The Complete Moving Checklist

1. 4 Weeks Before: Planning & Preparation

• Set your moving date

  Choose off-peak times (weekdays or mid-month) for lower rates and easier scheduling with moving companies

• Estimate your moving budget

  Include moving company fees, packing materials, cleaning costs, new home setup, and unexpected expenses

• Contact moving companies

  Get quotes from at least three moving companies. Confirm whether they include insurance and any extra charges

• Start decluttering

  Sort belongings into four categories: keep, donate, discard, and sell. Reducing items lowers moving costs significantly

• Notify important parties

  Inform your bank, insurance company, subscriptions, and government agencies of your upcoming address change

2. 2 Weeks Before: Packing & Organizing

• Gather packing supplies

  Boxes in various sizes, bubble wrap, packing tape, labels, and markers are the basics you will need

• Pack room by room

  Label each box with the room name and contents so items can be quickly placed in the right room at your new home

• Handle fragile items carefully

  Wrap breakables in bubble wrap or newspaper. Clearly mark boxes as 'FRAGILE' on multiple sides

• Keep important documents with you

  Passports, IDs, contracts, and valuables should never go into moving boxes

• Measure large furniture

  Measure dimensions of large furniture pieces and confirm they fit through doorways and elevators at your new home

3. 1 Week Before: Final Countdown

• Confirm with movers

  Reconfirm the date, time, addresses, and any special requirements. Get the final price confirmation in writing

• Prepare a moving day survival kit

  Pack a bag with change of clothes, toiletries, phone charger, snacks, water, medications, and essential documents

• Empty the fridge

  Use up perishable food items. Clean and defrost the refrigerator the day before the move

• Back up electronic data

  Back up computers and important files to the cloud or an external drive in case of damage during transit

• Arrange care for pets and children

  Ask friends or family to watch pets or young children on moving day to keep them safe and out of the way

4. Moving Day: Execution & Oversight

• Final walk-through of old home

  Check every room, closet, balcony, and storage space to make sure nothing is left behind

• Supervise the loading

  Be present to direct movers on which items need special care and in what order to load them

• Document item conditions

  Photograph large furniture before and after loading for insurance purposes if damage occurs

• Cross-check your inventory

  At the new home, verify all boxes and furniture have arrived by checking against your inventory list

• Record utility meter readings

  Note the meter readings at both old and new homes as evidence for billing settlements

5. After Moving: Settling In

• Set up essentials first

  Assemble beds, hang curtains, and arrange bathroom essentials before anything else

• Inspect the property

  Document any existing damage or issues at the new home and notify your landlord or address them promptly

• Explore your new neighborhood

  Locate nearby grocery stores, hospitals, pharmacies, and public transit stops

• Set up internet and communications

  Get your internet connection active as soon as possible for both work and personal needs

• Update your address everywhere

  Update your address with banks, subscriptions, insurance, government records, and delivery services

6. Moving Cost Reference

7. Expert Packing Techniques

• Heavy items in small boxes

  Pack books and heavy objects in small boxes and light items like bedding in large boxes. This prevents boxes from becoming too heavy to lift

• Fill empty spaces

  Use clothing, towels, or crumpled paper to fill gaps inside boxes, preventing items from shifting and breaking

• Bag and label cables

  Put each appliance's cables and accessories in a labeled ziplock bag so you can reconnect everything easily

• Use garbage bags for hanging clothes

  Slip a large garbage bag over hanging clothes from the bottom, keeping them on hangers and ready to hang at the new place

• Stand plates vertically

  Wrap plates individually and pack them standing vertically like vinyl records. This orientation is much more resistant to breakage than stacking flat