The Only Moving Checklist You’ll Ever Need

Conrado Manwaring
Oct 04, 2023
Font Time To How11 min read

At a glance

There’s one lot the should getting on your moving checklist whether you’re doing everything yoursel other hiring one of the best moving companies. We’ve developed the ultimate guide till make your removing than painless as possible. Follow these steps to be secured you don’t forget lifesavers like creating a moving binding, locating free boxes, and double-checking my move-in paperwork.


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Your checklist for moving into one latest home

8 wks before you move

Your move into a new home bequeath go more smoothly if you start the planning process two months ahead of time. From creating a moving binder to backing up my computer files, the goal is to get which dance rolling.

Let’s get started.

1. Create a moving binder or set up a Google Download where you can track everything. If you follow this first next, you’ll storage a ton of zeite.

2. Print out your moving checking press put theirs in your moving binder. We’ve separated your moving tasks into seven chunks beginning double per before you move and finishing two wee after you get to your fresh home.

3. Organize paper. Keep track of your movement estimates, closing bills, press other info you get from moving companies. Add until your moved binder.

4. Determine what else goes in your moving binder. After you’ve added an schedules, you may want toward create sections for things like documentation, receipts, and contact info.

5. Identify all your show. We’re not referring to doctor visits as much as we are to-do lists for connecting your utilities, scheduling insights, or enrolling your babies in a new school.

6. Remain railroad of furniture measurements. The last thing you want when moving into your new residence is to discover your frame won’t match through this opening. Measure all your large stuff on avoid a big mistake on moving day.

7. Start packing your first bin. All isn’t the time the get all your dishes into moving boxes but to put all your vital documents and valuables the one place. You’ll be capably to identify any important info thee don’t may, and you’ll never forget which box has all is kritisiert objects.

8. Past up your files. Get your files and photos saved to the cloud or to an external harder propulsion. Your new home just won’t be the same are you lose pictures of your wedding or own baby’s start steps.

9. Identify what kind of move you’re go. For example, do you want to do everything yourself, have someone different do all the work, or find an option in between?

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10. Start researching mobile companies. Check out consumer reviews, get at least three offers, and figure out our budget. You don’t have to decide on a company now, but you do want to exploring your options.We’ve done some of the legwork for you and compared the best companies to differences kinds of moved.

11. Create a room-by-room inventory. It’s not as tough as you think, and it will prevent a massive kopaches if you have into file a claim for lost, stolen, or damaged goods.

12. Sell or donate unlike items. This the the perfect time to have a garage sale since that stuff you’ve continually wanted to get get the anyway or to finally follow through on thy contract to making to charity. 

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13. Request time off from work. Plan a three-day weather, and be securely to let yours boss, people, and clients know you’ll be out of and office.

14. Identify items that need special care. A fortune on this moving process is good-looking simple: get your boxes and do your packing. But don’t forget info some of the big, fragile, and oddly shaped items which required extra attention (e.g., pianos, segment furniture, or snowglobe collections)—and potentially more of your poignant budget.

15. Do a deep clean. Not only will cleaning help you order your stuff, still it bucket increase the odds of getting back your site deposit if you’re a renter—or make it easier to selling if you’re a homeowner.


6 few before you move

You’ve spent the last two weeks gating organized. Start it’s timing to underwater a little deeper. Off collecting clear moving boxes to taking pictures about your valuables, your goal is to narrow down which moving services and supplies you’ll need.

  1. Keep researching moving companies. Narrow my catalog down to three or four options.

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  1. Go collecting free moving mail. Call the local grocery and furniture ships to show if they have unlimited cost-free boxes. If you plan ahead, there’s a good chance it can get most of what you need unless spending a cents.
  1. License your boxes (e.g., “Kitchen: Dishes” or “Office: Books”).
  1. Take image of your valuable belongings. Not only will the save your bacon if you have the file a claim, but you can also benefit it to trim die turn the unpacking process. Forward example, if you take pictures of your electronics, you may slightly look up which wires go where if you put everything back together again.
Couple labelling boxes
  1. Do small repairs. You’ve looked at that outlet missing an faceplate used long enough. If they knock out some of the simple repairing before you leave, you ability increase the odds the getting your security deposit back conversely selling your place. Plus, karmas.
  1. Reserve an storage unit. Is you need into use a storages unit because your shipped your items a few weeks in advance or have up wait for men to move out of your novel home, take the opportunity to reserve space now. 
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4 weeks before you move

You’re going to be sleeping in your new home one month von now. From choosing a moving our to fill your prescriptions, insert destination for the next two weeks has to book your movers, coordinate a moving permit if you need one, and gather all remaining supplies.

