The Epic Family Moving Checklist: Family Relocation Timeline

Moving to a new state with a family can easily be classified as one of the most difficult things you may have to do in years. Regardless of the real reason for the family relocation – often moving for a job in another part of the country, you’ll be tasked with the great challenge of managing each and every aspect of the upcoming family move.

To make things easier and safer for you and your family members, you are strongly recommended to follow a FAMILY MOVING CHECKLIST – a very useful to-do list that provides good advice on how to move to a new city with a family.

The complete FAMILY RELOCATION TIMELINE below will highlight all the important steps you’ll need to take to prepare your family members for the imminent move.

Comprehensively, the moving checklist for families covers the entire preparation period, starting roughly 4 weeks prior to the scheduled move-out date and ending a few days after the move-in day.

So, you’ve got about ONE MONTH to properly prepare your family for the move. The next tips for moving with a family will help you organize your time in the best possible way and minimize the moving stress for the entire family.

Ready, set, GO!

FOUR WEEKS before move day

Most moving timelines you’ll come across start from approximately 8 weeks prior to Moving day. If you also have 2 full months until it’s time to move out, then that’s great.

However, you won’t always have that much time to do what needs to be done, you may only happen to have like 1 month or even less to pull off a successful move with your family. In that case, this very week-by-week family moving checklist will help you make it in time.

MAKE an informed decision: MOVERS or DIY

Decide what’s best for your family – to organize a self-move or to hire one of the best moving companies in the country. This is a very important decision that will change the dynamic of your family move.

For a local move, you could try to rent a moving truck and move by yourself. For a cross-country move, it’s best to trust a reputable mover due to the numerous risks, dangers, and expenses when moving long distance on your own.

Move by Yourself or Hire a Mover?

FIND and book a top-rated mover

Moving with a family is a huge step and, in most cases, that relocation period will be tough for everyone involved. Making things easier and safer for your loved ones should be your top priority, and one good way to guarantee that peace of mind is to hire a top-notch moving company.

Don’t make any compromises in terms of the quality and reliability of professional moving services.

How to Choose a Good Mover in 31.5 Steps

SPEAK with your children about the move

If your children are old enough to understand you, find time to explain to them that soon you will be moving to a new home. Moving with school-age kids can be especially challenging as they may not be too thrilled to change schools and leave behind their good friends.

Be patient and give your children enough time to process the news. As an added bonus, you may choose to spark their interest in the new place.

Moving With Children: School, Timing and Tough Decisions

START looking for free moving boxes

Moving to a different home can be rather expensive, especially when moving across the country, so you should concentrate on cutting moving costs any way you can.

Lower your packing costs by acquiring free moving boxes for your packing needs. After all, why pay for cardboard boxes when you can get them for free? Access the full list of places where you can find moving boxes for free.

Where to Get Free Moving Boxes: Complete Checklist

DECLUTTER your home: get rid of anything unwanted

Moving to another state with a family is about managing well the family budget. One way to make sure the family expenses stay within the allocated moving budget is to pack and move only the things you like and will use in the future.

The relocation cost will depend on the total shipment weight, so sell all unwanted items online or at a garage sale, gift them to friends, or donate them to charity.

How to Declutter Your Home Before Moving: 10 Steps

INITIATE the packing task without delay

The moving checklist for family relocation will help you prioritize your move-related tasks so that no important job is left unfinished.

Packing for a move takes FOREVER so start sorting out and boxing your things as early as you possibly can. Start with the toughest rooms to pack (the storage areas in your home) and work your way toward the rooms you use on a daily basis.

Packing Timeline: What to Pack When Moving

URGE your children to pack their things

When packing for a family move, you’ll definitely need all the help you can get. So, a great way to get that packing assistance is to urge your children to pack up their own things. Provided that they are old enough, of course.

To increase the overall packing efficiency, you can help your kids to sort out their items too. Remember: fewer items to pack and move will mean less money out of your pocket.

THREE WEEKS before move day

With only about 20 days until the Big day, you’re going to have to double your efforts and concentrate on the super-important items in your family moving timeline.

ARRANGE the transfer of school records

Moving to a new town or city, possibly in another state, will often mean a new school for your kids. To make the transition as smooth as possible, you’re going to have to contact their current school and obtain their school records and other important documentation for the post-move registration with another educational institution.

Sometimes you may be able to arrange those school records to be transferred directly to the new school in the destination place.

REGISTER your children at a good school

It’s imperative that you register your children at a reputable school after the move is over. Use the Internet to research various schools in the destination place and try to get personal recommendations from people you may know there.

Don’t decide on a new school for your kids before scheduling a personal school tour and meeting in person with the school principal and some of the teachers.

How to Find a New School After Moving

TAKE your pet to the vet’s office

Pets are part of your family, so take your pet to the vet’s office for a complete checkup. Speak with the vet about whether any anti-anxiety medications for your animal friend will make the actual moving trip more pleasant for everyone.

