MOVING TIPS

You will also find a list of questions posed to TMO and their responses. We have also created a Moving Tips/Suggestions discussion group for you to share any additional ideas and suggestions.

Try to contact someone in the area to which you are moving. Find out if there is anything you need to purchase before you arrive (especially when going overseas) and determine if there is anything else you need to be prepared for.

Keep a positive attitude about the move and it will rub off on your kids.

Contact the Family Support Center for information they have on the area you are moving to.

Find out as much as you can about the location (on line, mail, sponsors, etc.). If you like sports, find out about golf courses, tennis clubs, etc. If you like history, find out what is in or near the new base. Check out what the state has to offer (places to see, travel, and vacation).

Going over seas? Find out about requirements for International Driver's License, the culture, the food, and the local sights. Learn the language.

Find kids who are the same age and/or grade as yours and see if they will e-mail or send a letter to yours. They can share their thoughts on the new location. This will instantly give your child or children a bond with their new home.

Before moving, check your insurance policies:
     Will the insurance cover you in-transit and at your new location?
     Do you need to change, update, or add any thing to your policy?
     Are they licensed in that state or country?
     Do you have enough coverage on household items -- replacement value vs. depreciated value?
    Know if the policy covers things going into storage.
     Are there any limitations?

Clean out drawers, cabinets and closets about a month before your move is scheduled. Give clothes you can't wear any longer to charity (Thrift Shop, etc.) before you go.

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Packing Tips:

Put a clean set of sheets and towels in the mattress boxes so the basics are easily accessible upon arrival. Alternatively, designate one dresser drawer for sheets and towels so that you won't have to rummage through boxes for these essentials the first night in your new home. Set the beds up and put sheets on as soon as practical: you'll be tired at bed-time!
Wash all your linens and towels then place them in a garbage bag with a dryer sheet in it to keep them from smelling like boxes. Tie up the bag. You'll have clean sheets and towels ready to use when you unpack.
Take pictures of your valuables and write down brand, serial and model numbers and keep your receipts with this information. Carry this with you or store it in a safe place like a relative's house or a safety deposit box. If items are lost, stolen, or broken you'll have proof for insurance purposes.
Sign your name across the tape on the box. That way you know if the boxes have been opened after they were sealed.
Get several sheets of brightly colored paper, designate a color for each room and tape strips of the paper on each side of the box. When the boxes come off the truck you immediately know where they go.
To protect valuable pictures, take them out of the frames. Write on the back of the frames what pictures go in them. Then hand carry the pictures.
Put the contents of a junk drawer in Ziploc bags, and then put them back in the drawer.
Take silverware from drawers and place them in Ziplocs. This will ensure that the packers won't handle them and you won't have to wash them again at your new location. You can just unzip the bags and put them back in the drawers.
Empty out the underwear and sock drawers and put these in kitchen garbage bags. The packers can use them for stuffing inside boxes that need some extra padding.
If possible, always have photo negatives and photo albums in two separate shipments. Then you will always have the means to make copies if one of the shipments is damaged or lost.
Number your canned goods so you can put them up in date order of when they were bought and can continue to use older canned goods first.
Empty, clean and spray with Lysol ALL trash bins in the entire house.
Pack dried flowers, airplane models, etc. in empty dresser drawers. Put packing paper around them to protect them.
Have rugs packed last so they can be the first items unloaded and placed at your new location.
Take your current phone book with you. You may need to make calls to residents or businesses back in your former hometown.
Make sure you have your children's "loveys/blankies" put somewhere where the movers won't pack them.
Hand carry something familiar from home, like pillows and blankets. That way, when you have to stay in a hotel, you have something comfortable with you.
Serve the movers lunch, drinks and snacks. Happy movers usually do a better job.
Make a box of essentials and label it "Open Me First." Put this box to the side (in a closet or bathtub) so you can move it yourself. Include in the box:

Basic tools such as flashlights, pocket knife, hammer, screwdrivers, nails, pliers, masking tape, tape measure, box cutter and light bulbs.

Bathroom essentials such as hand towel, soap, toilet paper, shampoo, and shower curtains and hooks.

