Making a Move Go Smoothly

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Preparing a timeline / checklist for your move can help keep you on track... and reduce stress.

One Month Before Your Move

  1. Arrange for moving your furniture and personal belongings either by hiring a moving company or renting a truck.
  2. Accumulate moving supplies such as boxes, tape, rope, and anything else you might need.
  3. Plan your travel route if you are driving to your new home.
  4. Some moving expenses are tax deductible, so you should save all moving related expenses including meals, lodging, and gasoline.
  5. Develop a plan for packing such as packing last the things you use the most.
  6. Notify the Post Office of your move by using the Change of Address form.
  7. Notify friends, family, and businesses of your move.
  8. Notify federal and state taxing authorities or any other government agency needed.

Two Weeks Before the Move

  1. Notify utilities like gas, electric, water, cable TV. and phone companies. Arrange for services at new address.
  2. Notify long distance phone company and arrange for service at your new address.
  3. Have your car serviced if you are driving to your new home.
  4. Recruit people to help you on the moving day.
  5. Arrange for someone to take care of pets during the move.
  6. Confirm moving company or rental truck arrangements.
  7. If leaving the city, notify your bank about moving.

One Day Before the Move

  1. Keep moving materials separate so they don't get packed until you are finished.
  2. Pick up rental truck if you are doing it yourself.
  3. Fill up your car with gas and check oil and tires.
  4. Try to get a good night's rest.

Mail Forwarding Questions and Answers

Q:  Which form do I need to fill out to have my mail forwarded?

A:  The Change of Address Order form supplied at any U.S. Post Office or the one in this moving guide.

Q: Does each person in the household have to have a form filled out?

A: If each member has the same last name and they are all moving to the same address, only one Change of Address form needs to be filled out.  However, if this is not the case, each individual must complete their own Change of Address form.

Q: When does the Change of Address form need to be sent in?

A:  To insure that there is no unnecessary delay, the Change of Address form should be completed at least 30 days before your move or at least as soon as you know the date of your move and the new address.  The "Start Date" will determine when the post office will forward your mail to the new address.

Q:  How long will it take to forward the mail from one address to the other?

A:  It will take approximately three to five days for your mail to be forwarded from your old address to the new address depending on how far away they are from each other.

Q: Who else should be notified of my change of address?

A:  Everyone who sends you mail should be notified of your change of address. This includes family, friends, credit cards, banks, insurance companies, doctors, dentists, professionals, magazines, and others.  You can get notification postcards from the post office.

Q: How long will the Post Office continue to forward my mail?

A: For most mail, it will be forwarded for twelve months and there is no charge for this service. Third class mail will not be forwarded unless the sender requests it specifically.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  What are the requirements for qualifying for a Moving Expense deduction on my federal tax return?

A:  There are two test, the employment test and the distance test that determine a taxpayer's eligibility. For more information, you can call 1-800-829-1040 and ask for a publication on moving expenses or you can call your personal tax advisor.

Things to Do After the Move

  1. Notify the sender of any mail forwarded to you at your new address. This is only necessary if there is a yellow address label on it which indicates it has been forwarded.
  2. Register to vote so that when election time rolls around, you will be eligible.
  3. Get a change of address on your driver's license if you have moved within the state and make application for one if you have moved out of state.
  4. Make contact with a local insurance agent to transfer policies.  Complete a household inventory of your new home.
  5. Find out when the trash and garbage is picked up and whether there is a re-cycling program available.
  6. After locating a new doctor and dentist, have your medical histories transferred.
  7. Ask for recommendations of good contractors like plumbers, air-conditioning services and the like so that when you need them, you will know who you should call without being at the mercy of the Yellow Pages.
  8. Locate new service providers such as banks, pharmacies, cleaners, etc.
  9. Make a list of the emergency numbers such as fire, ambulance, police, hospital, poison control, and the like so they will be available in an emergency.
  10. Recognize that moving can be very stressful on people and that you should be considerate of your family members and yourself.

Tips on Packing

A substantial amount of money can be saved by packing your household goods To insure safety for your belongings, care should be undertaken to pack properly.

  1. Use strong containers, in good condition, that can be sealed with strapping tape. These can be purchased locally from moving companies.
  2. Keep in mind what the box will weigh after it is loaded. Forty to fifty pounds is considered the maximum.
  3. Empty spaces in boxes should be filled with crumpled newspaper or bubble wrap to keep things from shifting in transit.
  4. Books should be stacked on end and generally in smaller boxes than other things due to their weight.
  5. Label each box after packing, first, so that the movers will know which room to put it in and secondly, to help you to prioritize which ones need to be opened first.
  6. Remove all breakables from drawers before moving furniture.
  7. Don't pack valuables such as jewelry, collectibles, checks or savings books.
  8. Packing takes longer than you expect so allow plenty of time. Pack items that aren't frequently used first and unpack them last.
  9. Organization in packing will save you hours of time and frustration in the long run.
  10. Items that are no longer wanted can be donated to charity and you may be eligible for a tax deduction.

Garage Sale Hints

  1. Allow adequate time to plan and prepare - several weeks.
  2. Selecting the right date is important so it won't confict with holidays or special events that could compete for attendance.
  3. Weekends are gnerally more successful than weekdays.

Bigger is Better

  1. Practical household goods such as appliances, dishes, furniture, tools, and the like are good sellers. Clothing typically doesn't have a high resale value with the possible exception of children't clothes in good condition.
  2. Try to merchandise your goods in an attractive manner as if you were displaying them in a store.
  3. Items should be clean and if not in working order, labeled accordingly.
  4. A classified ad in the newspaper listing some of the more desirable items can greatly increase your foot traffic.
  5. Bulletin boards in grocery stores and other public places can provide additional exposure.
  6. Use well created, attractive signs to direct people to your home. The nicer the sign, the more attention it will attract.
  7. Post a sign stating that all sales are final.
  8. Visit other garage sales to see what works well.
  9. You'll need to have cash on hand to make change for customers.

Video Your Personal Belongings

  1. In recent years the price of video cameras has come down so low that many households have one. Even if you haven't gotten around to buying one yet, you probably know someone who has one or you can rent one for a very reasonable price.
  2. Most are very simple to operate and don't require any skilled training. The microphone is built into most of the cameras and some don't even require additional lighting.
  3. Why not use this technology to make a video record of all of the personal possessions in your home just in case you have a burglary or fire. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a video with sound has to be worth ten thousand.
  4. Have someone help you with this simple project. One of you can man the camera and the other can identify different objects in each room. Describe each item as you go along and if it has a serial number or other identifying mark, be sure to mention it.
  5. Open all closet doors to show what the contents are and briefly mention different things. You can't believe how helpful this can be after a loss because many times you don't miss something for months after a claim is filed because you might not use an item very often.
  6. Once the video tape has been made, you might want to even make a duplicate of it and put one copy in either a safety deposit box, at work or give it to a friend or relative for safe keeping.
  7. Don't worry about being Steven Spielberg. Your aren't trying to win an Oscar for this tape but just protect your possessions from loss. Howerver, do have fun doing it.


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Jim Bulla, Associate Broker -   Georgia Elite Realty - 4286 Bells Ferry Road - Kennesaw, GA 30144 - Office:  770-926-6050 - Cell: 404-683-0405

Serving Atlanta, Marietta, Acworth, Kennesaw, Powder Springs, Smyrna, Woodstock, Canton, Dallas, Cartersville, Alpharetta, Buckhead, Roswell, Sandy Springs, Douglasville and Villa Rica, Georgia.

Copyright 1996-2011 Jim Bulla.  All Rights Reserved.