Relocating is never easy, but there are a few things you can do to make it a little less complicated. Doing things in a certain order will make your relocation smooth and effortless. Here are a few things you should do as soon as you find out you’re moving:

• Research your new location.
• Contact a realtor or apartment-finder.
• Create a master to-do list.
• Create a master binder to keep all your quotes, receipts and other important documents so you will be able to find everything quickly.
• Take a short trip to your new location to look at areas and get pricing for rentals and homes.
• Decide where you want to live.
• Start your paperwork.
• Get quotes from at least three (3) different movers.
• Select your movers and get your contracts in writing.
• Order moving supplies online (this is cheaper and will save you a few bucks).
• Start getting your records requests in for your medical records, school records, animal shots, etc.
• Notify your service providers: doctor, dentist, health insurance, auto insurance, accountant and attorney to see if they can refer you to someone.
• If you need a self storage facility in your new area, check out all the offerings, discounts and options available to get the best pricing.
• Notify your service accounts of your new address: banks, car loan companies, monthly memberships, newspapers, clubs, credit cards, etc. Also find out the requirements for updating your vehicle registration.

Packing Tips

6 weeks out:

• Go through your items and figure out what you want to keep and what you want to discard, sell or donate. This includes clothing, household items
• Organize a garage sale.
• Start using or giving away all your frozen foods.

5 weeks out:

• Start packing and labeling boxes of items you will not need.
• Determine your move date.

4 weeks out:

• Notify all your utilities and schedule disconnections and new connections.
• Make arrangements for your pets. Make sure you have all their records together.
• Get your car serviced.

3 weeks out:

• Confirm all travel arrangements.
• Reconfirm everything with your movers.
• Most of your items should be packed by now.

2 weeks out:

• Finish packing, except for the items that will be going into your “take away” box.
• Plan meals for the last two weeks.
• Plan a gathering for friends and family.

1 week out:

• Finish packing.
• Drain all outside hoses.
• Empty refrigerator.
• Clean all rooms.
• Finish your takeaway box.
• Reconfirm disconnections and connections.
• Print maps of your new destination.
• Reconfirm with the movers.
• Check your to-do list to make sure everything is done.

Taking the time to plan will get you through the moving process with little to no glitches. Making sure all bases are covered is imperative, especially if you are moving across the country. Having all your paperwork in order will make things easier if you need to file any claims or have an emergency where you need to visit a doctor. Proper planning will also give you a large enough window to compare prices and get the best prices.

About the Author: Allaire William is a professional writer for the Self Storage Blog and specializes in SEO content marketing. When not writing, she is helping clients find the best storage units from self storage facilities in Miami to self storage in Phoenix.