Kitchen items such as paper towels, coffeemaker and filters, paper plates and cups,

plastic utensils, dish detergent, a sponge, pet foods, dishes, can opener and trash bags,

telephone, paper towels, frying pan.

Hardware-plastic bag of hardware needed to reassemble furniture

Miscellaneous-Lamps, corded telephone (if you do not have a cell phone)

Documents To Keep With You During Your Move

Up-to-date shot records for all family members and pets

Copy of Medical Records including x-rays and mammograms

Driver's License

Military ID cards (check expiration dates)

Social Security numbers

TRICARE phone number (in case authorization is needed)

Addresses and amounts of bills so you can pay them on the road. This includes a bill from your last phone, electric, gas, and other utilities. It may help with deposits and such if you have to wait for housing.

List of credit cards and account numbers

Vehicle titles, registration and insurance information

PCS orders

Phone numbers and addresses to family

Address Book and/or Day Planner

School Records-originals or copies-helps new school plan/assign classes

Cleaning Tips

At a new residence, wash down cupboards and drawers with an antibacterial solution and line the bottoms with shelf paper. When it comes time to move you won't have to wash them down, just remove the shelf paper and throw away.
After you have thoroughly cleaned and dried the inside of your refrigerator, put a handful of fresh coffee, baking soda or charcoal in a sock or nylon stocking and place it inside to keep the interior smelling fresh. If you need to store it, be sure that it is as dry as possible to avoid mildew.

Unpacking Tips

If you know where you want your furniture make a plan for each room on a piece of paper and tape it up at the entrance to the room and explain it to the movers. Have a name on the paper for each room (boy's room, master bed, library, etc.) and have it on the paper so it's easy to tell the movers in what room you want each item without having to go with them.
At your destination you might want to consider having the TV and VCR hooked up first to occupy the kids while the rest of the van is being unloaded.
Upon arrival at your new home, let your PC "acclimate" itself to room temperature before plugging it in.

Service Members’ Rights and Responsibilities:

Rights:

To receive professional and courteous service from the carrier.
To expect carriers to do everything possible to ensure a loss-free and damage-free move.
To have the phone number of the origin and destination transportation offices .
To expect the interior and real property of the home to be protected from damage.
To monitor all packing and loading of your items without causing undue delay.
To have the carrier disassemble certain items at origin such as beds and some furniture/equipment.
To have the carrier reassemble anything at destination they disassembled at origin.
To have the carrier unpack all the boxes at destination, place the items once, and remove packing material, debris, and empty boxes, unless otherwise directed by the member or member’s agent.
To not sign anything until you read, understand, and agree. If you disagree, do so in writing on the inventory. You should be provided legible copies of all signed documents.
To call the local personal property shipping office to resolve any misunderstandings.

Responsibilities:

Arrange for door-to-door moves, where possible. Provide contact numbers at origin/enroute/destination.
Identify items requiring special handling and/or packing, e.g. shrunk, piano, at pre-move survey.
Dispose of worn out and unneeded items to avoid wasteful packing, moving or storage.
Dispose of foods that could spill or spoil in transit or storage.
Dismantle satellite dishes, and radio antennas. Disconnect all stereos, compact disc players, televisions, and VCRs. Place original packing boxes by the equipment (if you want them to be used).
Empty/defrost/wash/dry the inside of all refrigerators/freezers at least 24 hours prior.
Drain all water from hot tubs/waterbeds/hoses etc. and allow them to dry.
Drain oil/gas from tools/motorized “rec” vehicles/lawnmowers/power equipment.
Disconnect all appliances, e.g. washer hoses and dryer exhausts vents, etc. and reconnect at destination.
Disassemble outdoor play equipment/outdoor structures, e.g. sheds/swing sets, etc.
Remove and unplug all electrical items, including window air conditioners.
Remove any soil/pest infestation from all personal property items before carrier arrives.
Remove items from attics, crawl spaces, and from beneath staircases, to have available for packing.
Remove all old stickers from previous moves to ensure a proper inventory.
Separate and identify all professional books, papers, and equipment from the rest of your property.
Separate and securely protect any personal items you do not want packed, e.g. airline tickets, passports, jewelry, luggage, important papers, and all other items not authorized to be shipped.
Separate your property by shipment type and ensure they are distinctly marked, e.g. unaccompanied baggage in one room and items for long term storage in another room.
Set aside cleaning materials you’ll need for future use.
Arrange for coffee/cold drinks/snacks/meals for yourself.
Arrange for children and pets to be under control during packing, pickup, and delivery operations.
Stay at the residence while all operations are in progress.
Walk through and check all areas to ensure everything has been packed/loaded prior to the carrier leaving.
Ensure boxes are marked accurately with the general contents.
Annotate damage on the paperwork if damage occurs to the residence or property.
Check in at destination transportation office upon arrival to facilitate clearance of the shipment.
Ensure “one-time” placement of items is planned prior to carrier arrival at destination.
Check each item off the inventory to ensure all items picked up at origin, are delivered.
Read and understand documents you are asked to sign, especially the inventory and DD Form 1840

