HOW TO PLAN FOR YOUR MOVE — THE WEEKS BEFORE
New Haven’s Definitive Guide
There are a lot of steps that need to be done in order to ensure that you will have an optimally safe, efficient, and cost-effective move. Ideally, you should begin the process two months before the move, which will give you time to take care of everything without stress.
Step 1) is to decide how you can most efficiently keep organized your lists of everything you need to do, everyone you speak to, and all the paperwork you receive. Although you can do much of this on the calendar your mobile phone, it might be best to create a designated notebook. Anytime you speak to anyone on the phone, from potential Moving Companies to a Utility Company to your child’s new school, have this notebook with you, and write down all the details you hear. Include at the beginning of your notebook a a three-four month calendar, in which you will write down all important phone numbers, contacts, dates, appointments, and planned activities (such as which days you plan to pack).
Step 2) Decide whether you plan on moving yourself (if that is even at all possible) or hiring a Moving Company. It is vitally important that you hire only a reputable and dependable moving company and get a written estimate. There are several steps you can take to verify the quality and ethics of a moving company. This includes checking with the Better Business Bureau, looking to see if your company is a member of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA), asking for a client list, and checking with friends and associates.
Step 3) Once you decide to hire a professional moving company, you will need to decide whether you would like to pay the moving company to pack for you or whether you will do your own packing. Several variables to consider when making this decision are the following:
There are several basic moving boxes that are needed for a residential move. These include the following:
In addition, New Haven has many extra-strong specialty moving boxes available to allow you to pack with the highest level of safety and ease. These specialty boxes include the following:
For Packaging Materials, you will need to purchase at the very least the following:
Step 6) Medical. If you need to switch physicians and dentists, you should look for the best possible new doctors before your move.. If you have medical insurance that restricts whom you can see, you may need some time to investigate your insurance company’s physician lists and so research on the suitability of these doctors. Once you have settled on your top choices, schedule your first appointment, even if it’s at a later date. It is often important to establish yourself as a patient as soon as you move to a new area, so that the doctor will be available to you when you need him/her. You will also need to sign permission to have your medical records transferred.
If you are moving to a new neighborhood, you may also need to identify an entirely new group of people and shops for all of your needs. This list includes a new hair salon, dry cleaner, etc. It’s helpful to be on the look-out early.
Step 7) Banking. If you need to move banks, you may need some time to investigate which banks are closest to your new home and offer for you the best fit of services and fees. Banks that are primarily local often offer a higher interest rate for the money you keep in your savings accounts than do banks that are national. However, local branches will not offer you banking locations throughout your state or the country. Some banks also offer better online services, although more and more all banks are offering online banking and deposits over the telephone.
If you have items in the Safe Deposit Box at your old bank, you may want to switch these items to your new bank just prior to the move It’s important that any items you wish to be held safely in a safe-deposit box not go home with you right after your move. Be sure that they go directly from one box to another.
Step 8) CHANGE OF ADDRESS It might take a few months to complete the process of letting all the organizations and people with whom you do business or socialize know your new address. However, it is essential that you contact specific organizations with your new address. These include the following:
Ask your insurance company if they cover damages that occur during a move. This is something to also ask your moving company. If your moving company does provide insurance, ask for a copy of the paperwork guaranteeing this.
Very important prior to your move is obtaining new homeowners or renters insurance and giving yourself enough time to compare your new rates—which may be very different from your current rates. You may also need to obtain a new set of additional policies including Umbrella Policy, Flood Insurance, and Separate Endorsements for specific items (such as jewelry) that you want additional protection on.
You may want to take this opportunity to take pictures of all your existing special items that you would be seeking compensation for should something be damaged in a move, as well as to put together your receipts for these items. Write down serial numbers of all electronics.
When you call your auto insurance company, this may be a good time to do a “check-up” on your existing policy in case there are changes you wish to make.
Step 10) UTILITY COMPANIES, CABLE, AND COMPUTER NETWORKING
Switching from one home to another is often a great opportunity or impetus to discuss with your cable company it’s new deals and special offers that can save you money and provide you with increased services.
