The experience of moving to a new home is inevitably stressful. While you can eliminate some of the pressure by renting a unit at a self-storage facility, it’s likely the rush of changing homes that will cause you to forget some important details. Before you start packing up your belongings, create a list of everything that needs to take place before you leave your home. Here are a few details that commonly fall by the wayside:
Mail Forwarding/Change of Address
The U. S Postal Service will continue to deliver mail to your old address unless you file an official change of address. Once you file the change, mail that would be delivered to your old residence will be forwarded to your new home for 6 months. You should pay attention to the mail that gets delivered after you move. If something comes to you with your old address on it, take time to alert that person or organization of your new location. With the internet, it’s easy to contact magazines, newspapers and organizations that send bills to let them know about the change.
Transfer Utilities
If you are selling a house and completely responsible for the utilities, you will need to transfer the responsibility for the utilities to the new owner. Discuss this process with the purchaser ahead of time and agree on a day to switch the utilities over. If you don’t communicate properly, you could cancel the accounts before the other person activates them, resulting in a gap in service. While that may not seem like a big deal, the sudden loss of utilities like heat could cause serious problems, such as frozen pipes.
Set Aside Critical Documents
In the frenzy to pack everything before moving day, it’s easy to throw important paperwork into a box that gets tossed on a moving truck. Prevent this from happening to your family’s wills, tax documents and cherished photos or letters by transporting these items yourself. The loss of these items could be catastrophic, so keep them close.
Clear Out The Fridge
Your kitchen is undoubtedly full of perishable items that will not be able to make the move with you. Rather than throwing all that food away as you hurry to leave, plan the meals before your move to use up as much food as possible. Then, schedule a visit to a food bank the day ahead of your move so you can donate anything that’s left over. SecurCare Self Storage facilities have the space you need to store items during a move, and many locations offer truck rentals and moving supplies. Stop by today to see how we can help you.