The Ultimate Checklist for Moving to a New Home

Ah, the grand adventure of moving!

Whether you're tangoing with professional movers or doing the DIY shuffle with friends and family, the journey to a new abode is both exhilarating and, let's be honest, a bit of a logistical maze.

Fear not, dear reader, for we've got your back. In this guide, we'll spill the tea on booking movers, mastering the art of packing, and orchestrating a move so smooth it'll make your favourite playlist jealous.

So, grab a cuppa, kick back, and let's make moving day a tale worth telling.

1Book a Time with Movers

Whether you’re hiring a professional moving company or simply renting a moving van and getting help from friends and family, it’s important to get your moving date solidified and booked with whoever you will need to help move.

2Begin Packing

One of the most time-consuming aspects of relocating to a new house is packing. Before our belongings are sorted and organized into boxes, we seldom truly realize how much of them we have. We advise you to pack your possessions into three distinct piles: donate/sell, toss away, and retain. Relocating is an excellent method of reducing the amount of broken or unused objects. As a general guideline, it's preferable to discard anything that you haven't used in a year (or two seasons, if it's a seasonal item).

A few packing tips include:

1. Work methodically from room to room, don’t jump around the house
2. Clearly label everything from what’s inside to where in the new home it should be placed (and if it’s fragile!)
3. Bubble wrap and padding are your friends
4. Document all your valuables for insurance purposes
5. Don’t make your boxes too heavy, if they’re heavy they are more likely to be dropped
6. Start with packing your non-essential items first, then work your way up in importance.
7. Keep all key documentation and or keepsakes in a single box, and ensure you move this yourself.

3Update Your Address

When moving, changing your address is a crucial step. Numerous facets of your life, including finances and identity, are linked to your residential address. As it can take some time, make sure you begin with the necessities first:

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)
• Your bank
• Your car registration and insurance
• Driver’s license
• Passport
• Employer
• Schools and universities
• Any clubs or associations you are a part of
• Alberta Health Services
• Individual healthcare professionals (doctor, dentist, veterinarian, etc.)
• Canada Pension Plan
• Old Age Security
• Employment Insurance
• Canada Post
• Friends and relatives

Canada Post offers mail forwarding services where most of your mail will be automatically forwarded to your new address for 3 to 12 months so you can ensure you still receive all your mail, even if you forget to update your address with some institutions.

4Schedule a Cleaning

You might want to arrange for a cleaning service for your existing residence before you relocate. This will provide a fresh start for whoever moves into your former residence and, in the event that you are renting, your entire deposit returned. You can also arrange for a cleaning service for your new house, but that won't be required if you're purchasing a brand-new house in Maple Crest! Your builder takes care of having brand-new homes properly cleaned before the move-in date.

Read More: Buyer’s Journey: Here’s What To Expect on Closing Day

5Take Time Off for Moving

You will want to take a minimum of your moving day off work to ensure you can be fully present. It is often considered beneficial to take a few days off after moving to get your new home sorted out if you can do so.

6Organize Child and Pet Care

Moving can be dangerous for small children and pets. Before moving, be sure to have a plan for who will take care of your children and pets.

7Create a Moving-Day Plan

The secret to a good transfer is organization. Make a strategy for transferring belongings from your previous house to your new one! Establish a start time, a schedule (with breaks), the sequence in which you want the items moved, and the storage locations for boxes and furniture. Having a well-defined plan can assist you in staying on course and prevent you from burning out.

And there you have it – the symphony of moving, complete with its high notes of booking, a crescendo of packing, and the harmonious address change finale. As you bid adieu to one chapter and open the door to the next, remember that every bubble wrap pop and labelled box is a step towards your new beginning. So, take that well-deserved break, pat yourself on the back for mastering the art of relocation, and welcome home – wherever that may be.