Ted Harris · Portland Real Estate

A Move is an Event!

It can be chaotic, but need not be! Organization can smooth the road ahead. I have included a checklist below that may serve as a reminder of important steps along the way, and packing tips are worth a look too! My relocation, utilities/services, and school pages may help you familiarize yourself with the area if you are moving from afar. Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to you while you begin your moving plan.

• Decide now if you will use a mover or will move yourself
  
• Get a few estimates from moving companies or costs from truck rental companies and choose one
• Create a floor plan of your new home for furniture and appliance placement
• Make an inventory of your household goods
• Begin to remove clutter (start with the attic, garage, other storage areas and knick knacks)
• Start a file for all your moving paperwork (estimates, receipts, etc.)
• Arrange to transfer school records
• Get your new home move-in ready - Contact painters, carpenters, plumbers, carpet cleaners, etc
  

• Obtain and fill out post office change-of-address cards (Use my Utilities and Services Page)
• Make arrangements for storage if necessary
• Ask your doctor or health plan provider for referrals, and obtain all medical records
• Have antiques, pieces of art, and other valuables appraised
• Clean all closets and drawers
• Start using foods and cleaning supplies that would be cumbersome to be moved
  

• Schedule disconnection of all utility services at your old home, and connection of them at your new one. Be sure to disconnect the day after you leave and connect the day before you arrive. (Utilities Page)
• If you have "last month" deposits with services, such as the telephone company, request your refund.
• If you are moving yourself, reserve a rental truck
• If you are packing yourself, obtain packing materials and start packing items you won't need until after you arrive at your new house
• Arrange for cleaning and repair of furniture, drapes, walls, and carpeting
• Arrange for special transportation of your pets and plants if necessary
• Check with your insurance company to see how your possessions are covered during transit
• Make any travel plans necessary for your move
• Plan your moving sale
• Collect your important records -- Gather personal and family records, including medical and dental, veterinary and school records; legal and financial documents; birth certificates, passports and insurance documents. Keep these in a safe place to be carried with you
• Plan on having the locks on your new home changed
  

• Properly dispose of items that cannot be moved, such as flammable liquids (paint included)
• Prepare auto registration for transfer (if moving to another state) (Utilities Page)
• Make child-care arrangements for moving day
• Hold your moving sale

• Arrange for disposal of anything not sold at your moving sale
• Service your car in preparation for the move. Consider climate conditions
• Return any borrowed items (including library books) and retrieve any loaned items.
• Cancel or forward newspaper delivery
• Notify any creditors of your move
• Transfer prescriptions and be sure you have an adequate supply of medications on hand
• Assemble a file folder of information to leave for the new owner of your home (garage door openers too)
• One week before your move, send change-of-address cards to everyone who will need to contact you
• Pick up laundry -- Laundry tickets are easy to misplace, so ask for your things by name and not just by the receipts you have
• Pack a travel kit: Critical items like a checkbook, credit cards, personal phone book, ID, flashlight, keys, toiletries, tools, paper plates, cups, towels, travel alarm clock, aspirin, bandages, games for the kids, clothing and other personal items.

• Transfer your bank accounts
• Close and empty your safe-deposit box
• Drain power equipment of oil and gas Drain water hoses
• Find new homes for plants that will not be moved
• Confirm any travel reservations
• Defrost refrigerator and freezer, propping doors open. Let movers pack your belongings (unless it's a do-it-yourself move)
• Disconnect and prepare major appliances you intend to move
• Set aside anything that will travel in your car so it will not be loaded on the truck
• Pack a box of items that will be needed first at the new house Clearly mark this box "Load Last."
• Obtain cash or traveler's checks for the trip and to pay the movers
• Confirm arrival time of your moving van/truckIf moving yourself, dismantle beds and other large furniture

• Note all utility meter readings
• Read your bill of moving and inventory carefully before signing. Keep this paperwork in a safe place.
• Be available to answer any questions from the movers
• Check your belongings carefully and note on the inventory paperwork any damaged items
• On an interstate move, be prepared to pay the driver before your possessions are unloaded
• Supervise unloading and unpacking
  

To avoid feeling overwhelmed, pack several cartons each day a few weeks before your move. Be sure that the items you pack won't be needed before your move.

To prevent small items from being lost or mistakenly thrown out with the packing paper, wrap miniature knick-knacks and other small items in brightly-colored tissue paper before placing them in the box.

On the top and front of each carton, write a general description of the contents and indicate the room from which it came (or which it will go into in your new home). It is best not to mix items from different rooms together.

If you are using movers, use different colored dot stickers for each box; then, at your new house, hang a balloon of a corresponding color outside the room where you want the color-coded boxes to be delivered.

Allow children to pack their favorite toys. This gives them a stronger senses of belonging and helps them feel that they're playing an instrumental part in the move.

Regular newspapers are messy and can soil your possessions.

Use clean and sturdy boxes. Odd sized boxes tend to make loading more difficult.

Hazardous materials flammables such as paint, varnish and thinners, gasoline, kerosene and oil, bottled gas, aerosol cans, nail polish and remover, ammunition, explosives, corrosives, cleaning fluids, and detergents are some examples of common household items which should never be included in your shipment.

Toilet paper, telephone, toothpaste and brushes, snacks, coffee and coffee pot, soap, flashlight, screwdriver, pliers, can opener, paper plates, cups and utensils, a couple of pans and paper towels are some of the essentials you may need upon arrival at your new home. Pack these so they may be the first box(s) you unloaded at your new home.

Irreplaceable photos, financial papers and assets (bank checks, insurance policies, stock certificates, etc.), legal documents (wills, passports, etc.), valuables (jewelry, coin and stamp collections, etc.), and medical and family history records should be personally transported by you during the move.