Just Changed Addresses? Here Are the Places You’ll Update After a Move

There are roughly 17 million long-distance moves annually.

Whether this is changing county or state, moving is a common life experience.

All 17 million citizens have to change their address with multiple institutions.  If this statistic includes you, you’re probably wondering: where do I need to do an address change?

Don’t sweat it.  Since so many people have moved before you, we’ve compiled a simple list of places to update your information.

The First Step of an Address Change: Notify Residential Services

As soon as you know you’re moving, you should notify residential services, such as lawn care and cleaning professionals.

This gives the people you’ve hired a chance to plan for your departure and find new clients if necessary.

On the same note, schedule turning off utilities, so you don’t have to pay for something you’re not using after you leave.  This includes electricity, water, garbage, sewage, and cable.

Then, you will need to reroute your mail.

United States Postal Service

Update your address with USPS before your move.

It’s ideal to do it two weeks before, but at least do it before your actual moving day.

This way, you won’t lose your mail, and it won’t get backed-up. You can receive forwarded mail for up to a year from your old address.

You can do this on the phone, online, in person, or via mail. It will take about seven days to update for non-local moves.

If you do it in person or by mail, you’ll fill out a Form 3575.

Changing your address at USPS will take care of paper bills, but you still need to update financial information online.

Financial Institutions

We’ll put this first, so you don’t forget:  change your address with the job(s) you’ve had this past tax year.  You don’t want to delay tax return information.

Then you’ll want to change your mailing address with banks, credit cards, PayPal, brokers, consultants — you name it.  Any financial enterprise you’re involved with should be notified.

Most financial institutions have an option to do this online, but call if you have any questions.

Don’t forget about loans and financial aid, too.  

Government Entities

Notifying the government is a little more involved than just changing your address on a website.

You’ll need to update information for income tax, social security, voter registration, veterans affairs, pensions benefits, and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (if applicable).

You’ll also need to change your information with the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). If you’re staying in state, you can do this online.

Otherwise, you’ll need to go in to get a new drivers license and update vehicle registration.

Be sure to research the rules of your new DMV.  Some states require immediate renewal, while others allow between 30 and 60 days.

Other Institutions and Entities

Consider what you’re involved in.  Do you see health care professionals?  Do your children attend school?

If you have a pet, perhaps change your information at the veterinarian.

Change anything that will continue to charge you even after you leave.  This may be gym memberships, magazine subscriptions you keep ignoring, or newspapers.

Get Moving

Now that you have an idea of what’s involved with an address change, it’s time to get moving.

Contact a moving professional today to make the rest of your journey easier.

Moving In Together: 5 Things to Know Before Becoming Roommates

Moving in together with someone is a leap of faith no matter how you slice it.

Merging your lives and living spaces can create problems and stress, but could also become a wonderful experience. To make sure you’re getting more positive than negative, you need to consider some points before taking such a step.

Read on to learn more about moving in with someone.

1. Make a Note of Their Overall Responsibility

Whether you’re planning to move in with a friend or a significant other, their level of responsibility is the very first thing to pay attention to.

Signing a lease binds you with someone else legally, and you need to be sure they will hold up their end of the arrangement. Having someone stop paying the rent or bills can cause you serious financial stress.

Even if you like or love someone, never take this step unless you feel that they are an overall responsible person.

2. Be Sure They Have Consistent Income and Handle Their Money

Even if they’re responsible, it doesn’t mean much if they can’t afford the living expenses.

You should know their job and have an idea of their ability to pay the rent and bills. If it seems like it’s going to be a stretch for them, or if they’re having trouble staying employed consistently, look elsewhere.

3. Gauge How Openly You Can Communicate With Them

Having a roommate is a great way to practice and hone your communication strategies because these situations come up often.

Since you’ll be having a lot of talks, be sure that you room with someone that you can speak about these matters with. Make sure that they are great communicators and that they’re also emotionally mature enough to handle the hard conversations.

You will need to begin coordinating things starting with the move, and will then have to handle bills, scheduling, and other matters. When possible, set up some routines and opportunities that will help you stay organized.

4. Figure Out How You Mesh in Terms of Personality and Habits

Business aside, living with someone is very much a personal change also.

Make sure you only live with a person that you enjoy sharing space with. You learn a lot about someone when you live with them, and sometimes friendships and relationships are ruined because people are better off having some space from one another.

Determining how well you get along with someone and want to be around them is an honest observation that can save you some heartache.

5. Understand the Lease Agreement

You need to know where you stand in terms of the lease as well.

In most situations, the two of you are on the lease together and equally responsible for the rent. In other situations, the landlord or management company might offer a split lease, which allows them to remove one of you and not both for failure to pay.

Regardless, know what you’re signing up for and be sure that you and your roommate have several discussions before making this move.

Consider These Points Before Moving in Together

Moving in together is a serious step. Follow these five points so that you know what to expect.

Once you’re ready to take the leap, contact us for a moving quote.

How to Pack Dishes, Glasses, and Other Fragile Items for the Big Move

Packing up the kitchen for a move can be tricky. A little extra attention packing up your dishes can save some money and potential calamity.

It’s easy to toss clothes in a suitcase and toiletries in a bag but moving fragile items in the kitchen is a different story.

That’s why it’s so important that you learn the proper way of how to pack dishes and other breakables so that they make it to your destination in one piece. Check out these tips for protecting your breakables during a move.

1. Learn How to Pack Dishes

Dishes have to be packed with extra care. Make sure you wrap up your bowls and plates individually before stacking them nestled together into a box.

If you have the original box your dishes came in, that’s the best way to transport them. Otherwise, try to buy a special box that is made for transporting dishes called a “dish pack.” These boxes have thicker cardboard and come with dividers or compartments so that your dishes don’t brush against each other.

2. Pack Items for Storage With Extra Care

When you put items in storage, you may forget what is in each box and toss things around with less care than they deserve. Make sure everything that you are putting in storage is packed really well so that it’s still in one piece when you go to take it out.

3. Pack Glassware Individually

Wrap each of your glasses with paper before you pack them so that they don’t rattle against one another. There are special “glass pack” boxes with compartments for individual glasses. It’s the best way to prevent chipping and damage.

4. Don’t Overfill Your Boxes

No matter how well you tape the bottom of your boxes, if you overfill them, they may break open. Make sure that you are reasonable about the amount of weight you put in each box.

As a general rule, try to avoid putting more than thirty pounds worth of stuff in each box so that the box is manageable, and if you want to be sure everything arrives intact.

5. Tape the Box Well

Fragile items are also often pretty heavy. Make sure you reinforce the bottom of every box you use with lots of packing tape.

The last thing you want is to spend time packaging up all of your items with care only to see the bottom of the box fall open and everything break.

6. Fill in All Spaces With Packing Paper

When you are packing breakable items, you don’t want there to be any room in the box for the items to move around. Try to fill in all of the spaces you can with packing peanuts or paper.

Then, test the box by shaking it just a little bit to ensure you can’t hear anything moving around. Chances are, things will shift around a bit once the box is in the truck so add the paper for added protection.

7. Label Fragile Items

When you complete packing each box make sure you label it “fragile” on each side as well as the top. Movers will know to take extra care of that box with the breakable items inside.

Where to Go for Quality Help Moving

Learning how to pack dishes and glassware with the right paper and in a high-quality box is the best way to ensure all of your items make the move intact.

But if you really want to be sure everything runs well, hire a professional moving company to handle your packing and transport.

Are you making a move in the Tampa Bay area? Contact us today for a quote.