UPS Relo Checklist Page

UPSRELO.COM - SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA RELOCATION INFORMATION
by the "Alaskan Woods," Ray & Nancy

60-Day Moving Checklist

(Click here to get a printable PDF version of this checklist)

2 Months Before Your Move

Plan Now… Take the time to make decisions before things get hectic. Careful planning now will make your move less stressful.

Pick a Spot… Choose a place to store and organize things that will assist you in your move. You will need a place for files and important documents as well as some space for things like suitcases and items you won't be sending with the movers.

Reservations… Make travel arrangements for you and your family. The busiest time for inbound flights to Alaska is from May 1st through the end of July. If you are coming up during that time, make your reservations at least 30 to 60 days in advance. Consider transportation (airplane and car rental), housing, meals and special needs or medical care.

Passports… If you will be driving through Canada a current passport is required. Make sure everyone in the car has one. Passports generally take 3 weeks to process but could take longer. Find the nearest application office here. Passports are not required if you’re flying direct from the Lower 48 to Alaska.

Clothing… If you’re coming up for a house-hunting trip from a warm climate be sure and bring adequate clothing, see seasonal temperature ranges.

Insurance… Contact your insurance agent to transfer medical, property, fire and auto insurance. NOTE: Some insurance companies will not insure vacant and empty houses. So if your home is not sold when you move, investigate whether or not you want to leave your home totally vacant.

Return & Retrieve… Return anything you have borrowed from nearby friends or relatives and make sure to ask for your things back.

Address Book… Make a list of phone numbers and addresses you will need during the move. Don’t pack up your address books. Get a phone book of the area you’re moving to.

Save Receipts… File all moving-related receipts. There will probably be tax implications regarding your move. Obtain an IRS Change of Address form, Form 8822, by calling (800) 829-1040 or visiting the IRS website at www.irs.gov website. You will be able to download and print form 8822 and most other IRS tax forms; e.g., Form 3903 to help deduct moving expenses.

School… If you have kids in school be sure and tell the school you are moving. Check with Anchorage or Mat-Su School districts for transcript and documents required and obtain them at least two weeks before you depart. You will need proof of immunization before attending schools in Alaska.

Medical Records… Ask your family physician and dentist for any information or records you might need in Alaska. If you doctor has proof of immunizations for the kids get a copy.

Junk… Consider a garage sale or Good Will to get rid of stuff you won’t be taking with you.

Hire a Mover… Get references from friends or the BBB for a moving company. One option available for a move to Alaska is to load everything in a container and ship by sea from Seattle, WA. For added security, it’s possible to have your container sealed and remain sealed until it arrives at your new home.

1 Month Before Your Move

Change of Address… Pick up a Change of Address form from your local US Post Office. Or… do it online at: www.usps.com. If you don't have time to write and send all the notices by hand, the US Postal Service now has all kinds of options to send postcards or greeting cards out for you. Just go to NetPost Services. The fee is less than $60 for 200 postcards (black & white) including printing and mailing.

Send your new address to:

Credit card companies
Subscriptions (Magazine, newspaper, etc.)
Banks
Schools
Friends & family
Insurance company
Doctors & dentists
Cell phone company
Anyone that owes you money

Moving Company… Check with you mover to confirm that all the details of the move are set. Ask them about payment details at your destination. You may be dealing with a different person on the other end so get as much as you can in writing so you can have it with you when they unload.

Utilities… Notify all your utility providers of the date you want service discontinued and send them the necessary documents. Keep a copy in case you have changes to your schedule.

Your Current Bank... Ask your current bank what their policy is regarding account cancellations and transfers, then plan accordingly. Ask your bank if any special arrangements need to be made for large transfers to your new bank. Some banks require you do so in person. As a general rule it’s much easier to put money into banks that to withdraw it.

Alaska Banks… Compared to the Lower 48 Alaska has fewer large banks to choose from. They include Wells Fargo, Key Bank and State Farm Bank. Locals include First National Bank of Alaska, Alaska Community Bank & Trust and lots of credit unions. Bank of America does not have branches in Alaska. The largest credit union is Alaska USA followed by Denali Alaskan, Credit Union 1 and Mat Valley Credit Union.

Automobiles… The owner of a vehicle, who is working in Alaska or is establishing residency in Alaska must apply for registration within ten days of entering the state or taking a job within the state. To register your car and get a license plate you’ll need to submit an Application for Title & Registration. There's more information on automobile registration on the Arrival Checklist.

3 Weeks Before Your Move

Automobile… If you are shipping a car, make the arrangements for transport. Many ship by barge out of Seattle. Totem & Horizon are two auto shipping companies in Alaska.

Don’t Pack… Manuals, instruction books, keys and documentation for anything that will stay behind in your old house. Pick a drawer in the kitchen and label it “DO NOT PACK ITEMS IN THIS DRAWER.” Put extra keys, garage door openers, etc. in the drawer as you run across them.

Do Pack… You can start packing seasonal and seldom-used items early. Get some boxes from your mover and have each family member pack their very important items and label the boxes. Put them in one spot so they’ll be together.

Pick Up… Any items that are at the dry cleaners, repair shops, alterations, etc.

