Moving is a very stress filled time for most people. It is not only physically exhausting, but it can be emotionally strenuous too. However, with careful planning your move can be organized and relatively stress free.

The first decision you need to make is whether to move yourself or hire professionals. No matter which option you choose, it’s important to reserve either your moving truck or professional movers at least 4 – 6 weeks before closing.

Whether moving two blocks or 2,000 miles, you also need to decide what goes with you. It can be expensive and time consuming to move things you really don’t need, or worse, to find that there’s no place to put them in your new home. This is be a good time for seriously cleaning the closets or the basement where you’ve been storing your “valuables.” If you are disposing of a large number of items, consider holding a garage or moving sale to offset some of your moving expenses. If you’re donating items to charitable organizations, ask for a receipt for tax purposes.

Besides packing up your belongings, there are many organizations and companies that will need to be notified of your move. Here’s a checklist to help you remember all the necessary parties that must be notified of your move:

You’ll also want to file a change of address form with the Post Office for each person receiving mail at your home. The Post Office can supply you with address change cards to send to creditors, magazines, clubs, etc.

Don’t forget to check with your homeowners insurance company to see if you may need additional insurance to cover your move. Also make arrangements to transfer your policy to cover your new address  

Helping Children During a Move  

Moving involves more than boxing up your belongings. Many memories have occurred within the walls of your current home. Children often have difficulty dealing with a move. Here are some ideas to assist you in helping your children with a move:

• Show the children the new home and their new room prior to moving. If it’s not possible, then pictures or videos will help them visualize where they are going.
• Assure children that you and they won’t forget their friends.
• Make a scrapbook of the old home and neighborhood.
• Throw a good-bye party. At the party have their friends sign a T-shirt.
• Have your children write good-bye letters and enclose their new address. Send along a self-addressed stamped envelope so their friends can write them immediately.
• When packing, give the children their own box. They can decorate it so they will know which one is theirs.
• Start a scrapbook for their new home. Include a diary of My First…
• Visit their new school, park, church, etc. Don’t forget to take a camera to capture the new “firsts”.
• Remember even if you only lived in a home a few years, to a young child it is nearly their entire lifetime.

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