Like all moves, moving locally has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, a local move doesn’t completely uproot you from your entire community. On the other hand, local moves make it hard to secure a fresh start in a new place.

Ironically, it is the very convenience of a local move that can make such a simple sounding task become difficult. Avoid such pitfalls by following these five easy tips for moving locally.

Tip #1:  Gather all necessary supplies

Don’t be tempted to skimp on a local move by not purchasing appropriate packing supplies. Items can get broken or dented during a move a few blocks away just as easily as during a move across the country. Value your possessions and treat them with care as you move them from one household to the other.

This includes coming up with a system of marking your boxes, either by the contents you’ll pack within or by the room destination for each box. Come moving day, your marking system will pay off when you and your helpers know exactly which box belongs where in your new home.

Tip #2:  Practice incremental packing

Don’t save all your packing till the day of your move, even if the actual transit time from your old house to your new house isn’t long. Start weeks in advance by packing the items you use only rarely.

Consider designating one room or area of your house as a “packing room” and make it a goal to pack one or two boxes every few days in the weeks leading up to your move. This way you won’t be overwhelmed on your big move day.

Tip #3:  Change or close utility and service accounts

It’s a good idea to keep a utility log so you can record and check service-transfer dates. Make sure the utilities at your old house are transferred out of your name on the agreed upon date. Similarly, make sure the utilities at your new house are turned on in advance of your arrival.

If your old house will not be occupied for the few days following your move it’s a good idea to leave the power and water on. This allows you the convenience of being able to return to your old house to clean up after your move, meaning you won’t have to exhaust yourself by cleaning up the day of your move.

Be sure to visit the post office or the U.S. Postal Services website at www.usps.gov in order to submit your official change of address form. It’s also a good idea to order or print out address labels that contain your new address. You’ll want to have them handy for the mail that arrives during the week before your move. That way you’ll easily be able to correct the address information on each piece of mail you receive.

If you have a choice, try to move on a weekday when businesses and offices are open. This will make it much easier to contact service agencies and utility account providers in the event of a problem.

A basic list of the places you should contact with your new address information includes:

• Electric company
• Gas company
• Water
• Telephone
• Cable/satellite provider
• Pharmacy
• Dry cleaner
• Housecleaning services or lawn service
• Department of motor vehicles
• State tax bureau
• State and federal tax bureau
• City/county tax assessor
• Health club
• Credit card companies
• Banks
• Doctor
• Veterinarian
• Dentist
• Accountant
• Newspapers
• Magazines
• Newsletters

Tip #4:  Arrange for a babysitter and pet-sitter on moving day

Children can easily serve as a distraction or can get in the way during a big move. Even worse, they risk getting injured as furniture and heavy boxes are moved around. Similarly, animals can easily become frightened or confused during the excitement of a move and may try to run away. Do yourself a favor and leave your children and pets with a friend during the day of your big move.

Tip #5:  Rent a local van and move most things in a day

Too often, people think they can forego the cost of a moving van for a local move and instead insist on making multiple trips with their personal vehicles. If you don’t have a lot of possessions, this may work for you. However, if you’re moving the contents of an entire home you’ll risk setting yourself up for dozens of treks from one house to the other. In the long run, this will constitute a lot more expense and time on your part.

Save yourself the hassle and rent one big van for an afternoon. Just remember, when driving any type of large van you should allow for extra braking room behind other vehicles. Plan at least a three-second gap between you and any vehicle in front of you and anticipate stops in advance.

Most moving vans require about 12-feet of overhead clearance. Keep this in mind if you drive your moving van past any drive-thru restaurants or motel over-hangs.