Moving Checklist

While finding a new home is obviously the first step in moving, what happens after a home offer is accepted is just as important. You’ll have a lot that you need to figure out before the move takes place, and the more of it you figure out beforehand, the better off you’ll be. Here are some essential tasks you’ll want to do before the move:

Create a schedule. Figure out what needs to be done at what time, then put all the information together into a timeline that doesn’t require you to do everything at the last minute.

Create a moving budget. Figure out your budget categories first, such as:

• Professional packing
• Moving equipment and supplies
• Moving insurance
• Hotels
• Gasoline
• Meals
• Cleaning fees
• Lease cancellation charges
• Utility deposits
• New furniture
• Miscellaneous costs

If you need help creating a moving budget, simply download our free Moving Budget Template.

Get your children’s school transcripts. You’ll need them for your child’s new school, and it’s easier to request them in person at the school than to do it long distance.

Collect moving supplies. In addition to getting cardboard boxes, you’ll also want items on hand like rope, packing tape, bubble wrap or packing peanuts, sharpie pens, scissors, moving blankets and cargo straps.

Notify people of your address change. Your friends and family should be the first people you notify, but you should also contact your loan providers, credit cards, financial institutions, Amazon, monthly subscription boxes, insurance, magazines and of course your job.

Discover if your moving expenses are tax deductible. If you can't deduct all of your moving expenses, figure out what expenses you can deduct and keep a record of them for your taxes.  

Before you move into your new home, you’ll want to make sure your utilities are connected. Otherwise, your first couple of nights might be a bit uncomfortable. You’ll also want to make sure the post office knows your address has changed and that you’ve gotten your garbage collection service set up.

Setting up Utilities

• You’ll want to talk with Rochester Public Utilities to get your power and water up and running.
• Contact them at 1-800-778-3421 or talk to them in person at 4000 East River Road NE any time between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
• You’ll need to allow one business day for your request to go through, and RPU may require a security deposit.

How to get Your Natural Gas Connected

• If your house has natural gas, contact Minnesota Energy Resources.
• Their telephone number is 800-889-9508, or you can visit their start service page to open an account.
• Minnesota Energy Resources requires two business days to process your request.

How to Switch Internet Providers

• Charter Spectrum has the largest footprint in the Rochester area, but CenturyLink and MetroNet are also strong competitors.
• Both Charter Spectrum, CenturyLink and MetroNet also offer cable television subscriptions and have cable/Internet bundles.
• If you happen to live outside the service area of Charter Spectrum and CenturyLink, you can also get satellite service through HughesNet.
• Remember to review your existing contract, since some Internet providers may have an early termination fee, require an advance notice, or require you to cancel your service in a specific way. Include these fees in your moving budget!
• Allow at least four business days for your Internet provider to set up your new service.

How to get Your Garbage Collected

The three garbage and recycling collection companies in the area are:

• Waste Management
• Sunshine Sanitation
• Hometown Haulers

If you’d rather not pay the fee for weekly garbage collection, you can always drive to the Olmsted County Recycling Center Plus. It accepts recyclables and nonrecyclables and is open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

While getting your utilities connected is important, you’ll also need to change your address. You’ll also need to update your driver’s license.

How to Change Your Address

Contact one of the Rochester U.S. Post Offices at their three locations:

• Valleyhigh Drive
• Eastgate Drive
• Broadway Avenue

Updating Your Driver’s License

You can update your driver’s license at Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services in one of three locations:

• 1633 North Broadway in Rochester
• 151 SE 4th Street on South Broadway in Rochester
• 1706 37th Street NW in Rochester

If you’ve moved from out of state, you’ll need to visit the DMV office located on North Broadway in the River Center Plaza. You’ll need your current driver’s license, and about $35 for the fee. 

*Please note, some locations may require an appointment be scheduled or online applications completed first. Check their websites before arriving.

While many people are fine with renting a moving van and enlisting the aid of family and friends, there’s no denying that professional movers can eliminate a lot of the stress involved with moving into a new house.

Having said that, moving companies are not cheap, and you can end up spending a lot of time and money you didn’t have to if you don’t know what you’re doing. Use the following tips to figure out how to cut down on moving expenses and get the most of the moving company you work with.

