You finally have everything in order to buy a new home. That’s great! Your mortgage is taken care of and moving day is fast approaching. But before you settle in, make sure you tackle all of the items on this moving checklist.
Look for Medical Providers
Making sure that you will be able to take care of the medical needs of you and your family is a top priority on your moving checklist. Maybe it’s for routine maintenance or perhaps a more urgent situation. Think about your particular set-up: do your children need a new orthodontist now that you’ve moved? And naturally, you want to be prepared if there is an emergency. So line up new doctors for the family, and be sure to find out where the nearest urgent care clinic is located. While you are at it, ask about the location of the nearest 24-hour pharmacy, too.
Check for Pests
There’s nothing worse than settling into a new home only to find that you need to hire rodent control services ASAP. Put this item near the very top of your moving checklist, so you can be sure to complete this inspection before you move in. This may save you a lot of trouble later on! Have the professional inspector check for the presence of termites, snails, gophers, squirrels, bats, mice, raccoons, badgers, and any other uninvited guests. Depending on where your new home is located, there may be more specific pests to check for, too. So ask about all “visitors” and that will ensure that you have a complete, thorough inspection.
Find a Great School
No doubt at all that finding great schools for your young ones is at the top of your moving checklist! And if you’re moving to a new school district, you’ll need to take care of your elementary school age children’s education. Are you in an area where there are several schools to choose from? If so, you will probably want to talk to people. Ask around and find out what other parents think about the different schools. You may also find test scores of students in the schools, and arrange to visit the schools before making a decision about where to enroll your children. If there is not a wide selection, you may have to decide between public, private, or another type of school. Scheduling an appointment to tour the school and meet with the administrators will be very helpful in either situation.
Schedule a Cleaning
Finding a good cleaning service is a very important item on your moving checklist. Perhaps your realtor would be able to recommend some cleaning services in the area. Once you have some references, and you are sure they are licensed and insured, contact the service and go over exactly what their cleaning service process involves. Get all the details. Be as thorough as possible.There’s no sense in hiring a service and then having to go back and do it all yourself! Windows, floors, walls, door, rugs, the kitchen…it’s up to you to find out if they clean everything that you want them to clean! And while you are at it, make sure to find out where your circuit-breaker is, as well as your shut-off valves. This way, if you need to locate them quickly, you’ll be able to find them without panicking. And be sure the whole family can find them, too!
Get Connected: Internet,Television and Security System
A major item on your moving checklist should be calling the internet provider in your new area to have your internet connected, as well as your TV. Also, your internet provider may offer a security system/alarm package. It may be a good idea to inquire about the particulars of having your internet company also provide you with security monitoring. Ask about the various plans they offer; sometimes the services can be bundled and the rates become less expensive.
Get the Painting Taken Care Of
Does your new home need a new coat of paint? Make sure the local painters can take care of it before you move in. Same thing for interior renovations and updates. Do you think that you will be painting that bright red bedroom a more soothing, calming, color? Did you want new kitchen countertops and appliances, or perhaps want to make some changes to your flooring? Ask around for references and then find some painters and workers to give you an estimate on the work that you are interested in having them do. Remember to make sure they are licensed and insured, too. And don’t drag your feet; get the wheels in motion for these types of projects early, because local painters and other businesses often have small work crews and they get very busy. You would like your project or projects to be on their calendar, so contacting them should be a top priority on your moving checklist.
Plan Your Lawn
Whether you invest in lawn care services or you do it all yourself, planning your new lawn is one of the more fun tasks that comes with your new home. Take a trip to your local nursery and go wild! This is a wonderful project for your moving checklist! It’s creative, beautiful, and it can be a family project as well. Another fun aspect about planning your lawn and garden is that it does not have to contain the same plantings every single year. As you become more familiar with your new area, you may find that the conditions are good for growing certain types of plants. Perhaps there are plants that you would like to include that wouldn’t thrive in the area where you lived before. Now is the time to try something new! Just remember to plan ahead if you are interested in hiring a lawn care service. Local lawn care services, like local painters, get very busy. Making arrangements with local vendors can sometimes take a few weeks, or more until things are all settled. So to avoid having an overgrown yard, this is an item you definitely want to keep towards the top of your moving checklist!
