Four to Six Weeks before Moving Day
Places to Notify
Let the post office know when you’ll be moving and what your new address will be; a temporary forwarding address may be necessary if you do not have a permanent one by the time you move. As an alternative, the post office will hold you mail and forward it upon written instructions from you.
If you want to rent a post office box in the new city, you must do so in person. All post office box rentals are for a minimum of six months.
First-class mail is forwarded free of charge for one year. Magazines and newspapers are forwarded for 60 days and parcel post for one year if you have indicated to the post office that you will pay any extra postage due.
Only one change-of-address card is necessary per family if everyone in the household is moving and if all persons have the same last name. For other cases, one change-of-address card per person can be used. This type of card can be picked up at you local post office, or you may call the post office and ask if you postal carrier could drop off a card at your home.
Send change-of-address cards as soon as you know what the new address will be. Publishing companies prefer at least four weeks’ notice – preferably six. Early notification of your new, complete mailing address, including ZIP code, can avoid postage-due costs and eliminate the delayed receipt of you magazines and other publications.
Prepare a list of friends, relatives, business firms and others who should be notified of your move. The following checklists will be helpful:
| Utilities | Professional Services |
|---|---|
| Electric | Doctor |
| Gas | Dentist |
| Water | Certified Public Accountant |
| Telephone | Lawyer |
| Fuel | Broker |
| Sewer District | |
| Trash | |
| Cable Television | |
| Insurance Agencies | Established Business Accounts |
| Life | Dry Cleaner |
| Fire | Bakery |
| Auto | Drug Store |
| Home | Diaper Service |
| Health | Department Stores |
| Accident | Water Softener Service |
| Hospital | Lawn Service |
| Dairy | |
| Publications | Service Stations |
| Newspapers | Laundry |
| Magazines | Banks |
| Newsletters | Finance Companies |
| Professional | Credit Card Companies |
| Fraternal | Automobile Agency |
| Real Estate Agency | |
| Government & Public Offices | Miscellaneous |
| Veterans Administration Library | Relatives and Friends |
| City Hall - Refuse Service | Business Accountants |
| City and/or County Tax Assessor | Book and Record Clubs |
| State Motor Vehicle Bureau | Video and Compact Disc Clubs |
| Social Security Administration | Organizations and Clubs |
| State/Federal Income Tax Bureaus | School and College Landlord (if you are a tenant) |
| Draft Board | Tenants (if you are a landlord) |
| Church |
Miscellaneous Pre-Move Tips
Pre-Move Garage Sale & Donations
Consider having a garage sale to dispose of unwanted items. (For information on this subject ask for the "Pre-Planning A Garage Sale" booklet.) If you donate clothing or household goods to charitable organizations, obtain receipts showing the items’ approximate value for possible tax deductions.
Use Items You Won’t be Moving
Begin to use up supplies of canned goods, frozen foods and other household items. Buy only what will be used before moving. Consider making shipping arrangements for frozen foods with the local frozen food locker plant. Due to the possibility of spoilage, it is not advisable to move frozen foods on the van unless all of the following conditions are met:
- They are in a freezer operating at a normal deep-freeze temperature at the time of loading. (Check you freezer operating manual for suggested normal freezing temperatures.)
- The distance to be moved is not over 150 miles and/or delivery will be made within 24 hours.
- No storage of the shipment is necessary.
- No preliminary or en route servicing of any kind is required.
Pre-Move Personal Household Inventory
Fill out your own "Personal Household Inventory" using the form provided. Completing your own inventory can help you determine the amount of declared valuation for the shipment. List as nearly as possible, the year of the purchase and original cost of each item. Attach any invoices or records of purchase to the completed inventory.
Company Relocations
If you are being relocated at your company’s request, find out what portion of your moving expenses the company will pay. If your company has a written moving policy, ask for a copy of the document.
