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Homes: Moving Tips


Moving from one home to another, sometimes even one community to another, is both a time of great excitement and great stress. Here are some tips:

Getting Ready:

  • Designate one drawer or a dresser for first-night essentials (sheets, towels, toiletries, plates). Load this last, unload it first.
  • Reduce your load by having a garage sale beforehand. Consider the cost of shipping vs the cost of replacement for cross-country moves.
  • Pack seldom-used or out-of-season items ahead of time
  • Notify friends & relatives of your move. Start submitting change-of-address forms to post office.
  • If you have kids, arrange all documents for changing kid's schools
  • Gather all important personal, insurance, medical and dental documents
  • Arrange disconnect and re-connect of utilities and telephone service
  • Transfer banking (savings accounts, personal loans) to the new location
  • Return any library books

Packing:
  • Keep your pets out of the way (at a friends house) during loading
  • pack heavy items in small boxes, light items in larger boxes (to keep weights more consistent)
  • Remove bulbs from lamps
  • Put pictures in boxes between sheets, blankets or towels for extra protection
  • Stack plates and record albums on end vertically, not flat and stacked
  • Have kids label their own room's boxes so they become familiar with the new address
  • Take your current phone book with you. You may need to call people in your former hometown.
  • Dispose of flammable liquids (contact the local fire department)
  • Pick up dry-cleaning

Finishing Off: