Decide what to move and what not to move. Possibly plan a garage sale!
Transfer your bank accounts.
If you're moving yourself, get estimates from several truck rental companies, and be sure to obtain a hand truck (appliance dolly).
Plan your travel itinerary, make transportation and lodging reservations in advance. (Leave a copy with a friend).
Request records from doctors and dentists, including eye glass prescriptions, dental x-rays, and vaccinations.
Arrange transfer of children's school records, if applicable.
Draw up a floor plan of where your furniture should be placed. This will help avoid confusion for you and your movers.
Record expenses incurred during your house-hunting trip. You will also want to save your moving expense receipts (if the move is employment-related) for tax deductions.
Pay existing bills and close out local charge accounts.
Arrange any special movers for items such as for an expensive piano, or to break down and move a pool table, or an above ground swimming pool.
Cancel or transfer deliveries, newspaper, garbage collection, etc.
Coordinate the transfer of gas, electric, water, and sewer with the next occupant of your old home, as well as with the previous owner of your new home, so as to avoid lapses in service and extra re-start expenses.
Transfer insurance policies or arrange for new policies.
Conveniently pack all valuables, jewelry, and important papers (birth certificates, deeds, documents) to personally take with you.
Schedule, in advance, the date which you want your phone transferred, perhaps even with a short overlap for convenience sake.
Consider moving insurance. Your mover's liability for lost or damaged goods will not equal their replacement cost.
Send change of address notices to: post office, charge accounts, subscriptions (at least four weeks in advance), relatives and friends, national and alumni organizations, church, mail order clubs (books, tapes, catalogues), firms with which you have time payments, and past employers in order to receive your W-2 form.
Have stick-on forwarding labels made up to leave with your old home so it's new occupants can easily forward stray mail or mail that comes after the forwarding order expired at the post office.