Also, obtain copies of your pet’s records to be able to register them with a licensed veterinarian after the family move.

Moving With Dogs to a New Home

Moving With Cats to a New Home

ASK your family doctor for references

Moving with your family means that you’ll have to find another family physician right after you complete the relocation.

Regardless of whether you’ll need a general practitioner or a specialist, it’s a good idea to ask your current doctor if they can recommend a good healthcare provider in the new place. Also, get copies of the medical records of each family member, including the immunization documents.

How to Find a New Doctor When Moving

DECIDE on how you will move your pet

Moving your family across the country is never easy, and it’s even less easy when you have a pet because standard moving companies are not allowed to move pets for safety reasons.

When moving with a dog or a cat, you need a good plan about how exactly your trusted animal friend will reach the new home. Basically, you have 3 options: move your pet in your car, take him or her on a plane, or hire special pet movers.

How to Move Pets to Another State

BOOK a reliable car shipping company

Moving your family to another state can prove to be more challenging than you think simply because you may not be too enthusiastic about driving the family car across the entire country.

The better option for you may be to fly to the new town or city and have your family car shipped to the new address by a reputable long-distance car shipper. That’s a great option when you have more than one personal vehicle as well.

How to Ship a Car to Another State

TWO WEEKS before move day

Only a couple of weeks before you move out of your current place. This moving checklist for families continues with some good advice about what you should do next to make your own move easier, safer, and more affordable.

GET your family car serviced

If you prefer to drive the family car to the new residence instead of taking a plane, then you’ll want to make sure the vehicle is in good technical condition before you start on that long family relocation trip.

Get your car serviced at an authorized service station prior to hitting the road.

DECIDE what you’ll do with your household plants

Household plants are extra fragile and moving companies will not usually agree to move any of your plants for you.

When moving locally, you can still transport some of your favorite plants in your car – when packed properly, they should survive the shorter distance. When moving long distance, gift your plants to friends, local schools, hospitals, or nursing homes to keep them alive for years to come.

How to Move Your Garden

REACH out to your friends for help

Yes, you’ll have your family members to help you out sorting, packing, and moving various household items. However, often their assistance will not be enough.

Consider asking your good friends for help with packing or lifting heavy furniture and boxes, especially if you’re already behind schedule. Reach out to your pals early so that you don’t wreak havoc on their own plans.

How to Get Your Friends to Help You Move

PLAN a going-away party for the entire family

Your friends will be more willing to give you a hand if you invite them to a farewell party prior to Moving day. This way, you’ll be able to see the people you truly care about one more time before you go away.

Exchange contacts and promise to keep in touch with your pals. Don’t forget to also invite your children’s friends so the kids can have their goodbyes too.

How to Organize a Memorable Moving Away Party in 10 Steps

CHANGE your postal address

Your family is moving into a new home and that new house or apartment has a postal address that’s different from the one you have right now. So, change your address with the United States Postal Service, preferably a couple of weeks prior to Moving day.

To keep receiving your mail, change your address using one of the 4 available options: 1) online, 2) in person, 3) by phone, or 4) by mail.

How to Change Your Address When Moving

TRANSFER or change your home utilities

Neither you nor your family members will be happy to find the new home without electricity and running water, nor unheated during the cold months.

Arrange for the disconnection of your current household utilities (power, water, gas, phone, cable TV, etc.) and their reconnection at the new home. Depending on the nature of the move, you may need to transfer or change those utilities.

How to Transfer Utilities When Moving

ONE WEEK before move day

According to this family moving checklist, a week before your move-out day is the time when you’ll really start feeling the pressure of moving your family across the country.

Also, it’s the time when you should be able to see the finish line in the distance.

CHECK your packing progress

Only around 7 days to go! Check your progress against a good packing timeline to see if you’ll need to double your packing efforts or not. By that time, you should have already packed all storage areas, including the kitchen. Ideally, you’ll have the easiest rooms to pack left to tackle.

Consider getting extra packing help if you sense that you won’t be able to finish the packing task in time.

How to Pack Your Home in Only 3 Days

HAVE each family member prepare an essentials box

Moving to a new city with a family is a lot of work. Next on your family moving checklist is to get each family member to prepare an essentials box – a survival kit full of absolute essentials that will make life much more manageable until the household items are delivered to the new address.

Whatever you do, don’t forget to pack crucial medications and essential items for your children and pets.

How to Prepare an Essentials Box for Moving

DISASSEMBLE large furniture

A few days prior to the day of the move, you should be thinking about how to disassemble the large furniture you’ve decided to take with you to the new home. Be extra careful as paying good money to move big and heavy furniture is seldom worth it.

If you encounter any problems while disassembling your huge furniture pieces for safe packing and transportation, get help from experienced furniture movers.

