5 Things to do Before for Your First Traveler Assignment
Packing for your assignment brings excitement — imagining the adventures, experiences, and places you’ll go. But what about your house? You’ll need to prep your residence too. Most health care travelers maintain a tax home and will need to take a few steps to ensure their home is ready too. More than your home, here are a few things that need your attention. Don’t overlook these steps before heading out on your first assignment.
1. Organize Your Belongings
Wait, this one seems like a no-brainer. Well, you’re right. But while you’re organizing what to pack, you’ll have to figure out where the rest of your stuff will go. Will your couch go into storage? So this really depends on what you’re doing with your residence and what type of residence you currently live in: do you rent or will you be renting your space? If you are renting your space, you might want to put valuables that aren’t going with you into storage or with a family member.
Catch up on everything about your tax home here, here, or here.
2. Forward Your Mail
Where will your mail go once you get to your assignment? You can forward your mail for 1 year, 6 months, or at a minimum of 15 days. Once you have your new address you can head to the nearest post office or take care of it online. Of course, going paperless for bills will save you from missing important mail.
Let USPS.com Save you a Trip to the Post Office.
3. Prep Your House
Again, if you are renting space at home for tax purposes, this might not apply to you. If you own your home, think about what will need to be done while you’re gone, from lawn care to winterizing. Are your pipes prone to freezing? Who will take care of emergencies if your tenant needs AC repairs? Planning this now can prevent headaches down the road.
4. Digitize Your Life
From prescriptions and medical records to certifications, it all needs to be available wherever you are. Traveling with pets? Ensure you have digital access to their records. Scan, email, and save everything you can so if you’re across the country, you can still get to your important paperwork.
Don’t Have Access to a Scanner? Use This Free Google Tool.
5. Prep Your Vehicle
Driving across the country comes with the traveler territory. But before you cram your whole life into your car, be sure to make sure she’s roadworthy. You know breakdowns will only happen when you’re in the middle of nowhere with no cell service. While prepping your vehicle won’t guarantee you won’t have car trouble, it doesn’t hurt to stack the deck in your favor.
