Planning and organizing your move

Planning around the concept of a door-to-door move is one of the most important parts of your move. Arranging a door-to-door move serves several purposes:

• Reducing your interim living costs: Coordinating a door-to-door move will mean less time for your family in a hotel and ensure reimbursement of eligible move expenses. Failing to do so could jeopardize your reimbursement.
• Less stress: You minimize the time you’re separated from your household goods and effects meaning you can resume a normal schedule more quickly.
• Less potential for damage of your furniture in transit: Eliminating Storage in Transit (SIT) for your household goods and effects reduces the likelihood of damage to your belongings as your shipment is subjected to less handling.

Here are some tips to get you on the right track.

• Tip #1 – Match your dates. Achieving a door-to-door move is based on the premise of date matching. Date matching means coordinating dates for vacating your present home at origin, the pack/load of your household goods and effects, your authorized number of travel days, and the availability of your new home at destination. Date matching is an essential part of planning a door-to-door move as it will prevent unnecessary delays in the delivery of your household goods and effects.
• Tip #2 – Negotiate possession and dispossession dates that make sense. Although it can be difficult to negotiate possession and dispossession dates, the Relocation Directive considers these dates to be a personal choice, and failure to align your dates may result in additional costs you could be responsible for.
• Tip #3 – Wait until you have all the information you need. BGRS recommends waiting to book your move until you have firm possession or occupancy date at destination and a firm dispossession date at origin. Planning a move without these crucial dates makes it difficult to coordinate a door-to-door move, and changing your plan at a later stage might not be possible.
• Tip #4 – If needed, seek approvals for flexibility. If you haven’t been able to match your possession and dispossession dates, consider speaking to your losing and gaining units about changing your report for duty date. In many cases, your unit will give you the flexibility to change your reporting date to meet the needs of your move. Speak to both units to seek the approval you need.
• Tip #5 – Look for off-peak moving periods. If your change of strength, release date, or report for duty date will allow it, try to select an off-peak moving period. For example, summer long weekends are particularly busy for movers, which can cause delays. Avoiding peak periods will improve the chances of maintaining your move schedule.

We expect you have more questions. Your Knowledge Centre on Your Move Profile is an invaluable tool for other relocation information and guidance: other VIPs, fact sheets, and FAQs. The Relocation Directive explains potential interim living benefits. Take the time to review all the information available and familiarize yourself with what you’re eligible for.

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