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As moving day approaches, send out word about your new address and accelerate your preparations. Here's what you need to do:
- Call utility companies and arrange to begin service in your new home on the day of the closing and end service the day after you move out of your current home. Be sure to contact all of the following utility companies that apply:
- Electricity
- Heating fuel (natural gas, automatic oil delivery, automatic propane delivery)
- Water
- Telephone
- Cable
- Satellite television
- Internet service - File a change of address form at the post office or online (www.usps.com).
- Notify anyone who regularly sends you mail (credit card companies, student loan institutions, magazines you subscribe to, college alumni association, and so on) of your new address.
- Return library books and any locally rented DVDs.
- Order checks that display your new address. If you're moving to a new area, open a bank account there.
- If you're packing up your belongings yourself, start or continue packing.
House plants can be difficult to move. Some states regulate the kinds of plants you can bring in, and moving companies may transport plants with restrictions: only for moves of less than 150 miles and/or delivery within 24 hours, for example. Plants move best in a climate-controlled environment (such as your car) and in unbreakable plastic containers (as opposed to clay or ceramic pots). If you have houseplants you can't take with you, try to find them new homes at least a couple of weeks before you move.
