Note  This article describes a Project template. You can download this template by clicking the link in the See Also list in this article.

The objective of this template is to identify and correlate the activities required to move your home. The template is designed to focus on the required steps to successfully move your home from one location to another.

Template design

The Home Move template provides you with a basic set of common tasks that are necessary to complete a home move from point A to point B. The template is organized into five key phases: Six to Eight weeks before the move, three to five weeks before the move, one to two weeks before the move, move day, and one to two weeks after the move. The template incorporates moving requirements based on many standard living arrangements such as homeownership, rentals, children, and local and long distance moves. The activities are generic and might need to be edited to fit your particular needs.

Each move phase includes a number of typical activities with logical ties to other activities in that phase or another phase. These links are the mechanism that allows us to determine the overall planned duration of a project and to determine the effect of changes, delays and disruptions.

Individual activities may contain notes describing normal practices and procedures. Each activity also contains a typical resource classification. These resource classifications are included as a guide to you and are not meant to be prescriptive.

Template design

Phase 1: Six to Eight weeks before moving

This is the early planning phase that sets the stage for the Home move. Here the resource with overall responsibility for the home move does all the research and planning necessary to make the early decisions regarding the move. These decisions may include doing it yourself or using movers and the right moving company. This is also the period to organize your personal records and belongings. Initial steps are taken to insure insurance, banking and medical care at your new residence. Notification should be sent to those people or groups where special arrangements will need to be made such as the postal service, the IRS and clubs or groups where family members have memberships. Initial steps are taken to reduce clutter, sell or donate unwanted items and prepare for packing. Finally arrangement should start being made for any long distance moves for both your family and your pets.

Phase 2: Three to five weeks before moving

In this phase the early planning is complete. You have made arrangement with the movers and all preliminary dates are set. Your possessions have been reduced to only those that will be moved and all interested parties have been notified. Long distance travel arrangements have been made.

The key to this phase is to prepare services in your new community and at your new residence. Accounts at a bank at your new location, children school records are forwarded to their new school. Utilities are set up for the new address and final disconnection dates are set up with the current utilities.

Also, if you are moving yourself, a truck and moving supplies should be reserved for the moving date as well as letting you potential moving resources know when they will be needed.

Phase 3: One to two weeks before moving

In this phase all planning and arrangements should be completed and the final move date has been established. This is the phase that all the hands-on work is accomplished. Possessions are packed. The car is serviced. Accounts are transferred. Records are forwarded and utilities are turned off.

It is important for all preparations to be made at this point for the day of the move. This includes all logistics with the movers and/or your friends and family. Arrangements are made for the children and final travel arrangements are made or verified.

Phase 4: Day of the move

This phase is divided into tasks that must be completed at the old location and the new location for moving day to go smoothly. Tasks in this phase include final packing, working with the movers and preparing your new residence.

Phase 5: One to two weeks after the move

This phase is devoted to becoming comfortable in your new residence and your new community. Tasks in this phase suggest ways to finalize services, verify record transfers and register for or change car and pet licensing.