Moving Tips That Will Make Your Life So Much Easier: Two to Three Weeks before the Move

• Verify the date of your departure and contact the telephone, electric, gas and water companies to confirm the date to discontinue services. Notify your realtor or landlord. Make arrangements with utility companies at your new location to start services on the date of your arrival. Absence of vital utility service is very uncomfortable and often leads to unnecessary expenses for temporary accommodations and meals.
• Discontinue newspaper delivery, sanitation and any other regular services.
• Make sure to check fitness club, school or gymnasium lockers for stored belongings.
• Ask your friends or your current doctors for referrals in the new location. Transfer medical records and get all necessary prescriptions. If any family members have ongoing medical or dental treatment programs, arrange for prorated payments with professionals in your new area.
• Check the contents of your safety-deposit box. It is advisable to carry all valuables (such as jewelry, insurance policies, legal documents and important collections) with you or send them by insured or certified mail.
• DO NOT SHIP combustible or flammable items such as oil-base paint, bleach, cleaning and lighting fluids, matches, ammunition and aerosol cans, including hair sprays, shaving creams, deodorants and household cleaners.