Note: This is not an all-inclusive list. Carriers and Service members are still bound by all applicable rules and regulations governing the movement of personal property.

TMO Q&A

1. Rumor has it that the moving companies will give us the boxes to pack ourselves. Can we really do this? No, the movers will not provide boxes prior to your move. We must be able to keep track of all boxes and packing materials for payment.

2. How may we obtain new packing boxes and packing paper now, so we can begin some self packing? You may ask the commissary or BX for boxes. I would not advise you to pack anything. The carrier will do it for you. They must also be able to properly inventory your property, and this may not be possible if things are already boxed up.

3. Are we allowed to request antique furniture pieces to be crated? The carrier must determine that he cannot get the item to destination safely without crating for this to be authorized.

4. Can we refuse to allow couches to leave the house unwrapped? (They promised that they would be wrapped in the truck) They should use some type of wrap to protect edges, if not contact QA.

5. How can a packed mini van be weighed for a dity move? Weighed empty, then weighed again after loading.

6. What is the typical time frame for you to move 600 families? (How much earlier do you start, and how late getting us out do you estimate?) Until everyone is moved, approximately 2 months.

7. If the move is not door-to-door how long can things be kept in storage as we are looking for off base housing? You have 90 days of Storage in Transit, an additional 90 days can be approved with justification.

8. Will there be SITES books on hand for us to pick up for the Pentagon/DC? Or some way for us to request a SITES packet? Please contact family support, SITES is not a TMO program. (Sites packets can also be obtained by visiting www.afcrossroads.com)

9. How DO 600 families move in 2 weeks? The moves are accomplished over a 2 month period.

10. How do we put in a request for a particular company? You may request a company but, it is not guaranteed. We must distribute tonnage (weight) equitably.

11. How do we request recommendations or references on a moving company? We cannot provide this information. All carriers maintain an average score of 90 or better.

12. What do we do if packing day is upon us and it is going badly (workers vomiting or obviously ill, workers who are under age or workers who are extremely inexperienced)? Contact QA

13. What do we do if during the packing day, knowing we need AT LEAST two 8 hour days of work done PRIOR to the move day, the workers arrive late, take many long breaks and leave early? Contact QA but, as long as they make the pack and pickup date, and everything is completed on the pickup date.

14. How do we get a copy of OUR RIGHTS as to military families being moved? Go to (the 42LRF) Web site to get a copy of the Its Your Move Pamphlet, http://www.maxwell.af.mil/42abw/421rf/

15. Is there a list of what to expect, what we can demand at minimum to happen on pack day and move day? (ie; hours of work, when we can cry "mercy, this day is too long", cleanliness of workers, dog or some other animal accompanying workers, diesel truck drivers who leave ruts in your yard or worse) Contact QA.

16. What is our recourse? Varies, depending on your concern.

17. How do we do the dity move thing? Go to web site in the outbound area.

18. Do we get some front $ on the dity thing, to help offset the cost of renting truck and boxes, etc? Operating allowance of 60 percent.

19. Are overseas moves considered priority to CONUS moves? No

20. What is the expected time for goods to arrive overseas? 45-70 days

21. Are extensions granted for families who need to stay at Maxwell longer before arriving overseas? Contact your school representatives.

Planning Tips

Packing Tips

Cleaning Tips

Unpacking Tips

Service Members
Rights & Responsabilities

TMO Q & A

42LRF/TMO Website

It's Your Move Pamphlet