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Don’t Forget These Important Steps Before and After a Move

Moving is hard work. Ultimately, you have to find the most feasible way to uproot yourself, your family, and your belongings from the old place and prepare for your new start. Though you may be excited about the change, there is a lot to be done in a short timeframe. Most will remember things like decluttering, packing, hiring a moving company and preparing the kids and pets for moving day, but that’s not all that needs to be done to ensure a safe move and comfortable transition. Here are a few other things to add to your list before and after a move.

Before Moving Day

Before the date of your scheduled move, there are some things outside of getting rid of old belongings and packing up what you want to keep. This includes:

Scheduling for Service Shut-Off – Your utility services will need to be terminated at your old house. It is best to schedule this for the same day as your move so that you don’t end up paying more than necessary for services you won’t even be using. Contact your energy and water companies to let them know you’ll be moving. This will end the services and the final bill will be sent to your new address.

Find New Service Providers – Unless you want to show up to your new place with no lights, gas, running water, phone, television, or internet services, it is recommended that you start shopping around for service providers in your area. Find out from the official city or state page where you’ll be moving to which companies offer utilities and what process will be needed to start services. Next, compare service providers like Optimum internet to determine who has the better rates on television, phone, and internet services you’ll need installed.

Research Schools – If you have children, it will be imperative for them to be enrolled in the new school system. Before moving day, you should find out what types of schools are available in the area, and what the process is for enrolling your children. They may require information from their previous school or medical records from a pediatrician which can be retrieved before you move all the way across town (or to a new town altogether).

Find a Job – Unless you’ve decided to move to take a promotion or are simply moving to a different location owned by your company, you’ll need to have gainful employment in order to sustain the cost of living in your new home. Start now in looking for jobs that best match the skills you have. Setting up interviews ahead of time allows you to hit the ground running once you’ve finally moved.

After the Move

Now that you’ve prepared your house for moving day and you’ve arrived at your new place, you’re likely feeling a bit exhausted and anxious about the fresh start. If you’re going to transition into your new place with ease, you’ll want to keep the following in mind:

Unpacking – The sooner you get things unpacked, the more at home you will feel. Hopefully, you were smart in how you labeled your boxes and have placed each designated box in the appropriate room for unpacking. Starting one room at a time, and with the help of your family, begin unpacking things and placing them in their proper place in your new house.

Change Your Address – If you haven’t already done so, you’ll need to notify others of your new address. This means setting up mail-forwarding at your local post office so they can forward mail to your new address. It also means registering your address with the Department of Motor Vehicles. You may also need to call service providers, creditors, and more to let them know about your new address.

Take a Break – Here’s one you probably didn’t expect to see on the list, but it is very important that you take breaks. Don’t stress yourself by trying to do everything at once. After you’ve moved in, take it one day at a time in unpacking boxes, putting up decor, and getting adjusted.

Moving will never be easy. However, with the right resources, the support of others, and with the right organizational setup, you can reduce the stress and get the job done. If you believe you’ll have a hard time remembering all there is to do before, during, and after a move, it is recommended that you create a checklist or set reminders in your smartphone to keep you inline. This will ensure that you relocate with ease and adjust to your new life without much stress.


Becky Wilcox is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about beauty, fashion, technology and more.  She writes for Life with Lisa as well as several other blogs and websites.  Check back soon for more from Becky.

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