You want to be sure that your cable service, electricity, gas, telephone, water, waste disposal and internet services are up and running the day you move in. Ideally, they should be running prior to your moving in, so you should have utilities turned on in both locations for the days of the move. This is especially important if you need heat or air-conditioning on the day of the move.
It is recommended that you speak with the waste disposal company at both locations to find out their policies about taking away boxes, large items, discarded furniture, etc. You may need to order extra waste pick-up services at both addresses on the days before, during and after the move.
Step 11) PRE-PACKING ORGANIZATION
Prior to packing your home, or having the movers pack your home, you will have a much better moving and unpacking experience by going through your home and discarding all papers, clothes, knick-knacks, old dish-ware, linens, toys, and items of any sort you no longer need. Ask yourself if this item truly belongs in your new home, in your new closet, in your new pantry and shelving. Is this something you will take pleasure in unpacking.
That being said, do not go overboard when discarding papers, old bills, childhood memorabilia, receipts, etc. Sometimes, in the zeal to throw out, something important is discarded prematurely. So give yourself enough time to go through paperwork judiciously. If your papers are not already well organized, buy accordion folders or create a new filing system that will allow you to file your papers in a secure fashion.
A great system for organizing papers is three-hole punching papers and then placing them in 3-ring binders.
Step 12) Clean out pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Older refrigerators may need to be defrosted. Try to use up all of your frozen food before the move, as, depending upon the distance of your move, they might not be movable. Give away to neighbors whatever you like. Do not move but rather be sure to safely discard hazardous materials and cleaning supplies.
Step 13) PUTTING ASIDE EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED FOR THE DAY BEFORE, THE DAY OF, AND THE DAY AFTER YOUR MOVE
VERY important is to create one or two boxes, or a crate, and put inside the following:
Step 15) If you have young children, plan ahead for how to best keep your children safe, taken care of, and occupied during the move. If they can stay with family or close friends for the day of the move, that may be your best option. Or, if you can have a baby-sitter with whom your children are comfortable stay with you during the move, that is also a great idea.
For additional moving help, including help with packing, see our additional blogs on moving. For help on preparing for the day of the move, read out blog https://www.newhaven-usa.com/blog/a-checklist-for-the-morning-of-your-move/
For additional help and advice on moving supplies and moving kits and the number of moving cartons you will need, call New Haven at 800 743 7237 or visit us online at www.newhaven-usa.com
There are a lot of steps that need to be done in order to ensure that you will have an optimally safe, efficient, and cost-effective move. Ideally, you should begin the process two months before the move, which will give you time to take care of everything without stress.
Step 1) is to decide how you can most efficiently keep organized your lists of everything you need to do, everyone you speak to, and all the paperwork you receive. Although you can do much of this on the calendar your mobile phone, it might be best to create a designated notebook. Anytime you speak to anyone on the phone, from potential Moving Companies to a Utility Company to your child’s new school, have this notebook with you, and write down all the details you hear. Include at the beginning of your notebook a a three-four month calendar, in which you will write down all important phone numbers, contacts, dates, appointments, and planned activities (such as which days you plan to pack).
Step 2) Decide whether you plan on moving yourself (if that is even at all possible) or hiring a Moving Company. It is vitally important that you hire only a reputable and dependable moving company and get a written estimate. There are several steps you can take to verify the quality and ethics of a moving company. This includes checking with the Better Business Bureau, looking to see if your company is a member of the American Moving & Storage Association (AMSA), asking for a client list, and checking with friends and associates.
Step 3) Once you decide to hire a professional moving company, you will need to decide whether you would like to pay the moving company to pack for you or whether you will do your own packing. Several variables to consider when making this decision are the following:
- How much more money will it cost you to have the movers pack for you? To answer this question, you will need to ascertain the cost of purchasing all of your own moving supplies and any time from work you might need to take off to get all of the packing done (if this is necessary).
