We have provided some basic moving tips to help you relocate to Indianapolis. This list is not all inclusive. Your mover and realtor can help with more detailed information.
Planning and Organization
Make a list of what you need to do, and when you need to do it. The best approach is to make a calendar of events for your moving time table.
Unplanned events can happen during your move so be prepared. For example, whether you are buying or selling a house or renting an apartment, coordination of vacancy and occupancy dates can be a challenge, so be prepared with a contingency plan for temporary storage (storage in transient) of your goods.
Become Involved
When you talk about moving, you really mean relocating. It's a process that usually takes anywhere from 90 to 120 days. If you and your family become involved in the process, you will find it can be a well organized, efficient experience. The key is your effort to control each aspect of the relocation.
You cannot be passive. Moving is not something you can stand back and watch, and it involves everyone! The responsibilities of relocating need to be shared ... among you, your spouse, children, friends, employer, realtor, and last but not least, the moving company you select.
Personal Records
All the time you have been living in your current home, you have been building important records of your personal history. Medical, dental, financial, and legal information will take on increased importance in your new community. Information gathering should be a simple process that you should begin working on several months before your actual move. If you wait until the last minute, you will forget something!
Contact your family doctor and dentist - and all of the specialists you may have been to like pediatricians, obstetricians, and eye doctors and get copies of your medical records. Your new physicians and dentists will need your history.
If you have a pet, you will need their medical records too. Your veterinarian can give you copies of their immunization certificates which you will probably need to get new tags or licenses.
Arrange to transfer the contents of your safety deposit box to a bank near your new home. In it, you will likely have not only securities and valuables, but important papers like marriage and birth certificates. Make sure you have a record of the
contents.
While you are at the bank, notify them of your planned move, and arrange to transfer funds to a new bank or branch. If you make a house hunting trip to your
new city, it's a good time to find a bank, discuss mortgage arrangements if you are buying a house, and open an account, all before your move. Your realtor can be a value aide for this information.
And remember the other professionals: accountants, who will have copies of your taxes, lawyers, insurance agents including both life and auto/home coverage, stock
brokers, and schools for the kid's records.
Do you really want to take it?
A general rule of thumb is that if you haven't used it in the past year, you probably dont need it. Also, consider your appliances: Are they old? How well do they work? Do they match to decor of your new home? You might want to sell them now, and purchase new appliances in Indianapolis - this is a definite cost cutting feature!
Garage Sale
This great American tradition is especially useful before moving. It enables you to sell unwanted furniture, appliances, clothing, and other household items that you no longer use, while putting a little more welcomed spending money in your pocket. Kids' rooms are good places to begin.
Things that don't go!
There are two categories of things that cannot go with the mover, and that you probably will not want to drag them around yourself; namely perishables like frozen foods, and hazardous materials.
Plan your meals to use up the contents of your freezer at least a week before you go. Defrost the freezer and allow it to stand with the door open for three or four days so it will dry out and not mildew in transit. It's a good idea to do the same thing even with automatic defrosting refrigerators. Be sure to block the door so it cannot close accidentally on small children.
Hazardous materials include anything flammable or corrosive, like paint, cleaning products, antifreeze and oil, and of course, gasoline. Also, if you have got a gas grill with a tank, be sure the tank is completely empty before either you or the mover takes it. If you have leftover paint from your house, label cans as to where it was used and leave them behind in the garage or basement. The new residents will
appreciate the favor. Keep these types of items clearly separated from everything else so nothing gets packed or moved unintentionally. Whatever you do, remember not to ship anything that might put at risk all of your possessions in the moving van.