• Research multiple moving companies to find out what each one charges. Get estimates whenever possible, and don’t forget to ask if they charge extra for moving “specialty” items, such as pool tables, pianos and safes.
• Finish packing before moving day. If you don’t, the movers will just be waiting on you while you finish, and you’ll be paying for their time.
• Label your boxes clearly. Make sure the movers know if a box is intended for a particular room, or if it contains fragile items.
• Give the movers easy access. Let your movers know where they can park their truck, the best way to get in and out of your old home (and your new one), and if your street has any restrictions on parking.
• Provide some refreshments. Moving is a hard job, so make sure you have some food on hand when they need a break. Coffee, bottled water and cookies will make their lives easier.
• Stay out of their way. The movers know what they’re doing, and you might end up creating more problems if you micromanage them. However, you should still be around to answer any questions they have.

In theory, unpacking should be easy. Just put the furniture in the right rooms, unload everything out of the boxes and find a new home for it. What could be easier?

It usually doesn’t work like that, though. Instead, you’re usually running around trying to figure out if all the stuff you moved from your old place will fit into your new place, even as you’re realizing some of the furniture in your old place might not work in your new home. While there’s no way to reduce the workload, there are some steps you can take to make sure the process goes as smoothly as possible.

1. Clean Everything – In addition to the standard housecleaning chores, you’ll also want to make sure to wipe down everything including inside cabinets, closets, the refrigerator and even the walls. If you’ve got too much on your plate, you might want to hire a housekeeping service to lighten the load.

2. Unpack Your Bathroom Items—You don’t have to have everything taken out, but you should at least have your soap, shampoo, shower curtain and towels out and ready so you can relax after moving with a long, hot shower or a bath. You’ll also want to have your toothbrush, toothpaste and other toiletries out so you’re not trying to locate them just before you want to go to bed. 

3. Unpack Your Bedroom Items—Make sure your bed is assembled, then find your bed sheets and make the bed in preparation for a good night’s sleep. It should go without saying that if you have children you should get their beds set up as well.

4. Unpack Your Kitchen Items—Concentrate on the large boxes that contain pots, pans and storage bins first. This will free up a lot of space and it will also make you feel as though you are making a lot of progress unpacking, even if there are still a ton of boxes left.

5. Save a Big Box—As you unpack, you’ll probably realize that some items need to be stored in the basement, donated or just set aside until you figure out what to do with them. Set aside boxes and label where each one should go, then toss items in as you find them.

Once you’ve unpacked, you’ll probably discover that you’ll need to refurnish your new home. Here’s a handy furnishing a new home checklist that will help you figure out how to make your house a home without breaking the bank:

Visualize your living space. Walk through each room and figure out how you’d like your home to look. You can also use several apps and websites to visualize your room layout, such as:

• Planner 5d
• Roomstyler
• Ikea’s online planner
• Smartdraw

Measure each room, including doorways. Make sure you keep these measurements with you when you’re shopping so you don’t buy a piece of furniture that doesn’t fit.

Prioritize by needs, then wants. Furniture is always expensive, so concentrate on the necessities first, such as a sofa for the living room, a kitchen table and chairs for the dining room, and beds for the bedroom.

Do some window shopping. Get a sense of the prices of all the furniture you’d like, and don’t worry about the cost—figure out what would make you happy.

Search for bargains. Now that you have an idea what each item of furniture will cost, keep an eye out for sales, including used furniture at Goodwill, on eBay and on Craigslist.

Switching banks or credit unions when you move someplace new isn’t the requirement it used to be. Thanks to the Internet, you can do almost all your banking remotely.

However, when you move you usually encounter new financial institutions, and before you write off switching financial institutions completely, you should at least be sure that yours is meeting your financial needs.

• See if your old financial institution has a convenient branch location in Rochester. You should be able to meet face-to-face with a representative without having to drive across town when needed.
• Find out what fees your institution charges. Go through your last few bank statements and see what fees you’ve been paying, including ATM fees, monthly fees and overdraft fees. If you’re paying these fees on a regular basis, you should look for a new financial institution.
• Look at the interest rates on your savings accounts and loans, then compare them to the rates of the financial institutions your considering.
• Finally, find out whether your financial institution has any transaction limits. If your bank does have a transaction limit, consider transferring your account to one of the several financial institutions that do not.

Once you’ve selected a new financial institution, you can begin transferring assets from your old account to your new one. The process isn’t difficult, but it can take up to 60 days, so you’ll want to get started before you move if you can.

We’ve created a comprehensive guide to switching financial institutions that will take you step-by-step through the process.