2 Weeks to Move Out!!! FREE Moving Checklist from a Military Family

 

MOVING CHECKLIST

 

STEP ONE

·      Identify all local donations sites and dump areas

·      Churches

·      Find the ones that do clothing drives, have food bank days, etc.

·      Dump sites-

o  Clay and Bradford

·     Resales Stores and Food Pantries, Homeless shelters

o  Goodwill, Salvation Army, AmVets, Habitat for Humanity

·      Create a moving binder, add a large manila envelope and possibly a 3-ring zipper pouch.  Put Cash envelope in zipper pouch.

·      CALL-Post Office-Cancel all auto ships and put postal hold (“vacation hold”) for 3 weeks.  Also, Amamon and shopping sites.

·      Call all utilities for shut off date to old property.

·      Call all doctors, dentists and medical providers and request medical records.

·      CREATE- Portable document carrier for all birth certificates, marriage license, will, legal docs and medical records, immunization records, social security cards, custody papers, etc.

 

 

STEP TWO

 

o  Box for moving supplies

§  Box Cutters

§  Clear box tape &Tape Guns

§  Newspaper and paper bags

§  Bungie cords and tie down straps

o  2 Boxes for all tools for pulling nails and repair items for paint and drywall.  Make sure there are a set of bits, a drill and a set of allen wrenches in each box.  Take a sandwish size ziploc bag and put enough ziploc bags in it for at least all furniture that has to be disassembled. Put a sharpie marker in this ziplox bag.  ALL hardware put in these bags go into the 'New House' Box.

o  Box for food for on moving day and first day at the new house.(Non-refrigerated items only) Put paper plates and utensils a roll of paper towel or camping supplies can be used for this box.  Can openers and one good knife.  Ziploc bags and a couple of old Tupperware bowls, like sour cream containers.  Find all your coolers and clean them out.

o  Make an area for sheets, blankets and carpets that are ok to be used for wrapping furniture.

o  Make 2 containers for cleaning supplies

§  Bathroom cleaning

§  Kitchen and house cleaning

§  Put rags with both boxes and re-used plastic shopping bags

·      Make a tray with a stack of lined paper, put a glass with pens and sharpies or big markers. This is for the numbered box lists for each person or room.

·      CREATE- A to-do list for each person

·      BUY- Any supplies you are short of.  Clip Boards, moving dollie, shrink wrap, extra tape guns, gallon ziplocs for liquids.

·      Have each person find their moving duffle bag or suitcase and a hygiene bag. They should pack enough clothes for 5-7 days with shoes.  Have the kids put their toothbrush, toothpaste and hairbrushes (ponytail holders and hairbands for long hair).

·      Each person gets assigned a set of box numbers.  While packing each person lists what in the box with a large number on the box (all sides) and on the top of the paper.  The moving binder has a tab for each person and each additional room (bathroom, dining room, etc.)

o  Child #1 gets boxes 1-10, Dad gets boxes 20-30, etc.  When each box is full, they hand in their box list with the number on it, into the moving binder.

·           Assign a “To the Dump” area (somewhere in the yard, near the garbage area)

·          Assign a “Donations area” (front porch or back porch)

o  All rummage sale items; online sale items and donations go in this area.

Put a vacation hold on your mail and/ or change of address.

 

COMMAND CENTER

·      Put the Tools Box, Moving Supply Box, Food Box, Paper tray with pens/ markers, stapler and staples, scotch tape, and documents file box in this area.

·      Set up a laptop and printer next to command center with a outlet strip and charging cords for devices.

·      Put the moving binder & moving envelope there.

·      Take pic of each room from left to right. (You will do this again after the moving truck is loaded and you have cleaned.)

 

 

NEW HOUSE BOX

·     All toolbox items go in this box

·     All power strips & multi-outlet plugs

·     All light bulbs

·     All nails and picture frame hanging materials

·     A bar of soap, towels, shampoo

·     Toilet paper

·     One roll of paper towel

·     Modem

MOVING BOXES

 

·      Linens & Curtains box

·      Frames and Pictures box

·      Decorations box

·      Books boxes (set aside sturdier boxes for this)

·      Holiday boxes/ Totes

o  Easter, St. Patty’s Day and Valentine’s Day

o  Christmas

o  Halloween and Thanksgiving

 

 

 

 

 

 

TIME TO START PACKING

·      Move all vacuums, mops, cleaning supplies to the back room, back porch or out of the way.  Leave room at the end of the truck for these items and your command center boxes.  Family suitcases will go in the car/trunk with you as well as the vital documents file box. 

·      Unplug Freezer.

·      Put together stacks of each size box in the main area against a wall. Check your Command Center for packing supplies in the moving supply box.