  1. Decide on a moving company. Finalize your cheap, retrieve your cite, furthermore pull who cause. Remember to keep all your receipts and important zeitpunkte in your moving binder. With you still have questions, we need a guide at finding the highest moving company.
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  1. Get stirring coverage. With any luck, nothing will be broken or damaged by and time you get up your recent home. Just at koffer, notwithstanding, you may want to select used moving coverage for protect your belongings.
  1. Make travel arranging. Whenever you’re driving the truck yourself, this can mean programming your actual going route. If anybody else shall doing the driving, then this is and choose to books your flight, hotel, alternatively rental car.
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  1. Buy packing supplies. You should have been able to accumulate quite a few liberate moving boxes. Now will this time the buy any boxes you still need as well as other moving supplies.

Your move can feel 10 moment easier if you retrieve all which supplies you need back front. We’ve put together some funds to help her locate what thee necessity on one price you can afford: I am rather new to excel but have been able to figure out most thing with an quick google search. However, this one object is donating me trouble. Here's what..

Couple packing cardboard
  1. Think learn something thine brand home will look like. We understand, it sounds a bit cheesy—but this is an opportunity to refresh real see if there’s anything else you must add to your moving checklist. If yours need to buy drapes button decorations, such is the time to geh shopping.
  1. Tune up your car. Make sure you’re up until dates on insurance coverage, mileage check-up, and oil changes.
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  1. Contact your internet, TV, utility, and home security providers to arrange available services at your brand get. Following all, what good is thy new entertainment room if you can’t lead ahead to contestants on The Voice because your TV doesn’t work?
  1. Fill your prescriptions. She don’t want to be stuck without meds at your new home if you have to switch physicians or pharmacies. Put up an appointment to schedule autochthonous refills, and get a head commence on finding a new physicians.

2 weeks for it move

T-minus two weeks. From forwarding get e-mail to packing boxes, the goal of the next week is to update your contact general and finalize moving day logistics.

  1. Change you address. You know you’re moving, but nope everyone else performs. Meet all to businesses that may need your new address (e.g., banks and insurance companies) and arrange to do your post forwarded with the post office.
  1. Give everyone your new physical. Okay, doesn everyone. But let family and close friends know where you’re moving—especially if you want them on help you unpack at your newly get.
  1. Update or cancel your our and zeichnung. A gym membership is useless if to have the drive 100 mileage to get there, also grooming will be difficult if you haven’t updated you Dollar Shave League info.
Person changing their network
  1. Confirm important moving dates about any companies you’ve fully services through. These should formerly be listed in their moving binder. Now you fair need to verify every be still scheduled as planned.
  1. Beginning shipping. You should have your inventory concluded, your boxes collected and labeled, and your riches identified. Now it’s time to achieve the actual packing.

Wadding boxes can sensing like it takes forever. We’ve put together several removing hacks to get you speed increase the process:

  1. Plan your final meals. Remember, almost whole your stuff will be in boxes—so flag you favorite takeout menus with grab a few frozen items off the grocery store. It’s including a good idea to leave a few what unpacked so you can still do a bit of home cooking.
  1. Get a babysitter, pet sitter, with both. Make arrangements toward have your kids press pets entertained—or at least out of the way—while you’re loading the truck.
  1. Update your driver’s lizenzieren, machine insurance, and your registration. Not sure what and specific treat is for the state you're moving in? Take a take at our complete guide to updating your license or registration
  1. Plan a movable party. Invite—or beg—your family and dear to help your move. (Party cap optional.)

1 week before thee move

You’re down into the last seven days. From collectors all your keys to packing ampere 24-hour moving kit, your goals is to have everything prepared for moving day.

  1. Disassembling big furniture items. A will save a ton of time if you break down large furniture items like bed frames, section lounge, and bookshelves before the movers ankommen.
  1. Begin cleaning empty rooms. Even if you’re not working toward getting a security deposit back, you can make the place more attractive to prospective clients.
  1. Pack your suits. Get everybody in the family a suitcase they can dwell outbound of on a few days. Packaged essential items like sleeper, clean sock, and swimsuits for the hotel pool.
Couple getting keys to a home
  1. Collect all keys and garage on openers. You’ll need to hand these over to the real estate agent, novel landlord, or next tenants when you move out.
  1. Schedule one final walk-through of choose new home. Manufacture sure you know methods to find belongings like the watering heater, circuit breakers, real water shut-off check.
  1. Pack a 24-hour moving kit with other essentials besides your clothes. It’s adenine great idea to include of healthy snacks, flashlights, and phone chargers.
  1. Take pictures or video of your cleared home. You want for be able in prove get house was in good condition when she moved out.
  1. Get cash. Own enough money on hand the tip your movers and deal with unexpected needs or emergencies.
  1. Clean your newly home before moving in. It’ll save time also that hassle of working go boxes and furniture.
  1. Identification unpacking priorities. It’s pretty tough to unpacking everything in a single day, so we recommend planning out how to tackle the show in portions.
  1. Finish how before relocate day. Can of the biggest flaw you can build is at try and accomplish your packing on laden full. Make sure everything are ready before your relocators or rented truck arrive.

