I can’t believe how fast things are moving! If you’ve been following my monthly updates then you know that there was a stretch of time where the house sat untouched and then, after that, our closing date was extended (you can read more about that here). But that’s all history now and (barring any unforeseen delays) we are officially 90 days away from moving!!!
Here’s what we are doing now to prepare for the move:
1. RESEARCH INSURANCE OPTIONS
You know that commercial where they show a couple using dial up internet in the ’90s and waiting forever to get an insurance quote? That’s how I feel even though I’m using 21st century technology…
In my experience, filling out a form online does not yield the best insurance quote. You actually have to call different providers and go through all of the details each time in order to get their best possible price. Needless to say, the process is time consuming! And since our current car insurance is set to renew in August, getting quotes now allows us time to shop and also ensures that we can add our vehicles this year (as opposed to waiting until next year’s renewal) for an even better discount rate.
2. THINK ABOUT YOUR INTERNET AND CABLE NEEDS
If you’re moving into a rural area, like us, not all of the major internet and cable providers will be available. Hence why we needed to start researching this ahead of time. Some providers, like the one we will be going with, can actually hold a discounted rate for you until you eventually move in. So, in our case, the provider was having a special sign-up promotion in June and is guaranteeing us the same deal even though we will not be connecting with them until September.
3. PACK ITEMS THAT YOU WON’T NEED
Winter is officially over!!! (I really hope I didn’t just jinx myself by writing that…). And since we’ll be moving into our new home at the end of summer, I have started packing all of our winter gear that won’t be needed until after we’re in the new house.
I’ve also done an inventory of what is in our kitchen/bathrooms/closets and have boxed up anything that we aren’t using (and won’t need until after our move-in). This frees up some space in our current rental and provides us with a better idea of how much we will need to pack at the end. It’s also a great way to go through your belongings and purge whatever you know you won’t want to keep.
4. SECURE YOUR MORTGAGE RATE
In Ontario you can secure your mortgage rate up to 120 days before closing. Since we had some delays, I waited a bit longer to ensure that we give ourselves a window for any unforeseen issues. So we are now in the process – with 90 days out – of firming up our mortgage details. Locking in your rate is especially important if you’re purchasing at time where the mortgage rates are going up!
5. CHECK YOUR LETTER MAIL
Currently, Canada Post charges $60-$100 for mail forwarding! Over the last few months, I’ve kept track of the mail we get (banks, Costco, magazine subscription, work, etc.) and made a list of whomever we need to advise of an address change. In the era of online banking, we don’t get that much mail so I’m hoping that we can just notify all those who do correspond via snail mail of our move ahead of time and save ourselves the cost of mail forwarding.
6. KEEP YOUR BOXES
If you’re like us, you use boxes every week (Amazon subscriptions, Costco purchases, diaper boxes, etc.). In preparation for the move, we’ve started keeping those boxes and any bubble wrap/wrapping paper. It’s a good way to reuse cardboard and it’ll hopefully save some cost on packing materials.
Your to-do list will inevitably get longer and longer as you get closer to move-in day. The above are just some of the things that we’re doing now to get us started and (hopefully!) reduce some of the moving madness at the end! Check back next month for what we’ll be doing when we’re 60 days out!!!
casacrescom.wordpress.com 