- Quick tips   - Packing tips   - Timetable for stress free moving Quick tips Before your shipment is loaded, please notify your Dunmar Moving Systems Relocation Coordinator of your delivery address and telephone numbers. This information is vital to ensure delivery of your goods as arranged. Assemble a moving survival kit to take with you or arrange for that the carton to be loaded on the truck last so that it will be the first one off the truck. It should include the essentials, telephone, shower curtain, soap, towels, sheets, paper products, coffee pot, pet food and their bowls, television remote, small lamps, tools, and aspirin. It is recommended that you plan to leave for your new residence the day after your shipment loads. This is an important consideration in making airline reservations. back to top Packing tips If you'll be doing some packing yourself, start packing several cartons each day a few weeks before your move. Be sure that the items you pack won't be needed before your move, of course. By pacing yourself, you'll be more organized and the job won't be so overwhelming. Pack on a room-by-room basis and do one area of the room at a time. It's best not to mix items from different rooms in one box. To prevent small items from being lost or mistakenly thrown out with the packing paper, wrap miniature knickknacks and other small items in brightly colored tissue paper before placing them in the box. On the top and front of each carton, write a general description of the contents and indicate the room from which it came (or which it will go into in your new home). Use only unprinted newsprint paper to wrap items. Regular newspapers are messy and can soil your possessions. Use only cartons designed for moving. Boxes obtained from grocery or liquor stores are not always clean, and they may not withstand the weight of the items that you'll be putting in them. Also, their odd sizes tend to make loading more difficult. Some common household items cannot be included in your shipment because they are hazardous materials. Examples of these materials include flammables such as paint, varnish and thinners, gasoline, kerosene and oil, bottled gas, aerosol cans, nail polish and remover, ammunition and explosives, corrosives, and cleaning fluids and detergents. If you're having your goods packed by the moving company, separate and pack the items you plan to take with you on the trip to your new residence and tell the packers where they are, so those items will not be packed for shipment. Examples: medications, birth and marriage certificates, valuables, personal grooming items, etc. Before packing begins, please consider placing items needed for immediate use at your new residence in a dresser drawer. Examples: Sheets, towels, light bulbs, etc. You should personally transport irreplaceable photos, financial papers and assets (bank checks, insurance policies, stock certificates, etc.), legal documents (wills, passports. etc.), valuables, jewelry, coin and stamp collections, etc.), and medical and family history records. Unpack breakables over the box you're taking them out of; that way, if you happen to drop an item, it will land on some packing material, thereby reducing its chance of breakage. back to top Timetable for STRESS FREE MOVING Six weeks before moving: Request copies of records from schools, doctors, dentists and other medical professionals. Start gathering unneeded items to sell at a garage sale, donate, recycle, or throw away. Begin a running list of items you will need to replace when you relocate. This will save repeated trips to the store while you are getting settled. Start using foods (in your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer) and cleaning supplies or other items that cannot be moved; click here for a list. Arrange for special transportation of your pets if not traveling with you. For more information on moving with pets, click here. Make any special travel plans necessary for your move. Three to four weeks before move out day Hold your garage sale. Arrange for new subscriptions, forwarding, or canceling of newspaper subscriptions. Contact your insurance companies. File your change of address online or print out a form to give to your local post office. For more information, see Change Address with USPS. Arrange for local phone service. Be sure to disconnect the day after you leave and connect the day before you arrive. Make sure the box containing your phone is clearly marked! Connect electric and gas utilities for service at your new home. Be sure to disconnect the day after you leave and connect the day before you arrive. Arrange special transportation for plants. The Interstate Commerce Commission restricts shipment of Plants, perishables, and frozen foods unless delivery is to be within 24 hours of loading or within 150 miles from origin and in the event that no storage is required. Entry into some states requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture perform inspection of plants, perishables and frozen foods. Please ask your Dunmar Moving Systems Relocation Coordinator for further information. Two weeks before move out day Make sure your car is ready to go on moving day by having it serviced now. Transfer your bank accounts and establish an account in your new location before the move if possible. Clean out your safety deposit box. Coordinate donation/disposal of anything not sold at your garage sale. Call local charities for pick-up, making sure you get a donation receipt for taxes. Books will normally be accepted at the local library. Transfer prescriptions and be sure you have an adequate supply of medications on hand. Take pets to the veterinarian for any needed immunizations. Get copies of pets' veterinary records. Appliances, swing sets, waterbeds, etc. that require disconnection/disassembly and reconnection /assembly must be arranged in advance of the required service. Please call your Relocation Coordinator at Dunmar Moving Systems. Stay in Touch with your Relocation Coordinator One week before move out day Confirm any travel reservations (rental cars, airfare, motels, etc.). Clean lawn mower and gardening tools & drain gas and oil from power equipment (such as lawn mower, snow blower, power tools, etc.). Disconnect any spark plugs. Disconnect and prepare major appliances for your move. The day before loading, unplug your refrigerator, clean it out and let it dry. Block doors open so they can't accidentally close on pets or children. Take one last walk through the entire house and make sure everything in the house has been packed. Check the attic and other spaces for any items you may have stored. Remember the driver and his helper are not required to go into attics without a permanent floor. Remove any permanently mounted items that you wish to move such as ceiling fans, curtain rods, and chandeliers. If you need assistance, please call your Dunmar Relocation Coordinator. Date Changes -Call your Relocation Coordinator no later than three business days prior to the first day of packing. Stay in Touch with your Relocation Coordinator The day of your move Make arrangements for you or your chosen representative to be present during all phases of loading and delivery and unpacking of your shipment. Make arrangements for someone to care for your children and pets so that you can concentrate on the moving process without worrying about their safety. Make sure that all items that you want moved are actually loaded on the truck before it departs. Get a copy of all paperwork from the Van Foreman/Driver. Stay in Touch with your Relocation Coordinator.