Are you planning to shift your home but not sure where to start and how to go about it? We have created an extensive checklist for you to schedule and plan your home shifting efficiently in advance.
Feel free to print this Home Shifting Checklist and keep on ticking tasks as you finish them. You may also add or ignore a few of the task as per your specific need. This checklist is very much adjustable and must be adjusted based on your needs. So feel free to make edits as required as per the volume of goods, time and other resources.
Start Planning four Weeks Before Actual Shifting
- Create a detailed list of Inventory of items that you have. You may list items under various heads/categories like ‘pack and move’, ‘donate’, ‘sell’, ‘dump’ etc and list items under it. Get exact list of goods you want packed and moved.
- Create a separate list of precious items like important documents, jewellery etc to carry them with yourself.
- Ensure your new home have enough space to accommodate all furniture and plan accordingly.
- Start cleaning your kitchen and dump anything that is of no use or expired.
- Create a folder for all your important documents that you will be carrying.
- Arrange for tickets and other traveling arrangements in advance.
- If you have a Car or a Pet, make sure to talk to a moving company who can help you with car transportation and pet shifting services.
- Talk to a few Local Packers and Movers companies, get quotations based on your inventory list and finalize one of them to help you with your shifting.
If You Want to Pack Your Goods by Yourself
- Buy adequate quantity of packing materials like cartoons, cardboard, bubble warps, bubbles for cushioning, tapes, threads etc
- Start packing items that are not required currently in your day-to-day life.
- Pack in batches, don’t do all the packing in one day, instead, do small little packing as and when you get time.
- Try to use same or similar items in one box. Try to keep it under weight to ensure safety. Make sure to tape your boxes well
- Label each of the boxes properly. Labeling will be of great help at the time of unpacking.
Three Weeks Before the Move
- Start changing your correspondence address e.g. mobile connection, credit cards, magazine subscriptions etc
- Apply for transfer of your bank accounts or close the account if you don’t need them.
- Return your books, DVD etc if you have rented it from a library.
- Ensure your new home is ready for possessions and that you can really shift as scheduled.
One Week before Moving
- If you are driving your car, get it services or checked to ensure everything is all right and you can drive it your new city.
- Get your basic required goods packed separately like bed, towel, a couple of pillow etc separately so that you can easily unpack and use them once you reach your new home.
- Start packing your gardening tools, plants etc
- Make payment to your monthly deliverables like milk, newspapers, cable operators etc and intimate them about your shifting.
- Ensure to collect clothes etc from dry cleaners.
- Defrost your fridge and make sure it is empty and dry
- Leave your new address with your neighbor, friends and family so in case they need to contact you they can reach you easily.
- Pack important documents and all other valuable stuff that you will be carrying with yourself.
On the Day of Moving
- Get your survival box ready. It should contain items that you need immediately even during the move like first aid box.
- Collect all keys and keep it in a safe box.
- Review everything properly and ensure all remaining goods are getting packed properly and that they are labeled with list of items inside the box.
- Supervise the loading of your goods by the packers and movers on to the cargo truck.
- Do a little bit of cleaning and lock all windows and doors properly.
- Turn off power and water before leaving.
- Take a good look around and see that nothing is left and that you have taken everything as per your plan
- If it’s a rented accommodation, make sure to leave all keys to the owner or care taker.
After Shifting to Your New Home
- Ensure your new home is cleaned and that you have the keys to start unloading.
- Check the electricity and water etc is on
- Start unpacking your goods with the help of Packers and Movers (if its in their contract). Re-arrange your goods as per the space and requirements.
- Update your close family that your have shifted and ready to resume your day-today-life.
- Think of something that you think is left and you should be doing.
Hope this checklist will be of great help and you will be able to track and schedule your home shifting in more efficient manner. Did I miss something? Share your to do list for an efficient home and car shifting by commenting below.
