When you move out of your home, you have a huge variety of different tasks that you need to get done in order to ensure you are ready to leave and to make a new residence elsewhere.  From tying up loose ends to getting your new home all ready to move into, you need to take an organized approach in order to ensure you get everything done.

Tips to Help You Prepare to Move Out

Here are a few practical tips that can help you to prepare for your next move:

• Start planning and purging in advance. Real Simple provides a moving checklist broken down with different things that you need to do a few months, a few weeks, a few days and the day of the move.   You should start cleaning, organizing and purging possessions you don’t want to take with you several months before the move so you have plenty of time to get everything organized.
• Interview moving companies early. Unless you plan to do every aspect of the move yourself, you are going to need to find moving professionals who can help you to pack up your house, load up the moving truck, transport your goods and unload when you get to your final destination.  The moving company plays a hugely important role in making your move a success (or a failure) and you are dependent upon the movers to get your items delivered without anything getting broken.  About.com provides some tips for how to choose a moving company. These tips include checking their websites to find out company information and asking around to see who friends and family members have used to help them move.
• Decide on a system for packing. If you just throw everything into a jumble of boxes, you are going to have a terrible time unpacking when you arrive at your new home. It usually takes a few days (or even a few weeks) to get everything unpacked and set up in your new space. You don’t want to be without the essentials during this time as you get ready to set up your new home.  Think about the things you need right away— some clothes, the ability to prepare food, sheets to sleep on and plates to eat off of— and put those items into an easily-accessible box that you are going to be able to open right away.
• Keep essential items with you when you move. You want to have money, credit cards, identification, prescription medication, your cell phone and your phone charger with you at all times during the move. Packing these items is a bad idea in case your delivery is delayed or in case items are lost.
• Research schools for your kids before arrival. You need to find out where your kids are going to be in school and what you need to do in order to get them registered. If you plan to put your kids in public school, be sure you find out if the school district where you are moving is a good one or if there are charter school options available that could provide a better education. If you hope to get your kids into a private school, there may be admissions testing and requirements.  Find out if your child will be admitted before you make a final decision so you can ensure you aren’t surprised and scrambling when you arrive.
• Research your options for television service. Knowing how to choose the right TV service can be difficult, but it is important that you do this research ahead of time so you can call in advance and have your cable set up when you arrive.  Most people don’t want to be out of touch and without the ability to watch television after a stressful day of moving into their new home.  By planning ahead, you can find affordable cable and have it hooked up and ready to go.
• Set up your utilities. You will need to set up water and sewer, garbage service and electricity in your new home. Be sure this is all ready for you on the day that you move in.

These are the key things that you need to take care of when you move into a new home.  It is essential that you get everything done so you can enjoy the transition and minimize any stress of relocating. 

Jim Pitts is a professional move manager. Clients hire him to handle all aspects of the move, from planning to packing to unloading. If anyone knows how to make it easier, it’s him. After all, it’s his job!