For A Smooth Move

This moving checklist, prepared by Piestewa Peak Properties, should help you plan a stress-free move.

Four Weeks Before Your Move

Notify the post office, magazines, credit card companies and friends and family of your change of address. The U. S. Postal Service offers a kit to make this process easier.

Contact utilities (gas, water, electricity, telephone, cable company) to schedule disconnection of services on the day following your move. You'll want to have utilities on while you're still in the house. Call the utilities in your new town to arrange for service to start the day before your move so that you have service when you arrive at your new home. And don't forget to arrange for an expert, if necessary, to install fixtures upon their arrival at your new home.

Complete any repair work on your old home, and arrange for any critical services needed at your new home.

If packing yourself, start packing seldom-used articles like fancy dishes and glasses, specialty cookware, non-essential clothing, curios, art, photos, and decorative items. As you pack, remember to keep each box light enough to be handled by any of the members of your family--not just the strongest person. Heavier items go in smaller boxes, lighter items in larger boxes.

If you are planning a garage sale, pick a date at least a week before the move, and advertise it locally. Think about teaming up with neighbors who want to sell some of their old belongings, and plan a neighborhood "super sale."

Three Weeks Before Your Move

Take inventory of your everyday household goods, such as radios, pots and pans and small appliances. Decide which items you will discard or put in storage.

Self-packers: start your serious packing. Label the contents of all boxes, and pack carefully. As best you can, box essential items together, and write "Open First/Load Last" on these boxes. When you move into your new home, you'll be able to easily identify these boxes and get to important items like pots, dishes, silverware, alarm clocks, bedding, pillows, towels, cherished toys and essential items for babies or children.

Make sure you have your driver's license, auto registration and insurance records. Contact your doctors, dentist and veterinarian to receive copies of medical records. Pack phone books from your old town to make staying in touch with old friends easier. Make personal travel arrangements (flights, hotel, rental cars) for your trip.

Plan your food purchases to have as little as possible in the freezer or refrigerator by the time you move. Use up all frozen items, and buy only what you'll eat in the next three weeks, because you can't ship them.

Arrange to clean your new home, or plan to clean it yourself as close to move-in as possible. Since the home will probably be unoccupied by this time, make sure the cleaning is thorough and covers all those nooks and crannies usually blocked by furniture or appliances.

Contact your children's schools, and arrange for records to be forwarded to your new school district.

Make new bank safety deposit box arrangements in your new hometown. Make arrangements to safely transfer items from your old safe deposit box to your new one.

Hold a garage sale now.