Moving can be exciting and also very stressful. Add in a new posting and a very short timeline, military moves are often just that much more complicated and overwhelming. To help you keep track and stay organized, we've compiled our comprehensive “to-do” list based on our history of working with military families.
When you receive your new post notification
If you own your own home, you’ll need to get that on the market ASAP. If you’re currently posted in CFB Trenton or CFB Kingston, Davies & Co. Real Estate Team is happy to help you list your home. Learn more here.
- Submit your offer – and get accepted!
- Apply for HHT through your commanding officer. Here is an article with extensive information on how to do that.
- Find a reputable Realtor who understands military moves and can dedicate their efforts to finding you exactly what you need
- Lock in the dates of your HHT and ensure your Realtor can stack up viewings for the houses you’re most interested in.
A Timeline for Military Families
Once you’ve found and secured your new home, there’s a lot of stuff that will need to be done before you actually move. We’ve put together a breakdown of our recommended timelines for when what needs to get done. Depending on how far you’ll be traveling, these timelines might shift – however, this is a great starting point to guide you through the process.
Six to Eight Weeks Before Move
If you’re renting, inform your landlord or CFHA of your move. Typically a month’s notice is sufficient, but make sure you follow or check your own Tenant agreement for sufficient notice.
- Contact the MFRC at your new location for a welcome/information package. Here’s the website for CFB Trenton!
- Begin to use up non-movable items like cleaning supplies and frozen food. You can pack up non-perishables, but honestly, it’s easier just to eat them up and re-stock at your new location.
- Prepare a change of address list and complete the Canada Post form. We’ve linked it here!
- Arrange for the transfer of all school, medical, dental, veterinary, legal, and accounting records. Depending on where you’re moving, you might be able to continue services with say your account or lawyer, meeting digitally. However, if you’re moving across the province, it might be tough to travel back for teeth cleaning.
- Inform your insurance agent to adjust or cancel your coverage, and get your new house insured.
- Discard or donate items you no longer need. Canada Helps is a great resource to find what military or veteran assistance programs could use help.
Four Weeks Before Move
- Notify utility companies at both current and new locations to manage service transitions for gas, water, electricity, cable/satellite, phone, internet, and all the other things you use on the regular.
- Make pet relocation plans. Here’s a great service that can help with the chaos of moving pets should you need it!
- Transfer or cancel memberships in clubs or associations.
- Cancel services such as cleaning, gardening, snow removal etc.
- Handle returns and collections of borrowed items.
- Download a moving checklist for reference. Here’s one we like!
Three Weeks Before Move
- Set aside essentials to keep with you: clothing, jewelry, important documents, valuables, and irreplaceable items.
- Finalize family travel plans, accounting for possible delays, and arrange child care for moving day.
- Hire a cleaning service to come in after your move, to make sure everything is ready for either the new owners or the new tenant, and hence avoiding any frustrations or damage deposit charges.
Two Weeks Before Move
- Have your vehicle serviced for the journey.
- Hire movers and truck.
One Week Before Move
- Pack personal and important items separately to avoid loading them onto the moving truck.
- Manage prescriptions, cancel subscriptions, and plan farewells.
- Prepare walls by removing pictures and filling holes.
Day Before Move
- Prepare electrical appliances and defrost the fridge and stove.
- Dispose of non-movable items like flammables, plants, and perishables
- Prep toys and essentials for the journey and clean any bins staying with the house.
Moving Day
- Direct the movers, highlight fragile items, and provide labeled bags for furniture screws.
- Assemble a setup box with essential tools and supplies.
- Keep personal items separate and take out the trash.
- Check the inventory of loaded goods and perform a final walk-through to ensure nothing is left behind
- Secure the property, and hand over keys to the appropriate party
At Your Destination
- Report any losses/damage
- Supervise the unloading. It’s easiest to have each box and piece of furniture diverted to its’ appropriate room
- Perform an inventory check
In a perfect world, moving goes smoothly – but in the real world, it’s not always that easy. That’s why it’s important to prepare as best you can. We hope this breakdown helps 🙂
