Moving can be hard to organize, especially when you plan to move across the country. However, leaving Washington for the East Coast is a relocation type that requires a lot of attention and planning. Especially when it comes to paperwork. You can’t really afford to forget something as this means you might have to go across the entire country again. In order to avoid this, here is the list of moving paperwork you should think about before the move.
Leaving Washington for the East Coast
Moving is overwhelming. It’s not just your belongings that are being transferred. You will also transfer yourself, your family, and your entire life. Not to mention if you are leaving Washington for the East Coast. Interstate relocation requires even more attention. In order for everything to go easy and smooth, you should team up with skillful people who have experience handling this. This will save you so much – from time and energy to nerves and your health even.
Packing and preparing
Packing and preparing for the move is not easy, especially when moving a long distance. This directly impacts the safety of your personal belongings and household items. This is why you need to pay extra care and attention. If you don’t have time or energy to do it by yourself, you can always count on professionals to give you a hand.
Why you should hire professional assistance when leaving Washington
Speaking of teaming up with skillful people, in case you did not, you should think about professional assistance. Certified and skilled companies like hansenbros.com offer everything you need relocation-wise. From packing and moving services to storage units, these professionals have it all. Most importantly, they have experience and knowledge on how to handle everything. This is exactly why you should hire professional assistance. Let the skilled people handle it so you can focus on everything else you need to accomplish before the move – aka the paperwork.
Leaving Washington to East Coast paperwork
And now the paperwork! Here are some of the documents and paperwork you should expect when dealing with the moving company.
- Service estimate – this is a summary of moving costs based on the facts regarding your move. These include the belongings that you want to have relocated, the destination, packing and/or storage services if required, etc. This paperwork should also include insurance, the estimated cost of moving, other extra services available as well as other details about your service.
- Order for Moving service – after choosing a moving company and agreeing to the terms, they should issue an Order for Service. It is a paper that gives them permission to handle your items as described in the contract. You need to sign it and pay a deposit in order to confirm your service reservation. The Order for Service includes the date they agree to pick up your belongings, the approximate date they agree to deliver your items, other services you agreed on like renting storage for example, and the type of moving vehicle.
- Inventory list – When the moving day comes, the moving company will begin to pack and load your items. The person in charge will create an inventory list of every single box they load onto the truck. The inventory list should include notes about the condition of the items before loading, which box it is in etc. However, you should also make an inventory list. This is a good way to check on everything later on. You should also consider taking a picture of each of your items to have as proof.
- Bill of lading – Once your belongings are all packed, inventoried, and loaded onto the truck, you will receive a Bill of Lading. This is a final moving company contract. It should state all of the information regarding the entire process like both yours and the company’s name, paid amount, your new address, date of delivery, payment method, etc. Make sure to review everything carefully since the Bill of Lading releases all of your belongings to the moving company. Keep all of these documents with you. You will need them when your items are delivered to your new home in order to ensure that everything arrived safely.
Now onto the other paperwork, you should take care of before you officially move!
Utilities
Don’t forget to contact all your current utility providers. You should do this a few weeks prior to your move to make sure they end your service. If you fail to do so, you might end up having to pay for utilities in two separate houses. And that would be unnecessary. Most common utilities include water, electricity, gas, cable, internet and garbage, and recycling. Make sure to contact all of them before your move.
Change the address
The next thing on the list is to change your address. This one is important if you want to see your packages, letters, and bills ever again. Well, we know you don’t really want to see the bills but of well. Anyway, another paperwork that needs to be done is the address update. Make sure to notify the post office of your new address just in case. Then, if anything comes to your old address, it will be sent to your new home. Make sure to notify other important institutions that require this information such as your bank and healthcare providers.
Find and inform former and future schools for your kids
If you are moving with your family and you have kids, you need to think about their education. Changing schools is not easy, especially as it comes with a lot of paperwork. However, you have to make sure to inform the current school about the transfer before leaving Washington. You also have to find a new school and provide the required documentation so your kids can enroll without any issues.
We hope our tips will help you gather all the moving paperwork when leaving Washington for the East Coast. Good luck!