On Moving Day
 

Your Move

• Put together a moving day survival kit with items you will need for the trip and immediately when you arrive at your new home. These items include toilet paper, snacks, bottled water, dishes, toiletries, towels, a few days’ worth of clothes. Be sure to plan for the contingency that your household items may arrive a day or even a few days late if you are doing a long distance move.

• Doublecheck any arrangements you might have made to transport your pet. Do you have proper travel gear?

• Write out a list for your movers of things they’ll need: phone numbers; exact moving address and maps.

• Check the inventory list and sign it. Put your copy in your moving folder.

• Read the Bill of Lading carefully and sign it, if it is correct.

• Make sure you have the moving companies contact information with you in your moving folder.

• In your new home, tape names to doors to assist movers; map out the floor layout so movers know what’s going where; finally, prepare your new home for moving to prevent any damage.

• If you don’t have professional cleaners coming in, make sure you clean your home before leaving.

• Pack a moving day box of things you’ll be moving yourself so you have access to them right away. Cell phone, light bulbs, tool kit, scissors, flashlight, trash bags, paper towels, toilet paper, aspirin and bed linens. Make sure you have extra packing material on hand for things that arise last minute.

• Pack pet food and pet litter.

• Be sure you have cash on hand for the move. Find out if you’ll owe money after the move and find out what form of payment they accept.

• Double check to be sure you’re on target for your utilities to be hooked up.

• Do the walkthrough with your real estate agent. Make sure everything’s where it should be. Also ask for appliance manuals and such.
   

Quick Tips:

• Empty, clean and defrost your refrigerator/freezer and use baking soda to rid it of any foul odors.

• Notify the police in your town if your home will be uninhabited for a long period of time.

• Before you move, mow your lawn one last time, especially if your home will not be unoccupied immediately after your departure.

• Make sure you know what to do with final trash.