- Do you have sufficient time and energy to do all of your own packing—given your work and home responsibilities? If you have young children, will packing yourself over the course of one or two weeks (rather than the one or two days it takes professional movers to pack) present a problem at home for them? Moving companies can generally pack your home in a lightning fast manner (sometimes in less than a day or over the course of one or two days).
There are several basic moving boxes that are needed for a residential move. These include the following:
- 1.5 Cubic Feet Small Cartons – also called Book Cartons These are used for not only for books but also for tools, CD’s, small appliances and items that are small but have weight.
- 3.0 Cubic Feet Medium Cartons. These are used for clothing, lamps, electronics, bulkier & larger—but not overly heavy—items
- 6.0 Cubic Feet Extra Large Cartons These are for bulky items such as toys, stuffed animals, comforters, linens and towels.
- DISH-PACKS (New Haven Dish Packs come with optional Cells and Dividers to make it easy to pack and keep your dish and glassware secure)
- WARDROBE (New Haven Wardrobe Boxes come with optional bars so you can easily and quickly move your clothes from your closet to the box).
In addition, New Haven has many extra-strong specialty moving boxes available to allow you to pack with the highest level of safety and ease. These specialty boxes include the following:
- Flat Panel TV Carton
- Lamp Base Carton
- Mirror Cartons (for Mirrors and Art)
- Wine Shippers
- Sofa Box
- Mattress Box
For Packaging Materials, you will need to purchase at the very least the following:
- Carton Tape —Perfect for taping boxes is New Haven’s NH748 Carton Tape which is strategically made to be waterproof and to stick and hold Tight to cartons and corrugated materials.
- Wrapping Paper, to be used for wrapping dish-ware and breakable items. Perfect for this is New Haven’s Newsprint NH742 which is of consistent quality and engineered to provide cushioning protection.
- Bubble Roll to be used for particularly fragile and precious items. For even more ease when packing particularly valuable dishwater, our experts recommend using New Haven’s PNM Dish Saver Kit . Our kit comes with 24 foam pouches for plates of varying sizes and a divider cell that fits into a 1.5 small carton. This provides the ultimate in cushioning for high end, fragile dishware.
Step 6) Medical. If you need to switch physicians and dentists, you should look for the best possible new doctors before your move.. If you have medical insurance that restricts whom you can see, you may need some time to investigate your insurance company’s physician lists and so research on the suitability of these doctors. Once you have settled on your top choices, schedule your first appointment, even if it’s at a later date. It is often important to establish yourself as a patient as soon as you move to a new area, so that the doctor will be available to you when you need him/her. You will also need to sign permission to have your medical records transferred.
If you are moving to a new neighborhood, you may also need to identify an entirely new group of people and shops for all of your needs. This list includes a new hair salon, dry cleaner, etc. It’s helpful to be on the look-out early.
Step 7) Banking. If you need to move banks, you may need some time to investigate which banks are closest to your new home and offer for you the best fit of services and fees. Banks that are primarily local often offer a higher interest rate for the money you keep in your savings accounts than do banks that are national. However, local branches will not offer you banking locations throughout your state or the country. Some banks also offer better online services, although more and more all banks are offering online banking and deposits over the telephone.
If you have items in the Safe Deposit Box at your old bank, you may want to switch these items to your new bank just prior to the move It’s important that any items you wish to be held safely in a safe-deposit box not go home with you right after your move. Be sure that they go directly from one box to another.
Step 8) CHANGE OF ADDRESS It might take a few months to complete the process of letting all the organizations and people with whom you do business or socialize know your new address. However, it is essential that you contact specific organizations with your new address. These include the following:
- All credit card companies and anyone who sends you an invoice. Doing a change of address with the post office is important and helpful; however, it cannot ensure that you will get your bill in sufficient time, as many companies give a small margin of time with which you can pay and be current. Do not risk your credit rating by not advising creditors of your change of address.
- All financial institutions with whom you have any sort of account (money market, mutual funds, pensions, etc).