Look Into Maintenance Services
Beyond garbage pickup and utilities, look for amenities like snow plowing services in your new neighborhood. Depending on the area in which you will be living, you may have several choices of maintenance services…or they may not be that easy to find. To give yourself a cushion, make sure that when you look over your moving checklist you think ahead three to six months about the services that you will be needing. It’s not too early to line up a good snow removal professional in July, just to be sure that you have someone to rely on when that first blizzard hits! Similarly, the lawn care service you contact may need a few months to fit you into their schedule as well, so call ahead and get yourself on their list right away.
Have a Tool Kit
It’s always a great idea to have a tool kit around. But when you’re relocating, have a simple tool kit handy at all times. It is an indispensable item to place on your moving checklist. It’s easy and quick to set up a very basic kit until you get unpacked and settled. You’ll only need a few items—a hammer, nails, hooks, a screwdriver, and of course, duct tape. You also might want to include batteries and an extra phone charger, too. At the same time, when you are moving it’s also a good idea to keep a first aid kit handy, too. Nothing fancy, just bandages and antiseptic lotion—the basics for immediately after the mishap. This kit will be enough until you’re able to get to the nearest urgent care, if necessary. As we all know, accidents do happen, so it’s great to be prepared!
Have Kitchen and Bathroom Supplies
Keeping kitchen and bathroom supplies handy during your move will be really helpful while you’re getting unpacked and settled. Be sure to put essential items such as paper towels, hand soap, sponges, scouring pads, cleaning products, a shower curtain and a kettle for boiling water on your moving checklist. It might even be a good idea to pack these things in a separate box with “Kitchen and Bath: Open First” marked on it. This way, when you get to your new place, you will be able to find these essential items quickly and start using them immediately.
Consolidate Important Documents
It’s a very good idea to keep all your important documents organized and in one place. You may even want to install a safe in your new home, and then put all of your important papers there. Vital records such as birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, employment records, insurance claims, medical records, financial information, and more—all of these very important documents should be categorized and kept in one specific spot. To be extra secure, you could also include a second copy of your moving checklist in with your important documents. This way, in case you lose your original moving checklist, you will have a backup list to refer to. This will prevent you from running around and retracing your steps in your head, trying to recreate the lost list to figure out what you still have left to do!
Make a Record of Valuables
If you haven’t already done so, now is the time to make a record of your valuables. You could even use your cell phone to take photos or videos of all your valuables. This is a very important item on your moving checklist for several reasons. First of all, you want to keep track of all your valuables. And second of all, should something get damaged, disappear, or be destroyed during the move, you will have a record of how it appeared in its original state. This will help you if you need to file an insurance claim or even a court claim. While it is true that everybody involved in a move is usually attentive and careful, it’s also very true that we are all human and accidents do happen. So, it’s good to be prepared; have your moving checklist include a way of making sure that you are able to show others a list of your valuables, a ledger of what they are worth, and what they look like. This way, if something happens, you will be ready right away to start the process of getting your item(s) replaced.
Explore Open Spaces, Parks, and Farmers’ Markets
Familiarizing yourself with your new environment is always an enjoyable part of moving. One thing to include on your moving checklist is a note to make sure that you check out all the nearby parks and open spaces. These areas will be wonderful places to relax and unwind when you finally have a chance! And perhaps, like many areas, the parks near your new home will occasionally host farmers’ markets, concerts, or charity events. Farmers’ markets are not only great places to go shopping, but they are also a fine opportunity to meet your neighbors and to get acquainted with the folks in your new town.
Celebrate!
It may seem impossible, but the time will come when every item on your moving checklist has been taken care of! You’ve transferred your utilities, changed your address, and so much more. Wrapping up all these details has taken a lot of your time, but what an accomplishment! Now you know how the other 43 million Americans who move every year feel, too! This definitely calls for a celebration. Whether you have a small family celebration, or invite the neighbors over for an open door house warming party, be sure to celebrate this special time—because it is a brand new chapter in your life!
Recap
Whether it’s your first apartment or your fifteenth move across the country, whether you are going around the corner or to another section of the world, moving is a huge undertaking. One of the greatest ways to make sure that everything is taken care of is to have a complete and thorough moving checklist. Staying on top of that checklist, and giving yourself a good, realistic time frame to get everything done will definitely make your move less stressful and more enjoyable. And when that final item is checked off your moving checklist, you will be able to kick up your feet, take a deep breath, look around, and enjoy being in your wonderful new home!