Moving a household—whether an apartment, a condo or a mansion—requires chores most of us would rather put off or not do at all. Creating an on-going list of the tasks at hand will be essential. Here are a baker’s half-dozen items you might forget.

1.) Keep a copy of the phone book for the area you are leaving. You will probably have to recontact the local refuse collection company, the water company, your church, etc., after you have left your old community. It is troublesome and costly to retrieve phone numbers from Information.

2.) Make sure a responsible person is at the new destination to greet the moving company or your U-Haul driver-in the event you do not arrive in time to receive your goods. The moving company will not drop off your goods without authorization.

3.) If you are moving yourself and/or doing your own packing, use small boxes—such as the sturdy cardboard ones disposed of daily at liquor stores. Most have handy cutout slots for easy gripping and are especially good for books. It is wise to limit the weight you have to lift as you stack, relocate and load boxes in preparation for the move. Your neighborhood store owner will be glad to save some for you if you notify him in advance.

4.) If moving a pet, be sure to take a good close-up photo of it before you arrive at the new destination. (Of course, you will have provided the pet with an ID tag.) Pets have a way of seeking fast departure from any place that is not familiar to them.

5.) When packing, leave out a small kit for last-minute cleanup—cleanser, soap, rags—things that can be left behind.

6.) Pack a transit suitcase for yourself and family: toiletries, medications and a change of clothes in case fire, flood or accident delays the arrival of your possessions at the new location.

7.) Check and double-check your movers before you hire them. Get references. Check the Better Business Bureau. Of late, nefarious characters have negotiated contracts with unsuspecting householders and failed to deliver the goods as promised.

Happy moves to you—and keep your list handy at all times!.

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