You’ve sold your old house, and now the countdown is T minus whatever for the move to your new place. There are more things to do than you can shake a stick at! Here’s what you need to remember:

 Before you begin to pack, while your furniture and valuables are all still in place, go around with a camera and make videos or take photos of everything. Get close-ups of small items like jewelry or antique crystal. In the event of loss or breakage in the move ahead of you, you’ll have a visual record of what you had and the condition it was in.

Get a million boxes. Did you ever hear anyone say, “I don’t need all these boxes I got for my move. Want some?” Heck no! For most people, it’s a last minute scramble to get enough. And since boxes cost about ten bucks from the moving company, start collecting them well before you actually need to pack them. A lot of stores crush them as soon as they’re unpacked, so ask your local market to set some aside. Or get them from work.

You’ll probably be packing clothes last. Have heavy duty trash bags on hand-at least one mil thick-and fill them up with towels, sheets, and clothes from your children’s underwear and jeans drawers. They’re easy to tie and haul, and they’re a lot cheaper than going out at the last minute to buy more boxes. You’ll need the bags anyway, to discard stuff you really don’t need. Just don’t mix up garbage with packed linens!

Mark what you pack. Before you mark anything, you want to seal them securely. Have plenty of tape on hand-get it cheap at the dollar store. Every time you pack a box, mark it with a number and write on a clipboard: #1, Grandma’s Hutch Stuff. Write the number on the box. Show the system to your kids so that everybody who packs a box remembers to mark it. When little Donnie and Marie pack their rooms, they can mark their boxes D1, D2, M1, M2, and so forth. Besides boxes, markers, and tape, you’ll need plenty of newspaper or bubble wrap as well.

One last word on packing: Watch the weight of the boxes. If you’re packing books or files, remember that paper weighs a lot.

Call your utility companies: Electricity, gas, phone, cable, and internet. Don’t wait until the last minute to call, because this could delay your service at the new place. Don’t forget to call your insurance company, and fill out a moving card at the post office. You can do all these notifications ahead of time, because you’re submitting an effective date when you take care of these tasks.

When you tell the schools that Donnie and Marie are moving, don’t forget to pick up their immunization records along with their transcripts.

Are you moving so far that you’ll need a new doctor? If anyone in the family uses prescription medication, make certain there’s enough to last till he sees a new doctor. Set that up before the move!

Have a “travel box.” This is something that will stay with you throughout the move. It will contain your family’s vital records-birth certificates, social security cards, school records. Don’t forget Fido’s license. Your closing papers and only your most recent bank statement should be included. Drop your address book in there. It’s a good place to keep your notes from all the calls you made to the utility companies. Ahead of time you can put in a roll of toilet tissue, a couple towels, and a first-aid kit. On the day of the move, when you’re ready to roll, add your prescription medications and the toiletries necessary for a shower, including everyone’s toothbrushes. And this one box stays with you, not the moving van.

Have a supplies box. When you’ve finished packing, drop your tape, markers, etc., into this box. Plus you can add a wrench, pliers, hammer, screwdrivers, and extension cords. Toss in a couple batteries. Well, maybe this box should stay with you, too!

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