Moving checklist: eight weeks out to the first month in
A dated moving timeline with the budget lines people forget, the questions to ask three movers, and the box system that makes unpacking take days instead of months.
Moving goes wrong in the last four days, but it is decided in the first four weeks. This timeline is built backwards from moving day, with the tasks that have real deadlines - notice periods, bookings, address changes - placed where missing them costs money.
Eight to six weeks out
- Set the moving date and give notice on your current place; check the notice period in your lease.
- Get three mover quotes. Ask each the same eleven questions: binding or estimated price, what is included, insurance level, packing options, access fees for stairs or parking, cancellation terms, what they will not move, how they handle damage claims, deposit, payment method, and whether the crew is employed or subcontracted.
- Start the declutter room by room. Every box you do not pack is money saved twice - once on the move and once on the storage you will not need.
- Open the budget: movers, packing materials, cleaning, deposits, overlap rent, utility connection fees, new keys, first grocery shop. Most people underestimate by 30% because of the small lines.
Four to two weeks out
- Book the mover in writing. Confirm date, arrival window and address for both ends.
- Begin packing by room, least used first. Number every box, keep an inventory of box number, room and contents, and mark "loaded" and "arrived" on the day. It is the only way to know what is missing.
- Address change in groups: government and tax, bank and cards, employer, insurance, subscriptions, online shops. Do it in one sitting with a list; the drip approach misses half.
- Arrange utilities: disconnection at the old place the day after you leave, connection at the new place the day before you arrive. Take photos of meter readings at both ends.
- Book child care and pet care for moving day if you can. A moving day with a toddler underfoot is two moving days.
The last week
| Day | Do |
|---|---|
| 7 | Pack everything except daily essentials; defrost freezer |
| 5 | Confirm movers, parking, lift bookings; collect keys plan |
| 3 | Pack the first-night box: kettle, cups, toilet paper, chargers, bedding, medication, basic tools, snacks |
| 2 | Clean rooms as they empty; photograph the empty flat for the deposit |
| 1 | Cash for tips and unexpected costs, documents folder in your bag not in a box, fridge emptied |
Moving day, in order
Walk the movers through the home and point out fragile and do-not-move items. Have the inventory ready and tick boxes as they load. At the new place, stand at the door and direct every box by its room number; this alone saves hours. Meter readings, key handover and a final photo set at both properties before the day ends. Sleep on the made bed from the first-night box; unpacking is tomorrow's job.
The first week and the first month
Unpack kitchen and bathrooms first, then bedrooms, then everything else. Register with local services, update the address on anything that slipped, and file the moving budget's "what it really cost" column while the receipts are still in one pile. Then start the household binder: contacts, maintenance, bills and where-things-are pages. The moving binder ends where the home binder begins.
Tools that go with this guide
- Moving Checklist Set - twenty printable pages: timeline, budget, movers comparison, box inventory, labels and paperwork.
- Home Management Binder - where the moving binder ends and the household binder begins.