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Moving Checklist: Planning and Managing a Move

• Planning a move is essential. Start by making a plan for packing – which rooms get packed first, next and last. [TIP: Try to pack younger children's belongings last, to minimize the disruption of a move for them.]
  
• Planning a move with kids means traveling as a family from the current home to the new one. Make your travel arrangements well in advance and aim to make the trip as stress-free as possible. If flying, try to book a direct flight. If driving, estimate how far you'll get each day and book accommodations in advance.
  
• Pre-arrange for important services – such as a working phone, cable television hookups and Internet access – to be installed prior to arriving in your new home.
  
• Assign every family member a sorting, packing, and Moving Day job (or two) – to increase efficiency and ensure everyone feels a part of the process.
  
• If you have young children, determine how to keep them safe and occupied on Move Day. Now is the time to line up a relative or babysitter to help out.
  
• If you have pets, plan to keep them safe and out of the way on Move Day when doors will be open and moving trucks will be in the driveway. Also think about how best to transport them to their new home.
  
• Keep the kids' essential records in a secure folder that goes with you, especially anything needed for enrollment in their new schools including birth certificates and medical, dental and school records.
  
• Identify irreplaceable family keepsakes that are easily carried – baby books, impressions of tiny feet and hands, photographs, a first art project, etc. Pack them for taking with you in the car or on the plane.
  
• Pack a bag, box or suitcase with “necessities” you'll need immediately in your new home: toilet paper, soap, shampoo, bath towels, paper towels, shower curtain, etc. Carry it with you in the car or on the plane. It will be easier than having to run out and buy these things upon arrival.
  
• Make sure every family member has a “survival bag” of clothing, special favorites (toy, blanket, CD), things to read or do en route to the new house, favorite snacks, toothbrushes, toothpaste—essentials for getting to the new home and getting through the first night and morning.
  
• Have a contingency plan for sleeping in the new home on the first night. If you arrive before your beds on the truck you'll want sleeping bags/blow-up beds for all of you, or a hotel reservation that can be cancelled if it's not needed.
  
• Scout out restaurants and supermarkets in your new community for locations and hours. Have a plan for feeding your hungry brood when you arrive.
  
• Have a plan for juggling your need to unpack in the new home with the kids' need to burn off energy (especially after a long car or plane trip). Identify entertainment options in your new community in advance, and while one parent unpacks the other might take the kids out for some fun.
  
• Consider having a gift for the family – one the kids will love, of course – waiting in the new home when you open the door! It doesn't have to be big or expensive – a lawn game like an outdoor volleyball set can spark a celebration in your new backyard!

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