The Essential Cross Country Moving Checklist

A cross-country move can be a lot of work! Thankfully, with this cross-country moving checklist, you'll be able to make sure that you won't overlook any essential tasks.

What To Do A Few Months Before Your Move:

• Contact Moving Companies: If you're thinking about hiring movers, now is the time for you to reach out to them. Talk to moving companies and get quotes. If you decide to work with movers, you'll want to book them as soon as possible.
• Start Gathering the Supplies You'll Need: You'll need a lot of supplies to get through your move, including cardboard boxes and packing tape. It's a good idea to start gathering essential supplies now.
• Donate and Sell Things You Don't Need: It doesn't make sense for you to take everything with you. You're likely holding onto a lot of items you no longer want or need. Go through your things and donate or sell the items you don't want to bring with you.
• Take Time Off From Work: Many employers require you to put in for time off in advance. Let your employer know when you'll be moving now. Make sure that getting the necessary time off won't be a problem for you.

What To Do A Few Weeks Before Your Move:

• Start Packing: Packing can be a long and challenging process, which is why you'll want to get started sooner rather than later. Look for moving and packing hacks online, make sure that you stay organized as you pack. Carefully label every box that you pack up, and try to store like items together.
• Ask for Help: If you're going to need help moving, you won't want to wait until the last minute to ask family and friends for assistance. Ask people for help sooner rather than later.
• Transfer or Cancel Memberships: If you're paying for memberships at a local gym or other facilities, you'll want to cancel those memberships or transfer them to your new location.
• Use Up Perishables: You likely have a lot of perishable items in your refrigerator and your freezer. You may not be able to bring those items to your new home. Focus on using up your perishables instead.
• Look for Essential Documents: Locate your birth certificate, social security card, and other essential documents. Make sure you know exactly where those items are stored.
• Talk to Your Insurance Company: If you have renter's insurance or homeowner's insurance, you'll want to transfer it to your new address.

What To Do A Few Days Before Your Move:

• Contact Utility Companies: You should reach out to utility companies to confirm that everything is in order. Ensure that utilities will be turned on in your new home and that you'll no longer have utilities in your name in your old home.
• Transfer Prescriptions: If anyone in your family has regular prescriptions, you should transfer those prescriptions to a pharmacy in your new area.
• Remove Light Bulbs: If you're going to be moving lamps, you'll want to remove the light bulbs from those lamps as soon as you can. It's common for bulbs to break during moves. Taking this extra precaution can help you to avoid these kinds of problems.
• Withdraw Cash: If you're working with movers, you'll want to stop by an ATM to take out cash. That way, you'll be able to tip the movers if they do great work!

What To Do On Moving Day:

• Protect Your Floors: It's easy for floors to be scratched when you're moving furniture. Take the time to protect your flooring so that you can avoid causing damage.
• Create a Clear Pathway: Take the time to clear out a path so that you'll be able to carry boxes and furniture out of your home safely.
• Pack a Bag of Essentials: You won't want to have to dig through boxes to find first aid kits, toothbrushes, and other essential items. Pack a travel bag that contains some of the items you can't live without.
• Go Through Your Home: After everything has been removed from your home, take the time to go through your home and clean up any messes you've made. Make sure that nothing is being left behind.