For the majority of people pondering a move, the part that involves the actual moving is the most overwhelming. Purchasing a new residence is fun—beginning a new chapter in life, whether you're moving into your dream home in Little Rock or downsizing, there is something about a move that makes you feel like you're starting anew. Then, you see all your musty old belongings and that hot air balloon you're riding over the stars to your new digs dies and you find yourself in a pile of old magazines and kid's artwork that you have to contend. But, if you plan your move and adhere to an elementary checklist, you can manage to pack your life and move it to Little Rock without excess stress and misery.
It is average to have a moving window of approximately three months, so this timeline assumes you've got that much time to make it happen. All that’s required to get started is a large file folder.
Three Months Out
Select your moving company—figure out if you would like full-service moving or you want to do it yourself or somewhere in between, sort of an a la carte option. A moving specialist comes to your home and walks through to estimate how many trucks and how many boxes you'll need, assess time to load, transport, and unload, and provide you a quote for other work, like packing, taking apart certain items, and managing storage, if necessary. After you select your moving company and services needed, be sure to check that you are on their schedule. Put a copy of the quote in your folder. One huge thing is now done!
It is never too soon to start purging—which items to give to a charity, throw away, or take with you. How you approach the process is up to you, what is good for some does not work for everyone. Ignore all the blogs and YouTube videos and move forward with what works for you—one weekend you might clean out closets and proceed to pack up what's moving, the next weekend you could decide to continue purging and leave things unpacked. There really is no perfect way to accomplish it, so do not worry if you don't abide by the "rules".
Two Months Out
This is commonly when you start feeling a little hurried—the calendar is somehow moving quicker than it should be, and the reality is that aside from selecting your moving company and pitching old Happy Meal toys and a few items that you haven’t worn in years, you haven't done anything.
If you will be quitting your job and have not talked over your move with your boss, now is the perfect time--it gives them the time to prepare someone for your position so they're ready when you go.
If you have choosen to do your own packing, reevaluate. Help is a phone call away; your moving company can send in the Calvary with professional packers to handle the job—they'll schedule for closer to your move because they come in and get it done in short order, and you will need your bed sheets and the coffee pot until the last moment.
Tell all service providers that you will be leaving—if your move is local, give your yard service the new address and you're finished. Otherwise, here are some of the vital ones.
Medical—doctors, orthodontists, dentists
Nowadays, most physicans are part of bigger networks and your records are available if you switch doctors. Ask your doctor for recommendations. They network well and could have old friends from medical school they can recommend. While dentists and orthodontists don't have those networks, they will help refer you old-school, also.
Prescriptions
As pharmacies merge you could be able to keep that relationship, but just in case keep hard copies of all your medications in your file folder so that you'll have them on hand in case of a delay along the way. The last thing you need is to run out of thyroid medication the day you are moving and have to deal with a new pharmacy.
School
If you have kids in school, enrolling them in a new school district is unavoidable—you need every document in existence to register them—birth certificate, social security info, proof of address (a copy of your contract if you haven't closed in Little Rock yet), and immunization records at the very least. Ask precisely what you will need, and be proactive and place all the documents in one place—the file folder.
If you have older children in college and you're moving out of the state, inquire about the rules for maintaining in-state tuition. Each state has different regulations, and the reasons for the move and the distance can be a deciding factor—some states provide in-state tuition if you are moving to a contiguous state.
Keep sifting through everything and packing—set a goal for a room each week, or all the closets in a week.
One Month Out
By now you should have gotten rid of, systematized, and put all your non-essentials in tidily packed and labeled boxes in an out-of-the-way place. Right. Now is when you get fierce with sorting--especially if you've selected to have the moving company pack everything that is left. It's fascinating how really inconsequential that old lamp becomes when you don't like it anyway and now it is going to cost you to move it. So, give it to charity and keep moving.
Activities--Community, Religious, Social
If, by chance, you have forgotten to tell anyone that you are moving, now is the time. Especially any volunteer activities you are active in, and if you're overseeing committees or on any boards, you should have previously alerted the groups so they can fill the hole you are making. Do not forget to pass off the files or records you’ve collected (Girl Scout cookie moms) to whoever is replacing you. If you're part of a nationwide organization, (Rotary, Junior League) get your transfer documents ready and submitted--you can many times fill them out online.
Many mainline churches and synagogues offer the chance to transfer memberships; as soon as you are feeling comfortable and have established a new religious home, they will handle that for you when you are ready to have a new church home.
If you're a member of any organization, you will want to change your membership--depending on the by-laws, you may be able to maintain a non-resident status after you move to Little Rock.
Activities--Youth Sports, Clubs
If you have kids, you will experience the excitement of searching out new play groups, piano teachers, soccer teams, and dance studios. The great news is that club level teams are everywhere, if your kids are into sports. And, searching online is a great way to source out other kid's activities. Remember that everyone has an opinion, but you will at the very least have a good number of contacts for trumpet and art lessons.
Two Weeks and Counting
Get ahold of all your utilities and set up the end-service request. Remember your internet and cable--you could be able to just switch some services if your provider is in your new hometown as well (gas, power, TV, internet) but unless you're local you'll require new accounts. Set up your new accounts as you terminate the old ones, and remember the mail. You can set up your new address and delivery stop dates online, and if you need a Post Office box you can do that online also.
If you are moving interstate, confirm travel reservations and airline tickets. If you are moving with your furry friends, ensure the hotels allow animals.
One Week to Go!
Imagine you are departing on vacation and pack a suitcase or two, so you can get everything else prepared to move. Conduct a “Clean Out the Fridge” week, and use paper plates if possible so that you can box up the rest of the kitchen.
If you are moving any plants from your yard, hold off until the last possible moment to dig the plants up, and keep them in large pots for the move.
Confirm with the movers what time they'll arrive at your house to commence loading.
Moving Day
You are ready to get going. You've got your stuff ready to be loaded on the moving van, so get your folder, unplug the coffee pot and have a great move.
