Are you leaving home? Follow these steps to make the moving process as painless as possible.

We know that leaving your home behind can be both difficult and stressful, so we are here to help! Feel more prepared for your move by following this timeline for cancelling subscriptions, forwarding your mail, etc. This guide will walk you through wrapping up your life at home well before moving to Canada.

What do you need to do first?

4 Months Before

Begin Selling and Donating Your Belongings 

Avoid stress by beginning this process early. If you leave this step until the last minute, you may be in for a surprise. It can take a few tries to sell your goods both online and in-person. Therefore, start researching what people are looking for and how soon specific things sell. Then set aside an entire day or weekend to go through your belongings.

A lot of what we choose to keep becomes clutter. We end up storing it somewhere because it provides us with a sense of nostalgia. Set aside things you are not using regularly and place them out of sight. See if you actually need any of those items. If you don’t, then it’s time to sell, sell, sell! 

What Are You Doing With Your Car?

If you are in a rush to sell your car, then you are more likely to sell it for less than it is worth. 

Obviously you want the best deal possible. Every extra dollar helps when you are starting somewhere new. The best way to go about this is to begin selling your car as early as possible. By having a few months to find a buyer, you are more likely to get a good price in return. However, if months are going by and no one is interested, then slowly begin lowering the price as your moving day approaches. 

30-Days Before

Cancel Your Subscriptions 

Review your bank statements to locate any subscriptions that you will need to cancel. If you are planning to maintain your home bank account, you do not want to discover that you are paying for services you are no longer using.

Cancelling subscriptions is not difficult, but they do require advance notice. Begin this process 30 days before your departure date so you are not paying any penalties or unnecessary fees. 

What subscriptions should you cancel?

The obvious ones include Internet, phone and TV services, as well as utilities. However, smaller subscriptions such as Netflix may not need to be cancelled so quickly. 

New Phone Plan

You may need a Canadian bank account set up with a direct debit before you can get a phone in Canada. Therefore, research what phone companies are offering and any requirements they have beforehand. 

Also, inquire about what roaming packages your home provider can offer. If it isn’t too pricey, you can keep your old phone provider while you wait for your new one to be set up.

Week Before

Redirect Your Mail 

About a week before your departure date, make arrangements for your mail. This way, if anyone needs to contact you (i.e. utility companies, the bank, the government, etc.), you are ensured to receive it. The best option is to redirect your mail to a new location. If you are not sure how to do this, then ask your local postal service. 

Last-Minute Check

Make sure you have everything you need before you leave. This includes double-checking your documents, what is required of you upon arrival, and getting in touch with family/friends to let them know how they can keep in touch with you while you are abroad.  

Summary

Moving is never easy. There is a long to-do list to check off as you wrap up your life at home. Hopefully this guide helps you through this process, so you can look forward to your new adventure!