How to Disassemble Furniture When Moving: Step-By-Step Guide

START using up your food supplies

For obvious reasons, moving perishable foods long distance is a bad idea. Also, you don’t want to move too many canned goods as they are heavy and will take plenty of storage space.

The solution is simple: use up your perishables and give away most or all your non-perishable food items to people who need them.

20 Things to Do Before Moving

SAY goodbye to your family home

Leaving the family home after years of creating happy memories in it can be a really difficult thing to do for each family member.

Ease the potentially painful moment by finding a good way to say goodbye to the house or apartment you’re leaving for good. Encourage everyone to share their favorite memories linked to the family home.

8 Ways to Say Goodbye to Your Family Home

PLAN your car trip with care

The moving journey doesn’t have to be all drive, drive, drive. In fact, you can plan your car trip in such a way as to include several strategic stops along the route – for example, to visit historic landmarks or places of great interest in states and cities you’ve never been to before.

Think of fun activities for your children (games, anyone?) to combat any signs of boredom.

Ways to Have Fun During Long-Distance Moving Trips

MOVE DAY

The family relocation timeline has brought you safely to the Big day.

Are you and your family ready to face and overcome the challenges that Moving day usually has in store?

START moving day early enough

While the early bird catches the worm, the early mover gets one step closer to a successful move.

Make sure you start that crucial day early to have enough time to respond to any emergencies or unplanned situations. Encourage your family members to go to bed earlier than usual the day before so that everyone has the required stamina to survive Moving day.

What to Do on Moving Day: Moving Day Checklist

WEAR clothes and shoes appropriate for the occasion

A word of caution: Moving day can be rather dangerous!

When large and heavy items are being moved around, bad accidents can happen in an instant. Avert trouble by wearing the appropriate type of clothing (comfortable, flexible, breathable fabric, protective) and footwear (closed sports shoes or boots, anti-slip soles, ankle protection).

Essential Things to Have on Moving Day

KEEP your family members safe and protected

When moving with your family, keeping each and every family member safe must become your top priority. NOTHING matters more than the safety of your family!

Make sure your children and pets are away from any possible danger, in a safe room that is far from the move day action. Arrange for a reliable person to look after them during that critical day so that you can focus on the tasks at hand.

Safety Tips to Avoid Injuries on Moving Day

DO a final check around the home

Before you leave the home for good, do a final walk around the residence to ensure everything is exactly as it should be – no forgotten things of any kind, all windows and doors secured and locked, power, water, and gas all switched off.

Lock the front door, say one last goodbye to the old place, and have a safe family relocation trip to your new home.

Top 5 Problems That May Ruin Your Moving Day

A FEW DAYS after move day

This family relocation timeline ends with a few super-important steps after you and your family move into the new house or apartment. This period matters more than you think simply because your attitude and mindset will set the tone for the critical stage of post-move adaptation.

What to Do on the Very First Day in Your New Home

UNPACK at your own comfortable pace

As soon as you cross that new-home threshold, you’ll need to unpack all essentials boxes to make the first night or day more manageable.

Once your items get delivered, unpacking begins. The best thing about unpacking after moving with your family to a new home is that no deadline is pressing you, so you can unpack your belongings at a more comfortable pace – one that won’t create any additional stress.

How to Unpack After Moving: Room-by-Room Unpacking Checklist

CHILD-PROOF the new home

If you just moved into a new home with small children, then you must find time to baby-proof (child-proof) that place as soon as possible. The thing is that you just don’t yet know the dangers of that strange residence.

Go from room to room and do your best to identify any potential household hazards for your loved ones. And when you do, eliminate those dangers at once!

How to Babyproof Your New Home in 5 Easy Steps

LET your pet acclimate to the new environment

Monitor your pet closely during the first few days after moving into the new home – the entire family move will be a shock for them as well.

Keep your cat indoors for the first week or so, preferably confined to one safe room with all the comforts she or he is used to having. Take your dog out on brief leashed walks around the new neighborhood to help them adapt more quickly.

21 Things to Do After Moving Into a New Home

KEEP in touch with your friends

Moving away to a new place can be tough for the entire family, especially because of all the friends that each family member had to leave behind.

For better or worse, the house move is already a fact. Now, it’s up to you to keep in touch with your friends by talking with them on the phone or over the Internet, instant messaging, e-mailing, exchanging letters or postcards, or, best of all, by arranging personal visits.

URGE your kids to keep in touch with their old friends too.

20 Brilliant Ways to Make New Friends After a Move

WATCH OUT for signs of relocation depression

Moving across the country with your family is a big step and sometimes that sudden and drastic change can leave you unsettled, disoriented, and sad – VERY SAD.

Adapting to a brand-new set of physical surroundings, unfamiliar people and social norms will require genuine efforts from you. Learn how to identify the symptoms of relocation depression (aka separation anxiety) and get ready to combat that dangerous post-move phenomenon with all the strength you’ve got left.

How to Adapt to a New Environment When Moving

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