Moving Tips

Moving to the Lake Murray area? We can help you move to the Columbia SC home of your dreams.

We understand moving from your current home and relocating to the Columbia SC area can be a stressful experience. You have important home buying and relocation questions like, "What Columbia SC area communities best match our lifestyle," and "How can we locate and buy our Lake Murray dream home when we live hundreds of miles away?"

Let our expert Columbia SC metropolitan area relocation assistance streamline your home buying process. Contact Us Now about your relocation plans!

Below we present you with some tips on how to prepare for moving to your dream home in the Columbia SC area.

One Month Before Moving

Get a notebook and an accordian file and start assembling all the relevant papers, quotes, invoices and other important papers and information.

Place legal, medical, and insurance records here and keep it all in a safe and accessible place.

Get a copy of your eyeglass prescription, in case they get misplaced or broken during the move.

This is also to put any paperwork you will need at the closings on this house and your new home.

Ask your doctors, dentists, veterinarians for copies of your records and a referral to someone in your new location.

Arrange for Homeowners Insurance at your new location.

Obtain an IRS Change of Address form, call 1-800-829-1040 and ask for Form 3903 to help deduct Moving Expenses.
Save moving receipts (many moving expenses are tax deductible).

Obtain a Change of Address form to tell the Post Office of your move.

GIVE YOUR CONTACTS YOUR NEW ADDRESS:

Friends and family members
Banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions
Charge card and credit card companies
Doctors, dentists, and other service providers
Stockbroker or Financial Adviser State
and Federal Tax authorities
IRS--see note at the top of this page.

(You can do this by sending them Address Change
Notification Cards or, for magazine publishers and business
mailers, by following their change-of-address instructions.)

Start gathering moving supplies, boxes, tape, rope. (If you know anyone who has moved recently, they may be a good source for these materials.)

Start using up the frozen foods you have on hand.

Draw or ask for a floor plan of your new home so you can start planning for furniture placement and label the appropriate room on furniture and boxes for the movers.

Start packing nonessentials away. Number & label each box with a list of contents, and where it should be put in your new home. Try to find one room or spot in your home where packed boxes can be stacked out of your way.

If moving far away, make any necessary travel arrangements like airline, hotel, and rental car reservations. Or plan your travel route if driving. (Make sure your arrangements accommodate your pets, as well)

Call a moving company or make truck rental reservations to move yourself.

Finalize real estate and apartment rental needs.

Ask your EBA for maps of your new neighborhood to familiarize yourself and your family with your new area.

Plan your moving budget.

Complete any repairs you have committed to on your current home.

Two Weeks Before Moving

Inform gas, electric, water, cable, local telephone and trash removal services of your move and schedule cutoff for the day after you move.

If you have pets, make arrangements to board them at the new location for moving day, at least.

Recruit moving-day help.

Confirm travel reservation.

Arrange to close or transfer your bank account, if appropriate. Open an account in your new location if needed, so it will be available for use as soon as you move in.

The Week Before Moving

Sign up for services and utilities at your new address. (Most utilities won’t accept your order until the Seller has cancelled their current service to be effective on Closing Day.)

Empty your lawnmower and power tools of gasoline.

Get fresh refills of all prescriptions to take with you.

Return library books, pick-up dry cleaning.

Have your car tuned up and the tires checked.

Have your children pack a small box of the toys or blankets or other “security items” they want to have with them the first night in their new home.

Start assembling an emergency box to stay with you during the move. Be sure to mark it BOLDLY “DO NOT MOVE”, so it will stay with you. Some items you might want to put in here include: Paper towels, paper plates, matches, batteries, bottled water, snacks that don’t require utensils, toilet paper, coffee, coffee pot, sugar, powdered creamer, teabags, bottle of wine, corkscrew, cups, glasses, paper and pen, cleaning supplies, reading glasses, screwdriver, hammer, bottled water (to drink and for cleaning just in case the water is off), flashlights, light bulbs, trash bags, Band-Aids, aspirin, chargers for your cell phones, remotes for televisions.

One to Two Days Before Moving

Defrost and clean out your refrigerator and freezer.

Give away any houseplants you aren’t taking. Water any you are.

Confirm disconnect and meter readings with utility companies.

Put fresh linens on all the beds. (These will go right back on the beds at the new house.)

The Day Before Moving

Set aside moving materials like a tape measure, pocket knife, packing boxes, tape and markers.

Pick up rental truck.

Check oil and gas in your car.

Walk around the outside of your house. If possible, move everything that is to be moved to the front area where it will be seen easily. (Lawnmower, rakes, hoses, etc.)

If traveling, make sure you have tickets, charge cards, and other essentials.

If you are moving in right after closing, you will probably want to do a “Walk Through” of your new home with your EBA today or tomorrow before Closing, to be sure that everything is as you understood it would be.

Moving Day

Wake up Early. Don’t panic.

Take your purse, notebook and emergency box and stash them all together somewhere–a bathroom is usually a good place – out of the way, not much being moved out of it, but easily accessible.

Pack your makeup, shaving essentials, toothbrushes, shampoo, shower gel, etc. all in one suitcase to go with you as well. Put it in the bathroom with the other stuff that you want to keep by your side.

Strip those fresh linens from all beds. Pack one box with the pillows, sheets and blankets to be put on the beds first thing. If your kids need a nightlight, this is a good place to pack that, too. Be sure to put a shower curtain, toilet paper and towels in this box as well. You might also pack everyone’s sleepwear, robes and slippers in here. (If the bathroom is starting to get crowded, stick these boxes in the tub!)

Empty all trash cans. (Many people unknowingly have paid to have to have their garbage moved to their new home with them.)

Post a note with your name, new address and contact number for the new residents of your home so they can forward any mail that slips through the cracks.

Walk through the house and around the yard, BEFORE the movers leave, to be sure that nothing is being left. Don’t forget to check the attic, basement, garage, other places things might have been stuck to be out of the way.

Give the house a final clean.

Go through and turn everything off. (If the new owners are moving in right behind you, leave the thermostat set so they will be comfortable.)

Pull everything out of that bathroom and pack it into your car and lock it.

More great tips on moving to Columbia SC here.

Have you found a perfect Columbia SC house which is much smaller then the last one and now you are left with excess furniture? Check out our tips on storage when moving to Columbia SC.

If you have any questions about moving to Columbia SC or surrounding areas contact Earth Available Realty, Inc., or call us toll free (800) 336-1299 or locally (803) 731-0989.

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