The Wheaton Blog
A roadmap to moving success
Work. School. Soccer practice. Birthday parties. Grocery shopping. Bills. Let’s face it — life is busy. Adding a move to a new home into the mix can really complicate things…but it doesn’t have to.
Wheaton World Wide Moving suggests that you start the moving process at least four weeks before your scheduled move date. This will provide you with plenty of time to complete all of the details that accompany moving. This timeline can help keep you on track to a successful residential move.
4 weeks
- Request a free in-home estimate.
- File a change of address form with the Post Office.
- Notify creditors, magazines and book/music clubs of your new address.
- Retrieve your family’s medical records and ask doctors and dentists to recommend a colleague in your new city.
- Decide which items can be sold, discarded or donated to charity.
- Complete your own inventory of each possession, including date purchased and estimated value.
- Notify the local utilities at your origin/destination to have service turned off/on as needed.
- Notify your children’s schools, your church and other organizations of your impending move.
3 weeks
- Decide which items, if any, you will be packing yourself.
- Sketch out a general floor plan of your new home to determine the placement of furnishings.
- Notify your Wheaton agent if anything about your move has changed (dates, etc.).
- Make arrangements to move your plants and pets.
- Contact your bank and transfer the contents of your safety deposit box.
- Transfer insurance to cover fire, theft and personal property at your new home.
2 weeks
- Plan your own trip to your new home and make the necessary travel arrangements for your family.
- Dispose of flammable items such as gasoline, matches, bleach, cleaning fluids and aerosol cans.
- Discontinue regular services like newspaper delivery, trash pick-up and lawn service.
1 week
- Arrange for the payment of your Wheaton driver at destination.
- Transfer bank accounts so you don’t lose any interest.
- Make arrangements to disconnect/connect local phone service at your origin/destination.
- Determine which items you will be taking with you (jewelry, etc.). Pack and set them aside in a designated area.
- Use up all packaged foods or give donate them to Move For Hunger.
- Drain the fuel from lawnmowers and other gas-powered equipment.
1 day before
- Pack a box of things you’ll need as soon as you arrive at your new home. Take this box with you, or have your Wheaton driver load it last and unload it first.
- This is usually the day packing is done; verify all packing services have been performed before signing for them.
- Defrost, clean and dry your refrigerator.
Moving Day
- Plan to be at your current home when our driver arrives and throughout the loading of your shipment. If you’re not able to be there, make sure the driver has the name and number of the person you’ve designated to oversee the process.
- Check the condition of your goods as they are inventoried and loaded.
- Make a final tour of your home/property and verify that nothing has been overlooked.
- Sign the Bill of Lading, double-checking that your new address and phone number are correct.
- Lock all doors and windows and turn off all switches.
Moving in
- If possible, arrive at your new home a day early to make sure utilities are connected.
- Plan the placement of major items in/around your home.
- Be on hand to pay the driver prior to the unloading of your goods.