Moving Planner and Budget

If you're planning on moving, you need a moving planner. Moving is a such stressful event. Stress from moving ranks almost as high as stress from death and divorce. To reduce your stress levels from moving, you need to plan your move with two key tools, a planner and a moving budget.

A planner for your move includes all the aspects that go into the move of a home... the packing, coordinating the movers, coordinating shutting off and turning on utilities and services, childcare, animal care, etc. Everything that needs to take place for a move to happen goes into a moving planner in a time line fashion. While a moving budget is the dollar amounts associated with the items listed in a moving planner.

Sample Moving Planner:

Eight weeks out:

  • Create a master file to capture all the documents associated with your move and keep a notepad in the file to make notes along the way.
  • Inventory your home in case you need to file a claim with the moving company for loss or damage.
  • Gather three estimates from moving companies.
  • Make sure your current homeowners policy covers the move.
  • If you have children, check out the school situation and enroll them in their new school.

Six weeks out:

  • Decide on a moving company and coordinate the pack (if the movers are doing this) and move dates with them.
  • Decide if you're going to have the moving company pack for you.
  • If you're going to pack yourself, ask the moving company how many boxes, what types of boxes, and how much tape you're going to need and purchase it.
  • Think about your new floor plan and furniture placement.
  • Think about the storage in your new home and plan out how you are going to store your stuff.

Four Weeks out:

  • File a change of address with the post office.
  • Let everyone know your new address. Creditors, insurance companies, magazine subscriptions, friends and family.
  • Start packing! First, declutter getting rid of things you no longer want and need.
  • If you're moving yourself, go ahead and reserve a rental truck from a moving company.
  • Start eating out of your cub boards and pantry so you don't have to pack it.
  • Put together a file of personal papers needed at your new residence and include with your master move file. In this 'personal paper' file will be medical and dental records, school records, birth certificates, etc.

Three Weeks out:

  • Coordinate utilities (gas, electric, phone, cable, water, etc.) to be shut off at your current home and turned on at the new home.
  • If you haven't already, work with your insurance carrier and let them know of the new address.
  • Advise your state department of Motor Vehicles of your new address.

Two Weeks out:

  • Arrange child and pet care.

One Week out:

  • Notify your banking institution of the new address.
  • Let the newspaper know of your new address.
  • If you're moving out of town, work with your banking institution to close out safety deposit boxes.

Two Days out:

  • If the movers are packing your stuff, they'll be doing that now.
  • Put aside any valuable items such as coins, jewelry, firearms, documents, etc. in a safe place and move those yourself.

It's Moving Day!

Stick around and supervise the move being available for any questions.

Give the moving company a copy of the inventory of your home. Read and sign the moving docs requesting and keeping copies for your master moving file.

Prior to the movers leaving, do one quick walk through to make sure they packed everything up.

Make sure the movers have directions to your new residence and give them your cell phone number in case they need to reach you.

Delivery and Unpack Day.

Supervise the unloading and unpacking. Be sure to make a note if you see something damaged in the process. Look for anything that was damaged in the move or went missing. Be meticulous and take notes on your inventory list of boxes that look like they sustained damage in the move before you sign off on any paperwork.

Now, let's talk about a moving budget and all that needs to be considered when financing a move.

Moving Budget

Here's a run-down of a moving budget and what it should include. Remember that some items will either need to be included or excluded depending on if you move yourself and if you move out of state.

  • Moving company fee
  • Extra charges (insurance, equipment, mileage)
  • Car or truck rental
  • Gas
  • Airplane tickets
  • Gas and oil for car
  • Costs of moving pets
  • In-transit storage
  • Lodging during trip to new home
  • Contract labor to help move
  • Cleaning company
  • Packing moving supplies (are these part of the bid if you hire the packing out?)
  • Meals while traveling to new home
  • Expenses of breaking a lease or entering a new lease
  • Costs of selling your home
  • Costs of purchasing a new home
  • Start/stop utility services
  • New driver's licenses
  • Car tags
  • Pre-move house hunting trip expenses
  • Security deposits
  • Decorating expenses
  • Child care
  • Pet care
  • Memberships (gym, spa, clubs)

Remember, a moving budget is a simple tool designed to make things easier for you. Its role is to let you see every little detail of the moving process and the associated costs. A moving budget along with a moving planner just might be the salvation for your budget giving you some peace of mind during this stressful time.


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