Military Relocation Colorado Springs Tips

Moving to Colorado Springs?

Consider these tips:

12 to 24 Weeks:

• Begin disposing or giving away unnecessary household and personal items.
• Begin talking to your children about moving. It is really challenging to prepare children to move. One idea is a to get them t-shirts or hats. Consider buying hats and t-shirts from the town you are moving to. Click here for ideas.

12 Weeks:

• Schedule a transportation appointment.
• Begin cleaning major appliances to avoid last minute cleaning.

8 Weeks:

• Notify your unit PAC if you have not yet received your orders.
• Find out as much as possible about the new location - housing, schools, recreation, sports, etc.
  
• Talk to a real estate professional
• Subscribe to your local paper of your soon to be new home installation and/or town.
• Request a sponsor, if you have not already done so, or if you have not been appointed one.
• Write to wive'' clubs, support groups, old friends in the area, family and your sponsor.
• List your home for sale if you own your home.

7 Weeks:

• Get all necessary medical and dental work performed.
• If you have special needs, find out what assistance is offered by the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) at your new location. Check the ACS relocation files, or write directly to the EFMP Coordinator. Let your ACS Case Worker know you're leaving.
• Notify your landlord of your departure and make the necessary arrangements.
• Schedule house/apartment hunting trips and reserve temporary lodging.

6 Weeks:

• If necessary, call Family Housing to schedule a pre-termination inspection.
• If required, draw up a power of attorney to be left with a trusted friend so that someone can act legally on your behalf. For example you may want to designate a friend to sell your automobile for you - this action would require a power of attorney.
• Get official copies of marriage licenses, divorce decrees, birth certificates, naturalization papers - any papers showing your legal status. Carry them with you when you travel.
• Get all the facts on procedures for shipping pets and automobiles and begin preparation.
• Make sure the Transportation Office has been contacted and appointment made to process your request for shipment and/or storage. You may need to allow two weeks to get an appointment. Orders are needed when you go for the appointment.
• Start using frozen and canned foods.

5 Weeks:

• Sort out closet; sell or give away cast offs.
• Give 30 day notice to landlord if renting off post. Notice must be given on the 1st day of your last month.
• Think about what to sell at a garage sale or consignment shop, and what you can take to the garbage dump.

4 Weeks:

• Ensure landlord has received termination notice.
• Notify utility companies of cut off dates.
• Notify the telephone company of when the telephone should be disconnected.
• Notify the cable TV company of when the cable should be disconnected.
• Make arrangements for and ship privately owned vehicles.
• Send rugs, draperies, and other items out for cleaning.
• Obtain maps you will need for your trip.
• Retrieve any property you have loaned out and return any borrowed items.
• Make arrangements for care of children on packing day.
• Plan to wrap vacation time around your move. Write or visit travel agencies, state visitor's bureaus and national park services to see what there is in the area you will be passing through.

3 Weeks:

• If you have not yet received port call instructions, notify your unit PAC.
• Make arrangements for travel to the airport.
• Close out charge, banking and checking accounts you no longer need.
• Obtain cash or travelers' checks for your trip. You may need extra cash when you arrive at your new location for deposits for utilities or your apartment, or in case you run into some unforeseen expenses.
• Notify current schools and get records to take to the new school. If the school will not give you the records, write down the address and a point of contact for the current school so the new school can write for the records.
• Get change of address cards and give them to your unit mail room, magazine companies to which you subscribe, income tax bureaus, friends, family, etc.

2 Weeks:

• Get the car serviced and clean it thoroughly.
• Have any prescriptions you need refilled.
• Obtain referrals for new doctors, dentists, etc.
• Obtain a copy of all eyeglass prescriptions.
• Gather and organize documents which need to be hand carried (e.g., medical records, spouse employment files, etc.).
• Make arrangements to clean the house for inspection.
• Ensure that an appointment for your final check out inspection is set up.
• Pick up any items still at cleaners.
• Dispose of plants and pets that you are not taking with you.
• Dispose of all flammable items such as paint, turpentine, charcoal lighter fluid, etc.
• Clear all community services indicated on DA Form 137, Installation Clearance Record. You should receive final clearance 2 days prior to your departure.

1 Week:

• Separate and tag items in the house - what's going with you what's going to hold baggage.
• Dismantle the stereo, remove pictures from the walls and remove hardware.
• Check closets, store rooms and garages to make sure that you are not forgetting anything.

Save all paperwork and inventory forms the packers give you.