Search Out… All of the hiding places that might have important items.

Clean Out… The least-used rooms in your house that have been emptied, such as closets, basements or attics. Make sure you did not leave anything unpacked from them.

Prescription Medicines… Locate pharmacies in your new town to transfer prescriptions over to. If you use a mail-order pharmacy make sure they have a new mailing address for you.

More Junk… Plan on another garage sale or a call to Good Will a week or 10 days before the move. As a last resort you may want to rent a dumpster, but place so it doesn’t get in the way of the movers. Alternatively, have a friend that likes to collect stuff or call a company like “Got Junk?” to haul off the last-minute discards.

Packing & Insurance… Check with your mover before you pack your fragile items. Many will only insure items packed by moving company personnel. You increase the risk of damage if they have to unpack and re-pack fragile items. Consider hand-carrying or special shipping for very important fragile items.

1 Week Before Your Move

Meals… Plan quick easy meals or home delivery this week as things get busier for the cook.

Lockers… Have the kids empty their lockers at school, check the gym and lockers at work.

Lawn Maintenance… Mow it one more time. If it’s still in the growing season and your house isn’t sold, arrange for lawn maintenance. If you have snow, arrange for snow removal.

Cancel…Home deliveries of newspapers and, if your home is sold, lawn maintenance, etc.

Don’t Load This… If you have boxes and things that you don’t want taken by the movers put them aside and clearly mark them “DO NOT LOAD.”

Contact Information… Make sure you have contact numbers, email or postal addresses for the moving company and that they have yours. Keep important documents in a safe place and tell adult family members how to find them.

Refrigerator… Clean out the fridge, put an open box of baking soda in it and prop the doors open by taping a piece of foam or cardboard on the door seal.

Survival Supplies… Leave some essential items, like toilet paper, paper towels, hand soap, cleaning supplies and paper cups out and available for the family and moving crew.

Security… Notify local authorities and/or security services if your home will be empty for an extended period. Consider a security device like “SensaPhone” or “Tattletale” that will call out to neighbors or security services if there’s trouble.

Old House Keys... Drop off keys, alarm codes and garage door remote controls to the new owner or real estate agent. Also tell them about the place you put all of the owner's manuals and documentation for the appliances, mechanical, electrical and heating systems for the house.

Arrival Checklist

(Click here to get a printable PDF version of this checklist)

Arrive in Alaska!

Temporary Housing... If you arrive before your furniture and personal belongings you'll have to live out of a suitcase for a while. For most of the year there are adequate lodgings available both in Anchorage and the Valley. The the peak of our tourist season is from June through August. If you are arriving during that time, make reservations well in advance. See our Links page for hotels, motels, B&B, resturants, grocery stores, etc.

Telephone... As soon as you know your new address contact the telephone company and order your telephone service. If it's in a newly constucted home it could take a while. Existing homes, with lines already installed, can usually be hooked up within a couple of days. See our Links page for Anchorage & Mat-Su telephone service providers. Required docs; credit info, address of new house, prior telephone provider.

Utilities... Contact the utility companies and tell them when you intend to take possesion of your home. Unless you've made other arrangements, you will be resposible for costs of utilities on and after the date you take possesion of your home. See our Links page for Anchorage & Valley utility companies. Required docs; address of new house, electric meter number, legal description, credit info.

Moving In... Be sure and have all the documents for the movers. You should have the contract, your inventory, payment method, etc. You'll need to show them where everything goes and handle problems, like damaged or missing items, for the entire time. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you can't make it, make sure a responsible adult is present during the unloading process and that they know how to contact you. Required docs; mover contracts, itemized inventory, contact info, keys to the house.

Schools ... You'll need to get the kids in school as soon as you can. Days missed in Alaska may be counted as absences and both districts have a strict attendance policies. See our Links page for links to Anchorage and Mat-Su School Districts. Required docs; health records, proof of immunizations, transcripts and address of old school.

Automobiles… The owner of a vehicle, who is working in Alaska or is establishing residency in Alaska must apply for registration within ten days of entering the state or taking a job within the state. To register your car and get a license plate you’ll need to submit an Application for Title & Registration. You can download the application form here. Registration is for a two-year period in Alaska. If you don’t like waiting in line, you can save a lot of time by using a private company that streamlines the process for an extra fee that ranges from $10 to $20. See our Links page. Required docs; proof of ownership, title, IM test certificate (Anchorage only), old registration.

Driver’s License… You may use your out-of-state non-commercial driver’s license in Alaska for up to 90 days. An out-of-state/country driver's license can serve as proof of driving ability to obtain an Alaska driver's license, so you won't have to take a driver's test. Apply at Alaska DMV offices, proof of birth and an original social security card is also required. Required docs; current driver's license, proof of birth, original social security card.

Banks... Wells Fargo, Key Bank and State Farm Bank are nationally-known banks that are also in Alaska. Local banks include First National Bank of Alaska and Alaska Community Bank & Trust. The largest credit union is Alaska USA followed by Denali Alaskan, Credit Union 1 and Mat Valley Credit Union. See our Links page. Bank of America does not have branches in Alaska. Required docs; old account numbers, bank routing numbers, personal ID, money to deposit.