The Moving Process

[Andre]

In my state, the united states post office has a moving kit that's free. It contains cards that you fill out to change your address at the post office, as well as moving tips, coupons for money off moving services, and numbers for local utility companies.

A moving kit includes (IIRC) only about 6 cards for sending to your contacts - credit card companies, magazines, vendors, former employers, clubs, etc. Feel free to grab three or four kits, if needed. They can be picked up at your local USPS branch.

Inform the Post Office at least one week before you move. Start the forwarding process as soon as you can get into your new place so that you can be sure they aren't still leaving mail for you at the old address.

I'd recommend at least a month in advance. The form has a line for the exact date you want mail to begin forwarding, so submitting the form early shouldn't cause your mail to forward too soon. If you wait too close to the move date, the post office may not update its systems soon enough. Regardless, it will probably be a week or 10 days before your forwarded mail begins to arrive at your new address. After that, forwarding your mail typically slows down delivery a couple business days.

You can do this online if you prefer. IIRC, it costs a buck or two online, vs. free if you use the card in the moving kit. Here's the link:

https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS

Also, I've been told by postal carriers to NOT check the "family" box for type of move. Always check "individual", then fill out a separate form for each of you. The reason I was given is that, if you check "family", the system will sometimes grab other people with the same last name as your own. It's also not a bad idea to put a copy of the form in your mailbox a few days before your move, with the date highlighted, so your regular carrier sees it.

BTW, your mail will be forwarded for 12 months. For an additional 6 months (months 13-18), the mail will be returned to the sender with your new address. After 18 months, mail is returned with no info. Magazines are forwarded for (IIRC) only 6 months. Junk mail (standard mail) is typically not forwarded, as the mailer has to pay a fee for this (it's automatically included in the first-class rate).

Inform the HR department at your workplace.

Great suggestion. It's amazing how many of us forget this one. Also, notify any companies for which either of you have worked in the past few years. If they send a W-2, 1099, or other form to your old address, those items will typically not be forwarded. And don't forget any investment plans (401K, IRA, etc), especially if they're still administered by a former employer.


Another thought: if your connection number changes, you may need to update your ISP settings for connecting to the internet. For example, in KC it's common to switch area codes due to a move.

 

[Warrior Poet]

Oh, yeah. Don't feel you have to unpack everything that first night! Break out a few necessities, then order a pizza and sit back with a frosty-cold beverage and catch your breath. There's plenty of time to unpack all yer stuff (and realize how much else you should have thrown out )

Give your pets a chance to get used to the new space. Cats sometimes freak out over location changes. Dogs usually handle it a little better once you put down their dog bed and they recognize, "Oh, yeah, this is mine, and I'm o.k. now." Place the pet bed in a safe place that can't be approached from "the back," i.e. against a wall, in a corner, etc. This will make the dog feel safe, and a dog that feels safe will like where it is, especially once it realizes that you're staying, too.

No idea what to do about cats, though. They've got freaky psychology.

Warrior Poet

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Are you moving everything, or will you be putting stuff into storage? If so, I have some advice there that might help, otherwise, I won't bother...

We'll be moving most everything we have - our new apartment is bigger than our current apartment and has more storage space in general... though, I have thought about putting a couple of things into storage. I'd appreciate any advice you can give on that subject.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

You can do this online if you prefer. IIRC, it costs a buck or two online, vs. free if you use the card in the moving kit. Here's the link:

https://moversguide.usps.com/?referral=USPS

Awesome, Andre! Thanks for the link - very handy!!

 

[Xath]

As for switching addresses,

Most credit card companies, banks, and magazines (which have online account access) will have a change of address page inside your account. So you can instantaneously switch over to your new address. I reccomend doing this as soon as you get your statement for June (since you're moving in July). It might take them a bit to actually switch over, and you don't want to chance your apartment's new tenants taking a peek at your credit report if it's not forwarded in time.

Also, since you guys are switching states, you'll need to check out getting your car's registration switched over to MD. You'll need to get it inspected again as well, because Maryland is super anal about emmissions (that's why they say 48-state legal).

When you get the used car this summer, make sure you get it super-inspected. When it comes to transferring ownership of automotives, Maryland likes red tape.

 

[Hijinks]

No idea what to do about cats, though. They've got freaky psychology.

The best thing to do with cats is to put them in a small room (bathroom, bedroom, etc) with their things (litter box, etc) and let them explore that one room for a day or so. Once they have explored that, let them explore more space. Just don't throw them into a big new place all at once. Of course, 99% of the time, whatever you do, it's going to freak them out, because they're cats, and that's what they do.

 

[der_kluge]

We'll be moving most everything we have - our new apartment is bigger than our current apartment and has more storage space in general... though, I have thought about putting a couple of things into storage. I'd appreciate any advice you can give on that subject.

Well, we moved from a house into an apartment, so it was a necessity for us to move about half of our stuff into storage.

Here's the advice, that I wish I knew before I packed.

It's tempting to pack similar things into a box, and mark it "plates" or whatever, and then pack it. When you pack for storage, you really need to split stuff into half. So, you want "plates - storage" versus "plates - apartment". Anything you absolutely don't want at the apartment should go into storage regardless of whether it is in a box with oddbal stuff or not. This will save you from having to dig through boxes for things like a toaster when you ended up packing it with a bunch of stuff you didn't think you would need, and will also keep you from having a bunch of stuff at the apartment that you don't necessarily need, and is just taking up space.

My wife were just on the phone talking about how we needed to repack certain things (clothes our kid has outgrown) and do something with them. We could stand to do some more spring-cleaning and get rid of stuff. We didn't have a lot of time to do all of that when we moved. I've got old toys and stuff I'd like to try to sell.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

If you're staying in VA....

I forget the name of the moving company we used, which is good because I don't reccomend them. They charged by the hour and guess what? They took their time and were very slow. We ended up paying them two hours of over time and we had to have them throw everything in our garage because we didn't want them lollygagging through the house taking even more time. I'm convinced that one guy sat down every time I had my back turned. So don't use movers who charge by the hour.

A buddy of mine used "Two Guys and a Truck". They were very professional and did a great job. They brough a couple of illegals to help out and everything was done very quickly.

Other than that, get rid of as much stuff as you can and pack books in small boxes. I repeat: pack books in small boxes.

Good luck! Let me know if you're moving closer to Reston!

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

If you put stuff in storage, don't put your extra checks in there. We did that once, and then ran out of checks and had to find them in the storage bin. Not fun.

Don't forget to notify your creditors (student loans, car loans, etc.). They're easy to overlook, but missing the payment doesn't look good on your credit record. (And, of course, it's always your responsibility to make payment on time, regardless of major life issues like moving.)

Good luck! Enjoy all the new space. It will be filled before you know it. And moving in July--I haven't done that in years. And never will again, if I can help it. Drink lots of water.

 

[Queen_Dopplepopolis]

Good luck! Let me know if you're moving closer to Reston!

We're actually not far from Reston, now. The_Universe works in the Tyson's area, but will be making the big commute to Ft. Meade for his new government job with clearance! (everybody... oooo! ahhhh! )

However, we'll be in Silver Spring, MD - which may actually be a wee closer to Reston than Alexandria, when all is said and done. Regardless, we're pretty close by!