A Checklist for Moving Cities

The process of moving cities in South Africa can be a complicated and frustrating one. While you'll be excited for the prospects ahead of you, a new job, home and new friends, the small details can be overwhelming, creating a lot of tension and putting a dampener on events. When it comes to moving, it's absolutely essential to be organised – this will help you find your way through the mayhem and will help you to find motivation even when your chances of making it through unscathed look slim. Stay calm, keep a steady head and remember to take things one step at a time.

It's essential that you have a checklist to stick to during the weeks leading up to the move. Start off by writing down everything that you can possibly think of and then ranking each item on the list according to urgency or category:

• Contact moving companies and compare quotes.
• Budget for your move, including moving company fees, transport and hotel room stays.
• Find a place to keep all your quotes and important documents together in an orderly fashion.
• Start researching your new community and dream of where you might find your place within it
• Gather all your records from your doctor and dentist, as well as your prescription records and any new medicines that you will require.
• Ask your doctor and dentist for a referral in your new city.
• Cancel or transfer all memberships.
• Begin spring cleaning your home and separating items into those that you can keep, donate and discard. Plan a garage sale or sell unneeded items to a second hand shop.
• Order boxes and moving supplies.
• Begin packing items that you don't lose and put into self-storage in Cape Town or Johannesburg, depending on your destination
• Pinpoint your moving date
• File a change of address with the postal service or ask them to hold on to your mail at the post office in your new city until you can fetch it
• Notify utility services, including electric, water, gas, telephone, cell phone and satellite television.
• Dispose of all flammables, corrosives and poisons.
• Notify utility services, including electric, water, gas, telephone, cell phone and satellite television.
• Dispose of all flammables, corrosives and poisons.
• Notify professional services about your move, including your accountant, attorney, doctor and dentist. You might also want to discuss your move with a financial planner and insurance provide.
• Confirm travel arrangements.
• Notify friends and family of new address.
• Pack a box of essentials to keep with you during the move.


Depending on how settled you are in your home, how established you are in the area and how large your family is, your moving list might grow or decrease in length. You might also want to add personal extras to the list, insuring that you don't forget any of the items or details that you really love or are essential to making your new house a home. Making the most of self-storage in Cape Town will allow you to keep all your possessions safe until you are further settled in your new city – taking away stress and aid the moving process if running smoothly.