Moving with a Family? These Need to be on Your Moving Checklist

There are so many moving parts when moving with a family, it’s enough to make your head spin. But it can be done–and done well. While a move is almost always going to carry some stress with it, there are things you can do–like having a moving checklist– to make your transition smoother.

Moving is no joke. Moving with a family? That’s a whole other beast. To all of you parents who are about to embark on that ‘adventure,’ I sympathize with you. I feel for you. I’ve been you.

As a family we’ve moved several times in the last few years. We’ve moved across the country with a newborn, and down the street with a toddler (while 8 months pregnant).

In addition, we’ve hopped planes to move and even shipped cars. There have been movers hired, and friends enlisted to help.

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?

Well, we’ve lived to tell about it. Even more, we’ve learned so much!

I’m hoping these moving tips and important moving checklist items will help make your family’s move easier!

[Post contains affiliate links. If you click-through and make a purchase I may be compensated.]

Important Items for Your Family Moving Checklist

Locate a Place to Live:

Where you’ll be living is an important part of your move. It’s not just you that needs to be happy, but your family as well.

If you don’t have much notice before moving or don’t know the area very well, renting an apartment in the meantime might be beneficial.

Other things to consider when looking for a place to live:

Commuting time to and from work for you and/or spouse

The school district (if children are of school age or soon will be)

Distance to local grocery store, drug store, schools, and places you’ll be driving to frequently

Contacting a local real estate agent to help give recommendations

Scope out schools:

For kids that are school age you’ll need to:

Find a school (public, private, etc.)

School requirements: admission requirements

Find out what school records or medical records will be needed at the new school. See if you can gather this info ahead of time.

Arrange a meeting once you move to introduce your kids to their new school ahead of starting there.

Consider if you need before/after school care for your kids if you and your spouse both work. Or will you need other arrangements like daycare?

Make Sure You Sign Up For The Family Moving Checklist to Help With Your Move!

Move Medical Care:

You may be moving far enough away where you’ll need to move medical care for your family.

This includes:

Finding new doctors/dentists/specialists for your family:
- Ask friends/family/co-workers for recommendations
- If new in town and don’t know anyone, you can ask neighbors, new co-workers, or check places like online references and yelp
- Set up meet and greet consultation when you move to make sure you like the new doctor and office

Getting any medical/vaccine records transferred to the new doctor

Finding a new pharmacy: have any prescriptions transferred right before you move or as soon as you move. Also make sure to have enough medication for either you or your kids before you make your move, so you aren’t stuck running out of medicine during the move.

Assess the Car situation:

When you move, will you be within driving distance of your current home? Or will you need to ship your car(s)?

When we had to do this, I discovered there are different ways of shipping cars (covered or uncovered) and differences in cost associated with each.

Other things to consider with your car(s):

If you lease vs. own your current car: consider the miles you will put on car if you drive vs. ship

License & registration requirements where you’re moving

Moving logistics: Questions to ask yourself:
- Do you have one or more cars needing to be moved?
- Will you and your spouse both be driving the cars?
- How many cars, if any, will need to be shipped?
- Do you need to drive a moving truck and have someone else drive your car?
- Who will be driving the moving truck? (if applicable) And transporting the kids?

PIN IT FOR LATER

Check work requirements: (if applicable)

Will you be starting a new job after your move? Many times job transfers to other states are a big reason families move.

If this is the case for you and your family, these are really important items for your moving checklist:

When will you/your spouse start your new job?

When will benefits start with your new job? If there’s a delay, look into coverage in between.

Any special work trainings your or your spouse will need to attend before the move? Will you be moving together as a family or will one parent move first?

Do you have a professional license that needs to be transferred? As soon as you find out you’re moving, look into state requirements for transferring your license. Figure out what kind of costs and tests/certifications are associated with the license transfer.

Transfer mail:

Change your address with the post office; have your mail forwarded to your new location once you’ll be there to receive it.

