves or scratches on wooden floors and surfaces, then re-glaze or
repaint those areas.
• Make sure your front/back yard is neat and trimmed and that any cuttings are composted, mulched, or
disposed of by town services.

HAVE YOU DEALT WITH ALL SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES YET?

• Take the day off work.
• Cancel any medical or social appointments.
• Find someone to watch or boarded your pets.
• Triple bag any fish in thick plastic and drained your aquarium.
• Place temperature-sensitive plants in a new home or packed them up accordingly.
• Make arrangements to pick up your children or have them picked up if necessary.
• Arranged to move your TV antenna or dish.
• Have draperies cleaned.
• Double check your attic and basement.
• Drain the fuel from lawnmowers and other power equipment.
• Firmly secure all tools in their boxes.
GENERAL MOVING DAY TIPS
• Arrive at your new home as early as possible to make sure utilities and services are connected.
• Check traffic and weather reports and share the information with your friends or movers.
• Make sure your friend or the mover driving has your exact address and keep his cell number on hand.
• If moving yourself, help out as much as possible but don’t shy away from directing the action either.
• If using movers, during unloading you should stay out of the way unless they specifically ask for your
assistance.
• Make one last tour of your home to confirm you or your utility company have shut off all switches and
services:
• Water
• Electricity
• Heat & air (furnaces, boilers, & AC)
• Cable & Internet
• Phone

MOVING CHECKLIST

• Thank your friends for all their hard work and promise to help them next time they move.
• Or thank and pay the movers their stated fee. Include at least a $20 tip per mover, or more if your new
home is four floors or more.
• Before unpacking, double check your inventory list and see if all the boxes and items made it into your
new home.
• If not, ask your friends or the movers to check the truck or your old home.
• If the item(s) still can not be found, retrace your friends’ steps or call the movers’ main
office to file a complaint.
• Unpack at your leisure and enjoy your first night in your new home. Congratulations!
• Before you move, switch to Vonage with the option to keep your existing phone number. Then you can
take your number with you wherever you go. There are no hassles in updating everyone with a new a
number and your home phone service starts as soon as you can connect to high speed Internet.

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