Military Move Checklist: Stay on Track with Tips for a Stress-Free Move

You’ve gotten orders to move to the Bay Area. It’s an exciting, but also stressful, time. Follow these tips and enjoy a smooth military move:

• Your first step should be hiring trusted military movers in the Bay Area: North Bay Moving & Storage. Whether you’re moving to Travis Air Force Base or moving to Camp Parks, you’ll want the best moving and storage services in California.
• Organize your documents – Uncle Sam loves paperwork! You’re going to need documents more often than you could imagine, so keep them organized and accessible. Buy a binder with clear plastic sleeves to hold copies of your orders, plus your family’s birth certificates, Social Security cards, rental agreements and mortgage documents. Start putting this together the moment your family gets orders for a Permanent Change of Station.
• Time to shoot – Speaking of documentation, it’s time to inventory your treasures. Take an hour to walk around your home, snapping pictures of key items in case there’s a disaster and you need evidence for the insurance company. Another tip: Take a picture of the back of your TV. It may help you remember which cords go where!
• Reduce your burden – Every household gains weight in between moves. Stop adding, start subtracting. Travel lighter by collecting items to be placed in a yard sale or taken to a thrift store. If you haven’t used something since the last time you moved – among military families, that’s two and a half years – you don’t really need it.
• Make a checklist –Use a PCS packing list to make sure you don’t forget anything. Remember to keep cash on hand, not to mention a first aid kit, hand sanitizer and your kids’ favorite toys.
• Pack a box for the first day – Fill a box or bin with drinks, snacks, toilet paper, paper towels and cleaning products. Keep it with you, not in the truck. You’ll need this stuff during your first day in your new home.
• Use labels – Get colored stickers and mark boxes using a system: Boxes with red stickers go to the kitchen, yellow stickers to the bathroom, etc. This will help your moving crew place boxes in the right spot. Plus, it will reduce your load once your North Bay military movers have done their job.
• Involve your children – A move can be stressful for kids. Find the fun in your Bay Area PCS move by asking your children to help. Let them pick which toys and clothes to donate. Make this move into a road trip adventure.
• Check out the neighborhood – Once you’re settled, take time to learn about your new community and your new base. Every military branch offers an in-depth base guide for you to peruse. Get to know your new neighborhood!

You know who else can help you prepare for a move to the Bay Area? Trusted California military movers like North Bay Moving & Storage. Call 415-479-5515 for a free quote, or click here to get one online.

Are you moving to an apartment soon and need an apartment-moving checklist to help you stay organized? Check out these tips from our friends at American Way Van & Storage!