This document provides tips and guidance for relocating to a retirement community called The Willows at Brooking Park. It outlines specific tasks to complete before, during, and after a move, including selecting moving services, notifying important services of an address change, packing belongings, and ensuring a first night survival kit is assembled. Hazardous, perishable, or sentimental items are noted as items movers typically will not transport. Contact information is provided to schedule a tour of the retirement community.

1. RELOCATION
GUIDE
Tips on how to make your relocation
experience the best it can be!
Call The Willows at Brooking Park if you
have any questions on retirement relocation at
(314) 802-0272

2. Moving Suggestions
Things To Do Now:
1. Select a moving company
2. Select a realtor if you have a home to sell
3. Prepare your home to show
4. Take inventory of your household belongings
One Month Before Your Move:
1. Notify your bank, the post office, magazines, newspapers, credit card companies,
etc., of your pending change of address.
2. Notify the Department of Motor Vehicles, Social Security and your insurance
carriers of your pending move.
3. Arrange for cancellation of your utilities (phone service, electricity, cable, water /
sewer, trash, etc. Also, arrangements must be made to have your utilities restored
at your new apartment home.
4. Acquire Renters Insurance, Form HO-4, covering your personal belongings.
Three Weeks Before Your Move:
1. Take inventory again. Throw away or donate things that won’t be needed in your
new apartment home.
2. Assemble all documents and valuables that you’ll personally be bringing with
you. Arrange to have a relative or friend with you on the day movers arrive to
pack and ship your household items.
3. If you have ordered new furniture for your apartment home at The Willows,
please have delivery of this coordinated.

3. Two Weeks Before Your Move:
1. Confirm your moving date. Make sure to arrange for the moving company to both
pack your belongings at your old home and UNPACK your belongings at your
new apartment home. This is especially important if you do not have a family
member or friends to assist you.
One Week Before Your Move:
1. Confirm your estimated time of arrival. Have your moving company contact your
retirement residence as well, to provide an estimated time of arrival. It is
important that moves are scheduled so elevators and parking are both available.
One Day Before Your Move:
1. Assemble your first night survival kit. This is important. The kit should include
your medications, a change of clothing, pajamas, bath items, slippers, toothbrush,
toothpaste, personal hygiene products, notepad and a pencil or pen.
2. Also pack a set of sheets, pillow, blanket and bedspread in a marked box. Don’t
let the movers bring this box. Clearly mark the box and personally bring it with
you to your new apartment home. In this way, the survival kit will be easy for
you to find when you’re ready for a good night sleep.

4. RELOCATION HELPFUL HINTS
• Make sure all items not going are clearly tagged or out of the home.
• All items to be discarded should be out of the home. “Don’t move what you won’t use”.
• Discard all aerosol cans, turpentine, oil base paints, gasoline, kerosene, motor oil,
perishable foods, open dry goods and ammunition. These items cannot be moved.
• Most movers will not insure family photographs, personal papers, stamp and coin
collections, jewelry and currency. Make sure you check with your mover to see what is
covered under their insurance plan.
• It is not advisable to ship any liquids that can freeze or liquids in a flimsy plastic
container. An example is soda, beer, vinegar, Windex, Clorox, etc. Keep in mind that if
the contents leak, it will get all over other precious goods.
• Disconnect and dry out your freezer, washer and refrigerator at least 48 hours prior to
loading day, if the items are going into storage, and 24 hours prior to loading, if delivery
is direct.
• To ensure the gas and water lines are properly capped off, gas dryers and icemakers
should be disconnected by a professional. These services can be ordered through your
mover.
• If contents are going into storage, it is most important to make sure that the driver props
the doors open to the refrigerators and freezers to eliminate any mildew. Using a box on
baking soda will also help keep the items fresh smelling.
• A professional prior to relocation, must properly secure grandfather, wall and mantle
clocks. This service also can be ordered through your mover.
• On moving day, walk with your chosen mover to ensure that everything is tagged and
placed on the inventory sheets. Make sure that you agree with the condition of your
goods as the mover sees it at that time. You will sign based upon how he visits each
item.
• At the destination, check off your inventory as it comes into your new apartment home to
ensure you have received everything. Any noticeable damage should be noted on the
inventory sheets for the driver to sign off on.
• Plants are very bad travelers; especially in the winter months. If you must move your
plants, do not water them 24 hours prior to loading and have all plants in a plastic bag to
create a greenhouse effect in the cold temperatures.

5. • If available, make all original packing materials to all electronics available to your
packers.
• It is a good idea to let all appliances adjust to room temperature at least 12 hours prior to
operating.
• Your movers should have no problem with disconnecting your stereo system. However,
every system is a little different; therefore, do not rely on the movers to reconnect it. I
suggest that you familiarize yourself with disconnecting and do proper color-coding for
connections.
• Any ceiling fixtures that you are planning on relocating should be taken down prior to
your packing date. This service can be ordered through your mover.
• Below is a list of Non-Allowables that the movers will NOT move for you, if you want
these items moved to your new apartment home you will have to do so yourself.
Personal, Important
Hazardous Or Sentimental Perishable
Matches Financial Documents Frozen Foods
Gasoline Certificates of Deposit Refrigerated Foods
Kerosene Stocks Open Foods
Propane Tanks Bonds
Motor Oil Airline Tickets
Lamp Oil Deeds of Trust
Sterno Prescription Meds
Solvents Car Keys
Ammonia Address Books
Paint Thinner Check Books
Fertilizer Computer Disk Storage
Fireworks Personal Video Tapes
Loaded Guns Insurance Policies
Medical and Dental Records
School Records
Call The Willows at Brooking Park at (314) 576-0800 to schedule a
tour or visit www.newwillows.com to view floor plans, learn about
our Advantage and Priority programs, or see recent photos from
events.