WHY DO WE HAVE TO MOVE?

Summer time is prime moving time for families. Many families save big cross country moves until summer so their kids won't miss any school. One parent may have already started working in another city or state, but they commute back and forth every week until it is time for the big move.

My family has moved three times in the last two years and I moved all the time as a kid, so I consider myself a moving expert. Whether you are planning your first move or your tenth, it will go more smoothly with some advance planning. I have put together a moving check-list by month to keep you from forgetting important information.

Two Months Before Move

* You don't need to fill the moving van with items you don't need anymore. Clean out your old house by having a garage sale and donating items that don't sell to a charity.

* Call your friends and family and schedule time with them before you move. Put the dates on a calendar. Your life will get crazy and you want to make time to see everyone before you move.

* Meet with several moving companies and obtain estimates. Ask for references from previous clients before choosing a moving company.

* If you are packing yourself you need to start collecting boxes for the move. You always need more than you think. You will also need plenty of packing tape.

* Buy a special notebook or binder to keep all of the important move information. You can keep phone number of realtors, moving companies, utilities, schools, etc. in one handy location.

One Month Before Move

* Begin gathering all of the school and medical records you need for your family. The schools in your new town will need records from the previous school. Gather records from doctors and dentists to take to your new doctors. It is much easier to get them now, than to try to get them later. Don't forget to get pet records from your veterinarian.

* Fill out a change of address card at the post office. Send postcards to friends and relatives announcing your new address.

* Tell the following businesses about your new address:
Banks
Credit card companies
Utilities
Cable TV
Magazines or newspapers you subscribe to
Employer (to forward last paycheck)

* Start packing basements or little used areas of your house such as the attic or the garage.

* Set up bank accounts in your new city.

One Week Before the Move

* Make any special arrangements for the day of the move for your children or your pets. While the boxes are being loaded onto the moving van you may want pets and very small children to stay with relatives or a babysitter for the day. The house will be wide open, the air will be off and there will be a lot of noise and confusion. Once my cat was bubblewrapped inside a sofa during a moving day. It took a long time to figure out where she was.

* Get valuables out of your safe deposit box. Keep them with you during the move. Have the money from your existing bank accounts wired to your new accounts. It may take another week or two for all of your checks to clear so you can close out old accounts.

* Set up a date to turn off your old utilities and turn on the utilities at the new house. Don't forget to subscribe to the paper in your new town if you read a paper every morning. If you have been a good utility customer you should be able to get your deposits back.

* Start using up the food in the refrigerator so there won't be much left on the day of the move. Defrost your freezer and clean out the refrigerator.

Day of the Move

* Have a box of items that need to come off the moving truck first. This box will contain cleaning supplies, brooms, dustpans, etc. You will probably need to clean up some of the rooms in your new house before the boxes are unloaded.

* Double check every closet, cupboard, and room before you lock up the house and leave.

* Tip your movers before they leave in the moving van. Moving is hard work and they deserve it.