Or another time when my un-emptied kitchen trash can got packed? (Week-old banana peels are not a pleasant surprise when you're unpacking.) When we relocated back to Maryland from Charleston, South Carolina, my boys' friends came over for a last good-bye - only to find their bikes loaded on the van when they went outside.
Then there was a client of mine who hid her purse, cell phone and keys out of sight, in the oven, and when she went to get them after the movers were on the road... Yep, they (and the broiler pan) were apparently on the road, too.
First, before I give you another copy of my to-do list, here are the utility companies you should contact this week, to make sure everything is turned on for you after closing on your new home in Maryland:
To make sure your story is NOT one about your purse, cell phone and car keys getting buried in a packing box, let's put those at the top of this to-do list for BEFORE the movers come! Besides, that story is already in my collection - and I'd like to have some new ones for the book I plan to write someday.
I recommend moving the following items to your car, your office, or your neighbor's house before the movers come, because no place inside your house is safe!
Here's my Top-20 checklist, but you can add anything else to it you think of:
1. 
Keys and Purse.
2. Medical records for each member of the family.
3. School records for each of your children.
4. Veterinarian records for each of your pets.
5. The garage door opener, broiler pan, instruction manuals and anything else included in the sale of your home - after your movers leave, you can bring those back into the house to leave for your buyers.
6. Cleaning supplies for preparing your home for the buyer's walk-through. You'll probably want to dust, sweep, wash floors or even touch up the paint, so put those supplies out of the house, too, and bring them back after the movers are gone.
7. Suitcase containing necessities for your trip, if this is a long-distance move.
...and all the documentation previously provided to your new lender:
8. Social Security number and birth date of each applicant.
9. Income verification for each applicant (2 most recent pay stubs with year-to-date earnings). If you are active-duty military, this includes basic pay and all allowances.
10. Tax information for each applicant (W-2's and tax returns for 2 most recent years).
11. Employment verification for each applicant (Employers names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses).
12. Bank account information for each applicant (2 most recent statements for all bank accounts).
13. Assetsfor each applicant (2 most recent statements for IRA's, 409K's, CD's, Stocks and Bonds; if you have individual investments, bring a brokerage statement with name of the stock, number of shares and the amount per share).
14. Personal property information for each applicant (cars, furniture, retirement accounts, jewelry, valuable collections and life insurance).
15. Credit information for each applicant (2 most recent statements for all creditors).
16. Current housing information for each applicant (If you own: address, market value, original loan amount, balance due, monthly payment amount, copy of listing if property is currently for sale; if you rent: copy of lease).
17. New home information (Receipt for earnest money deposit, copy of purchase contract and listing information).
18. Gift letter, if applicable (Letter from donor stating amount of gift and that money does not have to be repaid).
19. Self-employment information for each applicant (2 most recent years profit and loss statements and balance sheets), if applicable.
20. Divorce/separation information for each applicant (Copy of the divorce decree or maintenance statement and any amendments, 12-month history of child support and/or alimony payments), if applicable.
21. In-school/student verification (If you don't have 2 years of employment history, you will need transcript and/or diploma to verify student status) for each applicant, if applicable.
22. Rental propertyinformation for each applicant (For all rental property, you must provide addresses, copies of leases, account numbers, mortgage lenders' names, addresses, and phone numbers), if appicable.
While your loan has been finalized and the title search for your home is in, it's always a good idea to have your loan application paperwork handy - occasionally, I've had clients who needed something from the package at the last minute. There are no unresolved issues that I know about at this time. Should anything come up before you arrive, I'll give you a call and keep you informed.
In the meantime, if you have any questions, plese don't hesitate to contact me. Assuring that your relocation goes smoothlessly over the next week is my #1 priority!
;)
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