Plan Ahead: 

Keep a record of all house-hunting expenses and save all receipts 

Decide what to move and what not to move 

Begin to collect boxes for packing 

Obtain change of address cards from the post office and notify magazines, charge accounts, organizations, etc. of your pending address change 

Have a garage sale for unwanted items or donate to charity and take the deductions 

Schedule dates to have gas, electric, telephone, water and cable service disconnected at your present address and schedule connections at your new home. Be sure to ask for any refunds due from utility companies 

Arrange for stoppage of all delivery services 

Remember To: 

Give forwarding address to post office 

Transfer bank funds, arrange check accounts in new city 

Obtain or arrange for transfer of medical and dental records 

Request the transfer of your children's school records 

Plan for special care needs of infants and pets 

Check insurance coverage for furnishings in transit 

Save your old phone book to help tie up loose ends 

Packing and Preparation: 

Defrost freezer and clean refrigerator 

Arrange in advance to have all appliances disconnected if necessary 

Label all your boxes when packing and be sure to mark which room each box comes from 

Remove heavy articles from drawers to keep them light 

Keep your personal belongings such as jewelry, other valuables, documents and currency on your own person or use registered mail 

If possible use original cartons when packing stereo equipment, VCR's and televisions 

Pack breakables individually with newspaper or double wrap and mark fragile (this includes plates, saucers, glasses, vases, and decorative ceramics) 

Wrap framed pictures and mirrors in cardboard and mark fragile so you won't accidentally bump them 

If you Are Using A Mover: 

Take down all blinds, draperies, mirrors, etc. Otherwise movers may charge extra 

Set aside items which are not to be taken by the movers and label them accordingly 

If you need certain things as soon as the movers arrive, make sure they are loaded last and unloaded first