Moving

Moving Your Family  
Hiring a Professional Mover   
Driving a Moving Truck...What  You Should Know
Renting a Moving Truck...Are You Fully Covered?
Moving with Children of All Ages
Moving with Your Pets

Moving Your Family
Planning your next move should begin at least one month in advance. Confirm with your Realtor® your closing date before scheduling your moving date. If you are renting, confirm your move-in date. Make a list of all records that must be transferred to a new location, such as children's school records, financial and medical records, and plan accordingly.

Whether moving two blocks or 2,000 miles, decide what must go with you. This may be a good time for a serious cleaning of the closets or the basement where you've been storing your "valuables." It can be expensive and time consuming to move things you don't really need. Therefore, a garage or moving sale should be considered to offset some of your moving expenses. If you're donating items to charitable organizations, ask for a receipt for tax purposes.

Send change of address cards, available free at the post office, to magazine publishers and organizations with which you are affiliated. Most magazines request 4 to 6 weeks notice. Provide change of address notice on credit card bills and leave forwarding instructions with the post office. Let your friends and neighbors know of your new address. This is also a good time to request help you may need with packing and moving. Take inventory of borrowed items. Return what is not yours, and retrieve your items. Mailing that hedge trimmer across miles to its owner will be expensive and a nightmare to package. Dispose of flammable liquids, such as gasoline and oil.

Two weeks before you move, contact local utility companies to tell them when to disconnect service. Arrange for utility service in your home. Clear up outstanding accounts, particularly if you are leaving the area. Make sure to plan carefully for the transfer of your checking and savings accounts. Open an account in advance in your new community so you have access to money, but make sure your old account stays open until all checks have cleared.

Begin packing early, particularly those items seldom used. If you have hired a moving company, request boxes and packing paper ahead of time so you can package up items which were agreed upon that you would pack and what they would pack. A local grocery or drug store is a good source for boxes for the do it yourself mover. Ask for boxes in advance. Smaller stores may receive shipments only once a week and will give away boxes only if you are there at a specified time to pick them up. Collect both large and small boxes. Have plenty of packing supplies handy. Save old newspapers for packing material. For delicate items, you may want to purchase special packing boxes or materials to ensure safe moving. Wardrobe boxes may be purchased for hanging clothes at many trailer rental locations.

Check with a local greenhouse for advice on moving specific houseplants. Contact your local real estate agent or new landlord to determine if there are local ordinances for large deliveries. If you are moving into an apartment, ask about service entrances or elevator rules. Keep careful records of all your moving expenses as they are incurred. Some may be tax deductible.

When the moving day has arrived, make sure that someone is home to meet the mover and point out items to be loaded onto the truck. If you are handling your own move, organize the load to maximize space in the truck and to ensure that the heavy box of books does not get loaded on top of your china. Friends are ideal for hoisting those boxes, but you or someone who is familiar with your possessions, should oversee the loading process.

The Honolulu Board of Realtors® suggests that by following these tips, your move into a new home or apartment will be a smooth transition and enjoyable experience.