Book the movers! You can choose to have the movers pack everything or just the breakables, or you can pack yourself. It’s a good idea to obtain estimates from several different companies.

If you own your present home:

• Arrange to have your gas, water, and electric meters read on the day you leave and have the bills forwarded to your new address. If your home has oil heating, have your oil tank filled before your sale closes, and provide a receipt to your legal professional if required. If the water heater or furnace is rented, arrange for a transfer of the rental agreement to the purchaser.

• Make arrangements to disconnect your telephone, cable TV, and water softener.

• Make arrangements to cancel or transfer the monitoring of your alarm system, if applicable.

For your new home: Make arrangements for the gas and electric utilities, water softener, telephone and cable TV to be connected on the day the sale closes.

Other helpful suggestions:

• Get change of address cards from the post office and send out well before moving day
• Arrange to have the post office forward your mail to your new address
• Cancel any contracted services
• Inform gardening, dry cleaning, newspapers, magazines, diaper and other home services and arrange for service at your new address
• Cancel or transfer social, athletic, civic, religious or business affiliations and memberships
• Change the address on your driver’s license effective the day of your move
• Make special arrangements for the moving of perishables, such as plants
• Make special arrangements for the moving of your pets
• Dispose safely of all flammable liquids as it is illegal for movers to carry them