Moving is a stress-filled pain, there’s no mistake about it. Not only do you have to handle myriad details of organization, but you have to do it while enjoying the fear of moving to a place that you probably don't know too much about. We offer this guide on "how to move to a new city":
Create a moving timeline.
There are tons of online resources engineered to help with relocation. You want to assemble a list of the items you need to take care of, so that you can stop forgetting to do things -- or worse, stop worrying about forgetting to do things. With this list in hand, you can move down it, handling tasks, checking items off, as you get closer the actual move.
So what should that list contain and in what order? Most of the tasks that confront you in a move will break down into two classes: (a) setting up life in a new place and (b) breaking down life in the old one. There are a few issues that straddle the two and some that fall outside of them, but we'll try to cover them all.
Breaking Down Your Old Place
Long Range Items (6 to 3 weeks before Moving Day)
Medium Range Items (2 weeks to 5 days before Moving Day)
Close Proximity (4 days before Moving Day up until you leave)
Long Range Items
1. Give notice to your landlord [Moving Day in 6 weeks]
2. Contact moving companies [Moving Day in 5 weeks]
3. Throw away what you don’t need. [Moving Day in 3 weeks]
4. Collect your important documents [Moving Day in 3 weeks]
Medium Range Items
1. Change of address notification [Moving Day in 2 weeks]
2. Garage sale or charities for things you just can’t throw away. [Moving Day in 10 days]
3. Schedule pick-up for the moving company [Moving Day in 10 days]
4. Recruit friends and family moving day help [Moving Day in 7 days]
5. Load up on moving supplies [Moving Day in 5 days]
Close Proximity
1. Arrange a place to stay on your last night in town [Moving Day in 5 days]
2. Close bank account [Moving Day in 2 days]
3. Service your car [Moving Day in 2 days]
4. Gather your travel necessities [Moving Day in 2 days]
5. Pick up rental truck [MOVING DAY]
6. Pack & go [MOVING DAY]
7. Disconnect utilities [Moving Day plus 1 day]
Yes, we've said to cut off the utilities the day after your move. On moving day, you're going to need power, phone, and water. Just cut off the utilities once you've gone.