Moving from one home to another is no easy feat. Do you know when you should contact your children’s school? Or when the right time is to change utilities? Not everyone knows how to do these things before they are forced to learn about them before a big move.
On top of changing your environment, you also have to change your address, registration, children’s schools, and more. Handling all of these aspects when moving to Ontario can be stressful, so having a moving to Ontario checklist on hand to ease your worries will help you survive.
Our Moving Checklist Ontario Edition breaks down the biggest base concerns that you will face during your moving process before, during, and after the move.
Best Rated Full Service Real Estate Services Greater Toronto Area
Before The Move – 6 Weeks Out
1. Purge Old Belongings
The very first thing that you should do when you’re preparing to move is clean out old belongings that you no longer need. Doing this before packing will allow you to take a mental inventory of what you will need to pack and what will need special protection.
2. Set Up School Transfers
If your child is moving schools when moving to Ontario Canada, you will need to do the appropriate paperwork. Contact their current and future schools at least six weeks before moving. This will give you ample time to gather the necessary paperwork for a smooth transition.
3. Hire Moving Company
It’s always a good idea to book a moving company as early as you have your moving dates solidified. The best companies with great prices and reviews will book quickly, so securing your dates early will ensure that your move goes as smoothly as possible. Try to book this four weeks in advance, or more, if possible.
4. Pack Wisely
When you are packing, be sure to label boxes with their contents as well as whether or not anything is fragile. Keep a list of how many boxes and items the moving company will be picking up. The more organized you are during the packing process, the easier the move and the unpacking will be!
Before The Move – 2 Weeks Out
1. Register A Change Of Address
Two weeks before you move, visit the Canada Post website or your local post office to register a change of address. Doing so will ensure your mail is forwarded smoothly. If possible, ask a neighbour to keep an eye out for any stray mail that makes it to the wrong address.
2. Notify Utility Companies
Four weeks before you move, let your utility companies know about the upcoming change. Give them a forwarding address where possible, and contact them again a few days before your move to ensure that all the paperwork has been filed properly.
This is also a good time to inquire about any deposits or refunds that you might be able to collect upon moving. Often, you must inform companies about your moving plans by a certain date to be able to efficiently collect these amounts.
3. Confirm Moving Arrangements
Now that you have set up most things that you need to do before the move, you will want to confirm that the moving arrangements you previously made are still lined up. Talk to the moving company about the specifics of moving day and give them multiple ways to contact you should they have any issues leading up to the big day.
Best Rated Full Service Real Estate Services Greater Toronto Area
Moving Day
1. Focus On The Move
Make sure you schedule to be off of work on the day of the move. If you have pets, take them to a friend’s house or a kennel for a few days. Do whatever you can to make the actual moving process your prime focus – the day is sure to be stressful, so you need to keep your mind on it.
2. Take Inventory
When the movers are finished unloading, you will need to sign off on their work. Take inventory of what was unpacked before signing anything to ensure that you do not have any issues later on.
After The Move
1. Pick Up New Recycling Bins
Your neighbourhood will have specific blue boxes, green bins, recycling bins, and composting bins, depending on your locale and address. Contact your local city municipality for information on how to pick up these things and the proper procedure for using them.
2. Confirm Address Change
Though you will have alerted your banks, utility companies, and other important establishments of your upcoming address change before your move, you should contact all important people after the move as well to ensure they have the updated address saved correctly. Such establishments include:
- Banks
- Doctors
- Dentists
- Schools
- Credit card companies
- Cell phone providers
By ensuring that all of these addresses are up-to-date, you’ll be less likely to miss out on any important documents or bills that may be sent to you.
3. Exchange Vehicle Documents
Once you have moved, you will need to update your ID or driver’s license as well as your vehicle registration. While you can use Service Ontario to update your ID and health card, changing your vehicle registration requires that you go to a Service Ontario Centre to update the address as needed.
4. Unpack And Settle
Beyond focusing on the details of the utilities and the moving company, you also need to focus on the process of settling into your new home. Sure, the details are important – but your family’s happiness in their new house is important, too. Take time away from stressing about the details to relax, unwind, and unpack. You’ll feel much better!
Best Rated Full Service Real Estate Services Greater Toronto Area
It’s important to know that every move is different, and your personal moving checklist Ontario edition might need to be different than this one. Depending on the distance that you are moving, how your dates line up, and the time of year that you must move, there are a lot of additional factors that you could consider.
Still, using this checklist as a base for creating your personal guide for moving to Ontario will be a sure way to ensure that you do not forget any of the most important details.