- Schools, universities, organizations with whom you are licensed, and charities who will be sending you a statement.
- All your insurance companies.
- You will also need to go to the Driver’s License Bureau to get a new license Each state has laws regarding how many days or weeks you have before you must have a new license.
Ask your insurance company if they cover damages that occur during a move. This is something to also ask your moving company. If your moving company does provide insurance, ask for a copy of the paperwork guaranteeing this.
Very important prior to your move is obtaining new homeowners or renters insurance and giving yourself enough time to compare your new rates—which may be very different from your current rates. You may also need to obtain a new set of additional policies including Umbrella Policy, Flood Insurance, and Separate Endorsements for specific items (such as jewelry) that you want additional protection on.
You may want to take this opportunity to take pictures of all your existing special items that you would be seeking compensation for should something be damaged in a move, as well as to put together your receipts for these items. Write down serial numbers of all electronics.
When you call your auto insurance company, this may be a good time to do a “check-up” on your existing policy in case there are changes you wish to make.
Step 10) UTILITY COMPANIES, CABLE, AND COMPUTER NETWORKING
Switching from one home to another is often a great opportunity or impetus to discuss with your cable company it’s new deals and special offers that can save you money and provide you with increased services.
You want to be sure that your cable service, electricity, gas, telephone, water, waste disposal and internet services are up and running the day you move in. Ideally, they should be running prior to your moving in, so you should have utilities turned on in both locations for the days of the move. This is especially important if you need heat or air-conditioning on the day of the move.
It is recommended that you speak with the waste disposal company at both locations to find out their policies about taking away boxes, large items, discarded furniture, etc. You may need to order extra waste pick-up services at both addresses on the days before, during and after the move.
Step 11) PRE-PACKING ORGANIZATION
Prior to packing your home, or having the movers pack your home, you will have a much better moving and unpacking experience by going through your home and discarding all papers, clothes, knick-knacks, old dish-ware, linens, toys, and items of any sort you no longer need. Ask yourself if this item truly belongs in your new home, in your new closet, in your new pantry and shelving. Is this something you will take pleasure in unpacking.
That being said, do not go overboard when discarding papers, old bills, childhood memorabilia, receipts, etc. Sometimes, in the zeal to throw out, something important is discarded prematurely. So give yourself enough time to go through paperwork judiciously. If your papers are not already well organized, buy accordion folders or create a new filing system that will allow you to file your papers in a secure fashion.
A great system for organizing papers is three-hole punching papers and then placing them in 3-ring binders.
Step 12) Clean out pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Older refrigerators may need to be defrosted. Try to use up all of your frozen food before the move, as, depending upon the distance of your move, they might not be movable. Give away to neighbors whatever you like. Do not move but rather be sure to safely discard hazardous materials and cleaning supplies.
Step 13) PUTTING ASIDE EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED FOR THE DAY BEFORE, THE DAY OF, AND THE DAY AFTER YOUR MOVE
VERY important is to create one or two boxes, or a crate, and put inside the following:
- All medicines and vitamins you will need to take
- All books, small electronics & mobile devices, books, and items you want with you
- Charging cords for your cell phone and your small electronics
- All paperwork you need for your move including your moving contract
- Any small items you are afraid to lose or have stolen including checkbooks
- Change of clothing and shoes; Outerwear
- Toys and important items for children
Step 15) If you have young children, plan ahead for how to best keep your children safe, taken care of, and occupied during the move. If they can stay with family or close friends for the day of the move, that may be your best option. Or, if you can have a baby-sitter with whom your children are comfortable stay with you during the move, that is also a great idea.
For additional moving help, including help with packing, see our additional blogs on moving. For help on preparing for the day of the move, read out blog https://www.newhaven-usa.com/blog/a-checklist-for-the-morning-of-your-move/
For additional help and advice on moving supplies and moving kits and the number of moving cartons you will need, call New Haven at 800 743 7237 or visit us online at www.newhaven-usa.com