I hope this may help someone making that BIG decision. Not all of it may apply to everyone, as we came out on a business visa, but hopefully it will give you an idea of what we did as we approached "D-Day."

Twelve Months

• Update passports
• Check you have all your original birth/marriage certificates
• Apply for visas and go for medicals
• Put your house on the market
• Pay off all debts owing and stop any spam mail you receive
• Look into car transfer
• Confirm school place for children
  
• Do your first bootsale and sell unwanted larger items. If necessary book your second bootsale
• Get police checks done

Six months

• Get quotes from shipping companies
• Check out flight prices
• Sort out dogs journey/flight and any medical/health requirments they may need.
  
• Do a BIG de-clutter
• Open a New Zealand bank account
• Get hand-over files from vets (not necessary from drs or dentist we discovered)
• Register with school after receipt of visa
  

Two Months and Counting

• Book rental accommodation in New Zealand in order to give you a temporary base as you go home hunting.
• Register with school
• Make sure you have a list of your friends details (to keeping in touch, etc)
• Begin saying goodbye to family & friends
• Inform agencies of your impending move, re: premium bonds,child benefit, etc
• Close any accounts not needed
• Once you have definate date for haulage book a skip to help with clean up

One Month to Go .... eek!

• Inform the following of your move date, arrange for change of address, and disconnection of utiities:

1. DVLA
2. Bank
3. Internet
4. TV licence
5. Gas
6. Electric
7. Tax office
8. BT (Telephone)
9. Inform school, new & old, in writing
10. Begin packing non essential items
11. Get any extra stuff needed from shops, and any doctor prescriptions, etc

• Transfer monies to New Zealand account
• Cclean house
• Sort out car/house insurance
• Pack goods to be shipped
• Buy some currency
  

Last Two Weeks

• Finalise home sale
• Final goodbyes
• Buy anything needed
• Final clear out of drawers, and house rubbish.
• Goodbye to family
• Final clean
• Last wash
• Re-direct mail
• Pack n'go

Hope this list proves to be more of a help, than a hinderance, and good luck with your move!

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