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Develop a master
"to do" list. Your mover is sure to have one. Set up a calendar with
dates keyed to when tasks on your list need to be completed.
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Sort through
belongings and eliminate stuff you no longer need. Ask yourself, When
was the last time I used this? How does it make me feel? What's the
worst thing that could happen if I didn't have it? If you experience
a great degree of hesitancy, keep it.
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Recycle
belongings you're leaving behind. Garage sales are great for this
as well as profitable. Donations to homeless shelters, hospitals,
and schools also can be rewarding.
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Use up supplies
that are not transportable. About a month before the move, use up
cleaning supplies and eat your way through the freezer items.
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Pack "like" items
together. Games, pet supplies, photos, and toys are some of the items
that should be grouped by kind and packed together.
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Organize moving
documents and place them in a portable file box to take with you on
moving day. Keep important papers together: the moving registration
number, the driver's name and vehicle number, and the name and phone
number of the moving company at point of origin and destination; include
your personal address book in case you need to reach someone.
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Put different
colored stickers on boxes sorted by room in your new home. Then place
a matching colored balloon on the door of the appropriate room.
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Pack a "survival
box" of items you'll need immediately on arrival. This should include
such items as light bulbs, linens, paper products, garbage bags, soap,
and tools. Take this with you--don't pack it in the van.
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Schedule your
usual rounds. Get hair cut, car serviced, and prescriptions filled
shortly before the move. This eases the pressure of finding new services
right away at your new location.
- Send out change-of-address
cards. Creditors, insurance companies, friends, magazine subscriptions,
and utility companies should be high on your list. Your local post office
has change-of-address kits filled with cards and a helpful checklist.
Leave a forwarding address with the post office when you know where
your new home will be. And have a good, safe move.
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