How to Time Your Move-In

Before moving day

• Find a home. This is the first thing you need to do in the moving process. You can't move or plan to move without a destination. You need to research the neighbourhood, find a home you like, make an offer for it and close the deal.
• Movers should have both addresses confirmed a month before moving day.
• Set up the utilities for your new home two weeks before the move. You want the lights to work when you get there and having electricity will be important for testing out your appliances to see if they were broken during transit.

On moving day

• Be at your new home before the movers arrive. This should be easy since moving trucks rarely make a direct trip between homes. Still, don't linger in your old home after the movers set off with your belongings.
• Prepare the empty house for the movers right before they arrive. Open doors, clear space, and make sure the electricity works.
• Most moving companies will require you to pay before they unload the truck. 
• Take inventory of your items when the movers arrive. Make sure all boxes that were loaded are accounted for and not damaged.
• Put all receipts for payment and your copy of the bill of lading into a moving folder. You will need this documentation if you want to claim the move on your tax return.
• Supervise the unloading and unpacking process.
• Plug in and test out appliances to make sure they work. You have a limited time to file a claim for any damaged or broken items since it is harder to prove the movers caused the damage as time passes. If you can find damage and file a claim before the movers even leave your home, your claim has a good chance.
• Unpack and inspect everything using your moving inventory to double check that you have everything.

After moving day

• Register your children in a local school. This could have been done before you moved out, but if you waited it is your first priority after moving into your new home. Your children can't miss too much time.
• Register your vehicle if your move took you to new province or country.
• Check and see if you are getting your mail. You should have listed your change of address with Canada Post before the move. If you aren't getting it, contact them.
• Find local medical doctors. Transfer your records to them. Hopefully your old doctors gave you some referrals for local doctors in the area.
• Find emergency facilities around your new home and copy all of their phone numbers.
• Contact your insurance company. You may need to change your plan if you moved to a new province.
• Open new bank accounts if necessary. Transfer your money to the new account if your old bank isn't accessible from your new location.