Moving Checklist

Set the date.
Monday to Thursdays are sometimes your best choices so that banks and offices are open in case you have a problem. When hiring movers, these are also days that you will get the best rate. Check with your movers to see how they want to be paid. Hire your movers and secure your date and time.

If you are moving yourself, start recruiting friends, family, neighbours and co-workers well in advance. Offer free breakfast, lunch, snacks, diner, drinks--depending on when you start and finish your move.

Arrange for utility transfers.
Notify your current and future utility providers (contact numbers in "Smooth Sailing") of your move date. Inquire what your final balance will be so that you can budget.
• Cable/satellite television
• Internet
• Electric
• Cell Phone
• Phone (Land Line)
• Gas
• Security System
• Water

It is a good idea to schedule utility turn on/off a few days prior to your move. If you are considering changing phone service providers a 30 day cancellation notice is required, if you are just moving services a few days will suffice.

If you are moving out of an apartment or condo, reserve the elevator.
Call your Insurance company to see what changes to expect in your policies - you will need house insurance to close. You may want to inquire if moving will affect your rate of vehicle insurance.

Change of Address
At minimum, file a Change of Address Notification with Canada Post to have your mail redirected to your new home. You will need to do this at a Postal Outlet or online at www.canadapost.com under Product and Services, both have to be done at least one week prior to your move.

MOVING CHECKLIST
The Moving Checklist is organized to group tasks together to make things easier.

4 Weeks prior to Moving Day
Here are some of the people who might need your change of address (cross them off as you have completed them):
• Accountant/tax preparer
• Alumni associations
• Babysitter/ child care provider
• Banks (auto loans, checking accounts, credit cards, mortgages, safe deposit box, savings account etc)
• Broker
• Business cards (order new ones)
• Business associates
• Car dealer (if leasing)
• Chiropractor
• Credit bureaus (ask your banker if they notify them)
• Dentist
• Doctor
• Dog walker
• Dry cleaning
• Family members
• Fuel delivery (oil)
• Government (Family Allowance, GST/HST rebate, Old age security, Canada Pension, Employment Insurance, Revenue Canada)
• Health clubs
• House cleaning service
• House of worship
• Insurance providers (auto, health, life, house, business)
• Lawn care
• Lawyer
• Library
• Magazine subscriptions
• Ministry of Transportation (driver's licence & ownership)
• Naturopathic doctor
• Newspaper subscriptions
• Orthodontist
• Parent/teacher organizations
• Passport
• Pet groomer
• Pharmacy
• Physical therapist
• Physician
• Post Office
• Professional and Business organization
• Retirement plan holders
• Return address labels (order new ones)
• Schools
• Snow removal service
• Swimming pool
• Veterinarian (if moving out of area, ask for recommendations and get copy of vet records)

Get the essential moving supplies. At minimum, you will need:
• Markers to label boxes (preferably wide tip, dark color)
• Moving boxes (list the contents and indicate in which room they should be put)
• Wardrobe boxes
• Packing paper (sometimes you can get end rolls from newspaper companies)
• Packing tape
• Scissors or utility knife

Keep in mind when you are packing the boxes not to make them to heavy .
One of the biggest secrets of moving success is eliminating as many items from the move as possible. Work your way through each room taking inventory deciding what to keep or not keep. Rule of thumb: If Mom would faint at the condition of your bed and bath linens - feed them to the incinerator (or better yet, use them to wrap delicate items on your move day). Donate items to charity, organizations, give them to friends or family, get them ready for a yard sale or just throw them out.

Too much stuff for your new place? Consider a storage facility. Start your research by comparing pricing and security levels. If you need frequent access to your possessions, be sure the facility can accommodate you.

Decide whether to take appliances. If you are moving appliances, schedule an appliance service company to come on or immediately before moving day to prepare the appliances for the move. you may also want to ask the appliance service company if they can provide copies of appliance manuals if you don't have them.

2 Weeks prior to Moving Day
Make arrangements to return items. Here are some critical items to return prior to moving:
• Cable PVR/Modem (if you are changing service providers)
• Clothing that you may have borrowed
• DVD or video game rentals
• Library books
• Tools (borrowed or rented)
• Unwanted purchases

Make arrangements to retrieve items:
• Books you may have lent out to friends or neighbours
• Clothing at dry cleaners, tailors
• Items at repair shops
• Shoes at shoemakers
• Tools lent to neighbours

Create one "Open Me First" box for specific rooms you will need to have access to certain packed items almost immediately after you move into your new home.
You should pack these items together in special boxes (reusable containers), brightly marked identifying which room they belong in. The specific rooms are:

Kitchen
• Aluminum foil
• break-proof or disposable flatware, cups and plates
• coffee maker (don't forget the coffee and the filters)
• tea kettle
• dish detergent
• frying pan and spatula
• scissors or sharp knife
• If you have pets, bowls and food

Main Bathroom
• Bath Towels
• Bath mat
• Hair dryer
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Soap
• Toothbrush and paste
• Shower curtain and rings
• First Aid kit: pain/headache medication, band aids etc...

Tools and miscellaneous
• Hammer
• Screwdrivers (all 3 different heads)
• Level
• Tape measure
• Utility knife
• Flashlight
• Duct Tape
• Batteries

Bedroom
• Sheets
• PJ
• Blankets
• Alarm clock

Finish off packing for non-living rooms. You'll want to have completed packing rooms such as the basement, garage, attic, utility rooms, etc so you can focus on main living areas in the last couple of weeks.
Start eating up perishable food from freezer and refrigerator.
Hold a yard sale. You might be surprised to learn that you can earn a few hundred dollars by selling non-essential items, help make your move more efficient.

1 week prior to Moving Day
Confirm start time, current home address and future home address with movers. Even if you already have this information, it is always a good idea to double-check.

Check with the friends you asked to help, make sure they are still OK with the date and time.

Make arrangements for child and/or pet sitting. Having small children and pets watched on Moving Day can eliminate a lot of stress, on both you and the children or pets. It lets you take care of all the other important details arising from your move.

Check in with your Realtor and Lawyer to make sure all is good. Find out when you can come by on the closing day to pick up the keys.

1 day prior to Moving Day
Make sure everyone has charged their cell phone. This would not be the day to be out of touch. Even if you are moving down the street, having a suitcase packed to take along, with the following may make things easier.
• Eyeglasses
• Favourite toys for the kids
• Prescriptions
• Something to read
• Three days worth of clothes
• Toilet tissue or Kleenex

Moving Day
• Start early.
• Take all the garbage out of the house. Movers do not usually leave anything behind so they will pack
it. You do not want to find your garbage a few days later in your new house.
• Make sure drivers have your cell phone number and you have theirs, along with their names. Things come up on moving day - make sure you have a way to stay in contact.

Perform final checks before leaving current home. Here are some final items to verify before shutting the door for the last time:
• Are the air conditioner, fans and heat turned off
• Is the water shut off including to the hoses out side
• Are the lights turned off
• Have you left the spare keys and garage door openers on the counter
• Anything left in the refrigerator, freezer, stove, drawer under stove, closets, in bathroom, under porch, in garage, in attic, etc...
• Did you pack your hoses and sprinklers
• Leave a note on the counter to let the new owners know that you have shut off the water and leave them your new address so that they can forward your mail if any.

Here is your printable Moving Checklist