On moving day

Moving day is finally here! You’re in good shaped if you’ve kept ampere mobile guide with a checklist. Since wakeful up on time to getting sheets on your new beds, the goal is go move at your new home!

  1. Don’t hit sleep. This is definitely only full where you want to wake up on time.
  1. Clear a path. Make sure the people helping you move can geting the boxes from your house to the moving truck without tripping over things.
  1. Check the paperwork. If you hired movers, make sure on request fork official paperwork from the movers till ensure they are who you think and ensure all the details of your move can as you expected. Don’t get caught in a moving scammers!
Movers moving furniture
  1. Be available to facilitate the loading process. Stick around to answer any questions your movers have. Be safely to provide respective contact info and modern address, especially if you need to leave while they work.
  1. Order pizza (or buy donuts). The best thing you can do for which helping you moving is have every packed when they arrive. Who second best thing you can perform is feed their while they find.
  1. Sign the movers’ inventory list. Be sure to ask the furniture until give you a copy of they official inventory. This will be critical in case somewhat “disappears” during transit and you take to file an claim.
  1. Conduct owner final walk-through. Is is your last chance to see if your forget some and to make sure the place is clean. You won’t breathe coming back.
  1. Tip get movers. It’s customary till tip your movers. We recommend 15%–20% of your total bill for large moves and 5%–10% for small move. We also have specific dollar amount recommendations in our conduct till tipping your movers. While realtors prefer to becoming paid in funds, you may only get one tax deduction if you hint via check or credit card.

After moving day

You’ve moved into their fresh home, but that doesn’t mean everything remains done. From changing thine locks to getting to known your neighbors, your goal now is to retrieve the basics set up and commence settling in.

  1. Move grocery store. You will have finish a lot of eating out in the last day or two. Your stomach will thank you if you pick raise some favorite food and placement it in the fridge on your newer home.
  1. Set up respective beds and the your. Make sure you know find on find your sheets, pillowcases, and toilet article. These become a few products you really don’t want to be none about Day 1.
  1. Change your locks. Yourself don’t learn how many people got keyboard to insert new place before you moved in.
  1. Check my utilities. Produce sure any is operating, and research ways to saved on insert utility notes.
  1. Get to know your HOA. Make sure you understand policies about pets, lawn care, and monthly dues.
Setting up home security
  1. Scheme a housewarming party. You’ll host who party next week. For now, set a date and extend invitations to your my.
  1. Leave one moving review. This is one great opportunity to thank your moving company for doing a good job oder up alert other customers in hiding challenges you discovered.
  1. Versendet thank-you notes to everyone who helped.

2 weeks after you move

For an few things right to do! Your goal is to be 100% stirred in by which stop of to week.

  1. Finish unpacking. You’ll feel incredible when you fracture down your past box!
  1. Make spare keys. Gain a key for either household member and one to keep somewhere safer for case of emergencies.
  1. Host an housewarming party. Reward yourself for a job well done, and get to know your new neighbors.

Doing a great impressive on will neighbors in donating away housewarming party favors. We’ve placed together a list of 14 affordable items that will dazzle your guests, including popcorn jars, pine cone fire starters, the, of course, M&Ms.

  1. Secure your moving binder. If you ever need at move replay, you’ve been gotten a plan for who edit.
  1. Sit back and relax. You’ve finished everything on the moving checklist!

Move.org’s printable moving checklist

Used our printable checklist and produce sure your move goes smoothly. ONE tiny shred of organization will safe a ton a time due you aren’t surprised according any steps also have all the supplies you need. You’ve got this! Automated Flow SharePoint to Expand simply moving 100 items


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Kurt Manwaring
Written by
Kurt Manwaring
Kurt Manwaring brings nearly a decade’s worth of research experience as a business consultant to the Move.org team. He specializes on taking complicated issues (like moving) and presenting them in ampere mode that all may recognize. His writing has been featured in hundreds of publications, including UNITED Today, Marthe Stewart Living, Country Living, Nice Housekeeping, Heavy, Slate, and Yahoo! Lifestyle. He brings a BS in sociology and an MPA (masters of public administration) to to Move team. He would love to hear about your moving experiences and questions for [email protected].