·      Have each child take a large lawn and leaf bag and a medium size box, with their sheet of paper, pen and marker.  Dollar store clipboards are recommended.  Start emptying each drawer and then bookshelves.  Then anything not in furniture (toys, sports equipment, etc.  When their room is done, stack all boxes and check for numbers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFTER PACKING

 

·      Leave one box for command center items.

·      CLEAN- Hang a plastic bag on the door knob of each room.  All dirty rags go there.  Do all dry cleaning first-vacuum, sweep each room.

·      WET CLEANING- Scrub all moldings, door frames, doors, window, window ledges, closets, light fixtures. Magic erasers.

·      Everyone leave the room.  Mom checks cleaning, Dad fixes any repairs that need done, or touch up paint.

o  Do each room from the back of the house out to the front of the house.  Leave vacuum and mop.

·      CLEAN ALL BATHROOMS-  Magic erasers for the tubs and showers.  Get your bathroom cleaning supplies kit and a bag of rags. Floor cleaner.  Hang a plastic bag on the door knob for dirty rags. 

·      CLEAN- the kitchen.

·      PACK UP COMMAND CENTER AND MOVE CLEANING SUPPLIES TO TRUCK.

AFTER PACKING/BEFORE MOVING DAY

·      CALL- All bills and creditors and change addresses or do online.

·      Clean Out your car to make room for suitcases, etc.  Make sure all tires are full, including spare.  Check all fluids and top off. 

·      Everything should be sold, donated or dumped at this point.

·      Take any trash to the curb. 

 

 

 

 

MOVING DAY

 

Everything should be packed and cleaning supplies put by the front door or on front porch. Unplug refrigerator. 

Grab a cooler and start putting essential refrigerated items in this cooler.

Go to the store and buy 2 bags of ice and buy drinks for anyone moving and water.  One cooler goes to the new house with the first load driven to the new house.(If moving in town.  If moving out of town, put this in the big truck cab and the other one stays at the old house.)

First item in the truck is a push broom or broom, so when it's unloaded, the broom is sitting there.

·      Start packing all boxes first heavy to the bottom.  After at least 4 rows high of boxes, then start stacking lawn chairs, lamps, kid’s sports equipment on top of boxes to the ceiling of the truck.

·      At the end of boxes put headboards and flat furniture pieces, the bulky furniture.  At the end put mattresses.  Secure with straps.  Leave the end open for cleaning supplies, food box, new house first night box and command center box.

·      Sweep up any residue from moving and unplug modem.  Turn off gas, propane, electricity, unplug appliances.   

·      Walk the rooms, out buildings, yard and mailbox.

·      Leave keys with landlord & forwarding address.

        The Day After...

1    Start in the kitchen with one box. Take the Giveaway box to the porch

Go to the living room just enough to rest, tv, gaming, modem, couch, extension cords.  Place your furniture items, so if someone helps they can load these items. One box at a time, you do not need books and knickknacks up right now.  Unless you read to relax, then you should have put one book in your suitcase.
Then rest. water. Go unpack a box in the bathroom.  This should be an essentials box with toilet paper, hand towels, and shower items. Organize the boxes in this room to a convenient area or outside the door in the hallway.  All boxes should exist on only ONE side of the hallway.
Take a lawn and leaf bag and a rag with you to every room.
Your focus is getting the house functional. 
Set up the beds and get your linens box, get the kid's room boxes organized, set the bed where they are going, nd make the bed.  Get their laundry basket on the end of the bed or in the closet.

Throw in another load of laundry.  Have the kids put away their own laundry, unless they are very young.  Just dump the load on the bed and move on.

You start your morning routine. Yes, your morning routine. The first thing you need to do on the first morning in your new home is to get yourself dressed,in shoes, wash your face and put your hair up.  Start picking up after yourself. Head to the kitchen and start breakfast.

While you are having your breakfast, don’t look at how much you have to do; enjoy your breakfast and only concentrate on making a list of the most important things to do first. That will keep your home running smoothly. Here are some things you might want to start with:

• Get the washer and dryer hooked up.
• Get the dishwasher running.
• Buy groceries for the family. Make out a list. Or, if you have an initial grocery shopping list that you made while you were doing your planning, grab it from your moving notebook.
• Put on something for supper or have some idea of what to fix.

Now you have a plan.

 You may want to go to the next room and do five boxes in there; just rotate around the house putting things away.  Don’t just start putting those things in a pile; decide where it should go. 

After you have the house functional, then do the emergency items.  Plants that are going to die if you don't take care of them, where are the pets getting fed and where does their food go?  Look over the yard and make it organized so it doesn't look like the Beverly hillbillies for the next week.  Review the garage/ shed.  Clean it out if need be.  Put valuable items away and set up the workshop tables storage center, etc.  Now these are not sitting out for the neighborhood to inventory what you have.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DUMP AREA

 

 

 

 

 

DONATIONS &

RUMMAGE