Additionally, set reminders on your phone or in the calendar when mail transfer runs out. This helps in case you need to extend your mail transfer.

Cancel any local memberships:

In the hustle and chaos of moving, it’s easy to forget to cancel things like gym memberships, local moms’ group memberships, and those with any other associations.

Arrange Utilities:

Remember to get utilities changed out of your name for your current place. In addition, make sure set them up at your new home or apartment.

Line up movers/moving truck ahead of time:

Consider if you are going to need movers on one end or both ends of your move. Or you may need a moving truck.

Distance, cost, and other logistics can determine what kind of moving vehicle you’ll need.

When lining up movers, check out the following:

Check Pricing: get quotes from several moving companies
Figure out the size of moving vehicle needed (if applicable)
Figure out who will be driving your moving vehicle (if not yourself)
Do you need items stored in between your move?

Cancel any local recurring services you pay for:

Don’t forget to cancel things like:

lawn service
house cleaners
any other local service you regularly pay for.

Declutter:

Go through your current place and declutter before you pack. The more stuff you can pitch now, the less crap you’ll need to move. Go through your rooms and your kids’ rooms and get rid of or donate clothes, toys, kitchen items, or any items that you don’t use anymore.

Separate your things into categories:

Trash
Stuff to donate
Keep, pack & label

Decluttering will not only make it easier to move with less stuff, you’ll be starting off fresh in your new home with only what you really need. Check this book out by Marie Kondo for inspiration.

Create a Packing plan:

Since “Alexa, pack up the house!” won’t work, you’ll have to figure out the order you’ll pack items in your current place. I recommend packing items in the order you use them the least. First of all, if you’re moving in the summer, pack all winter clothes, shoes, etc. first. Continue until you get to those items you use all the time, like kitchen stuff–pack them last.

Pack boxes by grouping things that go together in each box. An example of this would be placing kitchen items together, bathroom linens together, sheets & towels together etc.

Label boxes after packed, so you know what is in each box when you get to your new place.

Pack a travel bag with a few days clothes, toiletries etc. to get you through your move. This will help until you’re able to locate and unpack your boxes of clothes and shoes.

Buy a small supply of paper products, order food, or go to a restaurant the last few days before your move. This will allow you to still have meals yet still be able to get the kitchen packed.

Figure out if you’ll need a hotel before moving into your new place. Line that up ahead of time if your place won’t be ready when you arrive.

Plan to unpack the essential rooms first. A functioning kitchen, a place for you and the kids to sleep (even if it’s in sleeping bags), clothing, and bathroom items are things that will need to be unpacked and set up first.

Stock up on Moving Supplies:

Unless your movers will be doing all your packing and moving, you’ll probably need moving supplies. Ask family and friends to save boxes or buy moving supplies from Amazon or a store like Walmart.

Some moving essentials include:

Make a Moving Day Plan:

Moving day is a big day. Moving day plans should definitely be high on your moving checklist; even more important when moving with a family.

Some key things to think about on moving day include:

Where will the kids be–with you? In childcare or with a friend or family member?

Are the kids moving at the same time as you and your spouse? Or are you bringing them after everything is moved into your home?

Will you be flying, or driving in order to move?

If you have pets, where will they be the day of the move? How will they be transported?

Will you need to keep the kids out of the house while movers are there?

Do you need a hotel for a night or two where you are moving until your items arrive?

Make sure you have the items with you that you’ll need right away:
- Medicines
- Sleeping bags/cot or beds set up
- Toiletries
- Travel bag of few days of clothing
- Baby items/kids items, (breast pump, kids sports equipment, toys to entertain them, etc.)
- Have snacks, sandwiches and any other food and drink needed for the kids throughout the day.
- Food/essential items needed for pets

Good luck with your move!

Did I miss anything?

Please let me know in the comments below if there’s a moving tip you found helpful when you moved!

See Also:

Pin154

154 Shares

Moving with a Family? These Need to be on Your Moving Checklist