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Who To Call When Moving - A Checklist
In a perfect world there would be stability and order. We would always have the same
doctor, use the same phone service, drive the same car and enjoy the same friends. Life
just isn't that perfect.
You may have seen friends leave for new locations and wish they would stay. Your
doctor might retire. Your phone carrier might merge with someone new and change the
way they do business. Life isn't always stable and predictable.
There may even come a time when you face the prospect of moving because of a job
change or even due to health related concerns. Moving presents an incredibly lengthy
list of details to take care of. You will find there is much more to moving than simply
filling up a moving truck and heading down the road.
Let's take a look at some of the things you will need to add to your moving `to do' list.
Finding a new home and dealing with your present location. If you rent a home you
will need to ensure you have followed the contract for leaving the rental or lease. This
may require extra cleaning and inspections. Deposits are generally tied to the condition
you leave the house in. You may need to paint walls and clean carpets while preparing
to move. You will also need to pay a security and/or damage deposit on the new house
or apartment you may rent. If you're going to buy you will need to wade through the
process of obtaining funding for the home purchase as well as supplying the funds
needed at closing.
Sell your home. This can also provide unique stress because selling a home is almost
always more difficult than ending a rental agreement. Expect a minimum of 2 months to
sell your home and plan an open house for potential buyers. Secure the assistance of a
home staging service for improved opportunity to secure an offer.
Conduct a final walk-thru. Don't simply walk out the door with the idea you have
removed everything from the home you are leaving. Check all the hiding spots. Places
like under stairs or in the attic. Check the shed and garage. When you think you have
removed everything walk thru one more time. The next tenants may have no need for
items you may cherish so take them with you.
Utilities and essential services. This includes everything from your phone to cable
service. You can add gas, electricity, water, sewer, garbage and even Internet and cell
phone to the list. You will need to devise a timetable for the disconnection of your current
service and the start date for your new service in your new location. Waiting to take care
of these issues until you have already moved is very inconvenient.
Consider your children. Depending on their ages your children may require new
daycare or most certainly a new school. This will require visits and registration.
Change your address. It seems obvious, but the United States Postal Service can
provide a free change of address packet that allows you to easily alert creditors, family
and friends of your move and how they may best reach you in your new home.
Health records are important. You will need to transfer medical records to a new
primary care physician. Some schools may require physicals or additional
immunizations. It will be important to locate a new family doctor once you settle in your
new home.
Do you need appliances? Sometimes the home you purchase will have appliances that
are part of the purchase price. Other times you will need to purchase your own. This can
be an easy transition if you already own appliances, but if not you may get tired of either
eating out or living on microwave meals if you fail to consider the need for appliances.
If you plan to drive. You will also need to replace your driver's license even if you are
moving within the same state. Check with the local DMV for details on what you need to
do.
Was your new home move in ready? Your new living quarters may be absolutely
stunning, but you will likely still need to provide cleaning that meets your personal
standards. This may extend to painting rooms and exchanging fixtures.
What about insurance? You will need to change both house insurance as well as car
insurance after the move. Your mortgage loan specialist will probably help you through
the process of house insurance because it is a requirement of most home loans, but you
will want to shop around for any insurance you purchase.
Involve yourself in your new community. It can be difficult to uproot and move to a
new location. It can be easy to simply hide away behind closed doors and grieve the loss
of your old home and personal ties to the previous community. One of the best ways to
fight this is to become involved in some small way in the community you have moved to.
This can be as simple as attending school functions or a church social. If you expect to
live in this new community for any length of time you need to get to know the people you
will call neighbors. This will also allow you to locate and identify new family friends.
The good news is millions of others have moved over the years and you will likely find
kindhearted people in your new location. You are building equity in a new home and
investing part of yourself in a new community. Following this checklist can work to speed
the process of transforming your new house into a home.
