•  Have a master plan of what needs to be done in order for your PCS to go as smoothly as possible. 

• Divide your work into two distinct areas – professional and domestic.  Professional includes all the preparations you’ll need to make at work once you get written orders, while the domestic aspect focuses on what needs to be done to get your household goods and/or your family ready to move.  A married couple should divide the work so that the service member takes care of everything that deals with the military – checking on written orders, scheduling the move, initiating contact with your sponsor at your new location; while the spouse will deal with getting the house organized to move – scheduling the cleaning company, researching schools and housing in your new location, and communicating with your sponsor’s family, once initial contact has been made.

1. Where are you going? 
2. Will you be heading to an overseas assignment? 
3. What will your needs be? 
4. What are your weight limits, for both the express and household goods shipments? 
5. What kind of housing will you be given in your new location?   

 When moving overseas a good rule to follow when sorting for your Unaccompanied Baggage Shipment:  No Duplicates!  Once you arrive at your new location, don’t waste your money buying forgotten bakeware or clothing.  Ship anything you think you will need to sustain you and/or your family for at least 2 months while you’re waiting for your Household Goods Shipment.  Here is a list of often-used items you’ll want to include:

• All Military Professional Gear - Keep in mind the weight for professional gear is not counted against you
• A place setting for each family member, several pots and pans, necessary herbs and spices, depending on the frequency with which you use them
• Seasonally appropriate clothing
• At least two sets of towels and bedding for each family member
• Necessary office supplies, computer equipment and software
• Small appliances - alarm clocks, coffee pot, hair dryer, etc.
  

Sort before the Move
Take time to go through your house and put things back in their designated areas or the rooms they will be stored in your new home.  Sorting your items in this manner reduces the likelihood of “random items in random boxes” and makes unpacking go much more smoothly in your new location:

• All household paperworkand office supplies should be with other office equipment
• Toys, games and art supplies should go into your child's room or playroom
• All movies, CDs and gaming equipment should go together in the room they'll be stored in your new house
  

 De-clutter your home and do your PCS Purge! 

• Purge those items that you know you won’t need in your new home, as well as those duplicates you know you’ll have when you receive your long term storage shipment. 
• Go through your files and take out the paperwork you’ll need for your TMO visit, base furnishings trade-in and housing office turn-over.  Once those tasks are complete, purge the paperwork you no longer need. 
• While you’re in your files, sort the important paperwork you will hand carry to your next duty station - don't forget to include the paperwork for the moving companies including your Long-Term Storage Facility.  This is also another great opportunity to purge the local, temporary paperwork that you no longer need like recreation information, local calendars, youth center program paperwork, etc.

Designate a Room
Designate an entire room for those items that will be going in the express shipment.  A week or so before the movers are scheduled to arrive, clear out a room to hold the items that will be included your first shipment.  Make things as obvious as you can for the movers.