Things that you remember to do – Guide

• Ask the Internal Revenue Service for information about tax deductions on moving expenses.
• Contact your insurance agent to transfer property, fire, auto and medical insurance.
• When organizing dental and medical records, be sure to include prescriptions, eyeglasses and vaccinations.
• Wills, stock certificates, and other one-of-a-kind documents are difficult or impossible to replace. Plan to carry them with you instead of packing them.
• Animals can’t be moved in a moving van, and state laws can prohibit the moving of house plants out of state. If you’re not taking your pets or plants by car, make shipping arrangements. Make sure your pets have had necessary shots and that their tags are current. Consider giving plants to a friend or local charity.
• If you live in a large building, speak with your building’s management about their “moving out” policies; inquire about the elevator’s operating hours, and make sure to reserve the elevator for the day of your move. Some buildings require a certificate of insurance from the movers; remember to advise us of that.
• You’ll probably want to carry valuable jewelry with you. If you’ve hidden any valuables around the house, be sure to collect them all before leaving.
• While you’re sorting through your belongings, remember to return library books and anything else you’ve borrowed. Collect items you’ve loaned or have on lay-away.
• Drain all the oil and gasoline from your lawn mower and power tools to prevent fire in the moving van. See your owner’s manual for details. Drain the water from your hose. Wrap and tie it for moving day.
• Send change-of-address cards to national newspapers and magazines. Cancel delivery of local papers and settle your account.
• Thousands of people leave town without clearing their safety deposit boxes. Don’t be one of them. Call your bank to find out how to transfer your accounts.
• Arrange appliance disconnection and preparation. Please remember that the movers are not allowed to disconnect gas or electricity.
• Arrange to have the utilities at your old home disconnected the day after your scheduled Move-out Day. Since your utilities aren’t disconnected until the day after moving day, your bill won’t come until you reach your new home. Be ready to pay this and other outstanding bills.
• Call ahead to have utilities connected at the new home the day before Move-in Day, if possible.
• Your kids will probably want to help. We appreciate the thought, but if possible, it’s a good idea to get a babysitter to supervise children during the packing and loading.

Stay in your home until the last item has been packed. Make a final inspection to verify that all the items you want shipped were indeed picked up by the movers. Turn off any remaining utilities.