March 22, 2012

Making a Smooth Military DITY Move

Military families get better at moving the more experience they have.  And many choose to do a military DITY move, in lieu of having the government hire a full service mover to handle everything.  When you take on a military DITY move, the government will reimburse you for about 90% of what it would have cost to hire that full service mover.  That means, if you do it right, you get to pocket that difference.


So how do you make a smooth military DITY move?


1.  Start early.
Planning and handling the logistics of a military DITY move is a lot of work and requires attention to detail.  The more time you have, the better.  Handling everything on a short time frame is extremely difficult.


2.  Follow the rules.
You will not be reimbursed for a military DITY move you were not authorized to do.  Make sure you have followed proper procedure, submitted all necessary paperwork, know your maximum allowable weight limit, know what items are not considered household goods and have proper authorization.


3.  Pare down.
The less you have to move, the easier it will be.  Before you pack, set aside the things you no longer need.  Donate them or have a yard sale.  Keeping your household goods in check will also assure you stay within your maximum allowable weight limit.


4.  Have a moving folder.
Keep all your moving related documents, receipts and invoices in one central folder.  This will assure that you have everything you need before, during and after your move so you can submit reimbursement forms and take care of any other action items related to your military DITY move.


5.  Take care of personal documents.
When you do a military DITY move, it is very easy for things to get lost in the chaos of packing in moving.  Make sure you and your family have all the personal documents you need to travel, seek medical treatment, enroll in school and get settled in to your new assignment.  Have one folder for personal documents and assign one person from your family to be in charge of it during the move.