• Deciding what to move and what not to move. Possibly plan a garage sale!
• Getting estimates from several moving companies or truck rental companies, depending on how you plan to make the move.
• Planning your travel itinerary and making transportation and lodging reservations in advance. (Leave a copy with a friend).Transferring your bank acounts.
• Requesting records from doctor and dentists, including eyeglass prescriptions, dental x-rays and vaccinations.
• Obtaining your children's school records to make for an easier transfer.
• Drawing up a floor plan of where your furniture should be placed. This will help avoid confusion for you and your movers.
• Paying existing bills and closing your local charge accounts.
• Recording expenses incurred during your house-hunting trips. You will also want to save your moving receipts (if the move is employment-related) for tax deductions.

Don't Forget To:

• Discontinue deliveries, electricity, water, gas, newspaper, garbage collection.
• Check on personal items that might be at the photo shop, bank safe deposit box, a neighbor's house, on lay-away or in the repair shop (i.e. shoe repair, jewelry store, small appliance repair or dressmaker.)
• Make arrangements for transporting your plants and pets.
• Save the phone book from your former city residence for tying up loose ends or for future correspondence.
• Transfer insurance policies or arrange for new policies.
• Gather all valuables, jewelry, important papers birth certificates, deeds, documents) to take with you personally.
• Have the car serviced for the trip.
• Pack an arrival kit of necessities just in case you arrive before the mover.
• Get refunds from your present utility and phone companies and arrange for service at your new home.
• Purchase moving insurance. Your mover's liability for lost or damaged goods may not equal their replacement cost.
• Appraise valuable items, such as pieces, etc. for the moving insurance.
• Check with your attorney about your will if moving to a new state.
• Ask for professional referrals if available (i.e. doctor, accountant, etc.)
• Change those addresses: Post Office, change accounts, subscriptions (at least four weeks in advance), relatives and friends, national and alumni organizations, church, mail order clubs (books, tapes, catalogues), firms with which you have time payments, past employer in order to receive your W-2 form(s).