Even though moving to a new place includes lots of different tasks, it is, firstly, an exciting experience. Don’t lose your optimism and enthusiasm that naturally emerge when a new life phase is about to start. With a simple checklist, you may find your experience easier to navigate. Your Connecticut Moving Company shares these five ideas to make your moving checklist.

Two months before you move checklist

For many people, two months before a move is an ideal time to begin preparing for this huge life shift. During this period, you most definitely want to set up a realistic plan that would help you go through this process effortlessly. What you may want to do in this period might be some of the following:

• Plan your budget.
• Collect information about moving companies and select three options.
• Explore schools in your new area and organize school records.
• Create a computer folder or use a binder to keep information in one place.
• Tell your children that you are about to move.
• Declutter your household.
• Organize garage sale and donate items.
• Collect boxes, plastic containers, and bags to pack your stuff.
• Create a labeling system for your boxes.
• Measure doorways and hallways to be sure that all the pieces of furniture might be safely transported from one place to another.

One month before a move checklist

After you’ve researched local moving companies, it is a perfect time to select your best option. Consult google reviews or your friends and neighbors who recently moved for a recommendation. Ask for estimates from three moving companies with great references. Choose the one that suits you and schedule a moving date.

Other things that you may want to do during this month are the following:

• Reduce the visits to your local grocery store in order to empty your refrigerator.
• Start packing your non-essential items.
• Mark out a box or bag where you will keep your valuables and important files. This box will travel with you during a move.
• Change your address officially.
• Make a list of banks and businesses that you want to inform about your address change.
• Cancel or transfer your memberships and home delivery subscriptions.
• Transfer your utilities like water, gas, electricity, satellite, cable, and the Internet, as well.
• Keep medical records of your pet and its vaccinations up-to-date.
• If your pet hasn’t ID yet, it is the perfect time to get them microchipped. Many pets get lost during a household move.
• Transfer your medical records and ask your doctor for referrals.
  
  

Two weeks before a move checklist

Your moving date is nearing and you may want to pack as much as you can in this period. Plan packing your items room-by-room and use your labeled boxes to organize them. This time, you may pack all the stuff except the ones you are going to use during the last two weeks. Try to be realistic about your needs and leave only essential items. You may want to store boxes in one single room to keep your space organized.

Here are several suggestions you may want to apply during the last two weeks:

• Come up with several receipts that will use foods from your refrigerator or pantry.
• Consider your plants. Inform yourself in advance what plants may cross state lines and how to prepare them for a household move. For some plants, it might be better to give them to your friend who is a plant lover.
• Back up data from your computer, just in case.
• Reserve a parking spot for a moving truck in advance. If you live in a big city, you might need special permission for this occasion. Be sure that a parking spot is ready for your moving date and inform your local moving company.
• Clean your garden furniture and patio set before your moving date.
• Ask your employer for days off.
• Reconfirm your moving date and time with your moving company.
• Take photos of your valuable pieces of furniture and take notes of each existing scratch.

One week before your move checklist

This week is a busy one and you want to maximize your time to keep everything going smoothly. Your most important task in this period is to arrange your days off and confirm your data and a new address within your local moving company. Ask your employer for a few days off and go through the following list to check the last-minute tasks:

• Clean your old house.
• Empty your refrigerator and donate unopened food.
• If you move a refrigerator with you, unplug it the night before a moving day to defrost it. Put down a towel to soak water when the frost melts.
• Prepare all your major appliances for a household move. You may want to empty your dishwasher and ask specialists to turn the gas off. Consult your manufacturer if you are not sure about the details.
• Pack essential items, including kitchenware and other essentials. You may also want to pack suitcases—one for each family member. Pack their pajamas, toiletries, and comfortable clothes for a few days.
• Check all hidden nooks in your old home.
• Clean your old house or schedule cleaning after you remove furniture and boxes.
• Celebrate the ending of your current phase and appreciate the memories you’ve experienced so far.

Moving day checklist

• Wake up early.
• Put around cardboard boxes and bags to protect floors and carpets.
• Pack the remaining items.
• Check all walkways and driveways. They should be clean and empty.
• Take your essentials and valuables with you.
• Sweep the floors once more after the movers finish their job.
• Give clear directions to your local movers.
• Go to a new home.
• Thank your movers and give them a tip.
• Unpack your essentials.
• Cover your windows with sheets if you haven’t bought new curtains yet.
• Sip you a drink and relax.
• Go to a grocery store and prepare a simple and nurturing dinner.
  
  

Depending on where you are in the moving process, you may always ask your local moving company for advice.