By Cynthia M Piccolo
I recently moved around the corner (literally). In doing so, I was amazed and dismayed at how many people “have a piece of me,” and thus the number of people, organizations, companies, and institutions that I have had to advise about my move and ask for services to be relocated. And I have it easy, for several reasons: it’s only my dog and me; I am not relocating to another city (or state, province, or country); and I am not switching to another job. While we can’t help you with new job stress – though hopefully we’ve helped you find your new job in the first place – we can help you by creating this relocation checklist to act as a reminder of the things you’ll need for your new location.
Before we even get to the checklist, we’ll warn you ahead of time: it’s best to keep your documents!
Now, on to...
The List
Change of address: Make a list of who needs to be advised about your move. Don’t forget organizations like your university alumni office. And remember friends and family. Also, it’s a good idea to contact your postal service, as they offer change of address services that will help catch all those contacts who may have been forgotten.
Termination of – and maybe reinstatement/relocation of – services, e.g., fitness club memberships, phone service, internet provider, television service, utilities, etc. It often helps to check the company or service provider online because some service changes are done without fee if the move is registered on the internet.
Get copies of all your (and your family members’) medical and dental records, including prescriptions. Many physicians will only release your records to another physician, so, in this case, you’ll need to find medical practitioners in your new location. If you are happy with your current practitioner, ask for a referral. Also, advise your private insurance provider (or, in Canada, your provincial provider, e.g., OHIP in Ontario) of your new address.
Also related to health – if you are a potential donor through a group such as the Caitlin Raymond International Registry (i.e., the American bone marrow donor registry) or through Canada’s Bone Marrow Donor Registry with Canadian Blood Services, advise them of your new address and phone number.
Notify organizations such as your bank and brokerage firm. If you are changing banks, you’ll need to close your accounts and have the money transferred to your new institution.
Make sure your credit history is available. While not an issue when travelling between states or provinces, it can be a problem when moving to a new country. Also, make sure you have changed the address on or transferred major credit cards, e.g., VISA, MasterCard, American Express.
Make sure to transfer retirement plans to your new employer, or, if you have an independent plan, let the administrators know of your new address.
Obtain letters of introduction from your service organizations.
Get letters of safe driving from your automobile insurance company. Again, this documentation is a key concern when you are moving to a different country.
Advise your life insurance provider of address changes, and change your household insurance to fit your new dwelling (e.g., from content insurance for a rented apartment to house insurance for a purchased home).
Collect family records such as school reports, club programs, and curriculum.
Transfer your professional license. Most people are licensed in their home state or province. Advise the appropriate bodies of your move and investigate whether you need to apply for a new license in your new jurisdiction. Check out our licensing section for details.
Look into your tax situation. If you are moving out of state, province, or country mid-year, you will have to determine where to file your tax return. Consult a tax expert if your situation is at all complex or if you are moving to another country.
Move your car. It seems straightforward, but different jurisdictions have different standards, for instance, regarding emission controls and daylight headlights. Check with the motor vehicle registration office for information about driver’s licenses, car licenses (plates), insurance, and ownership registration requirements.
If you are moving out of the country, obtain a visa – and we don’t mean the credit card variety.
Don’t forget Fido and Fluffy – transfer pet records! If you are moving locally, make sure the city dog licensing body has your new address. Also, if your pet is microchipped, make sure the company that does the tracking of missing pets has your new contact details.
Don’t let this information scare you – it should just encourage you to keep better records! And once you have everything organized, you can sit back and relax – until the moving van arrives!
