Your Complete Moving Checklist: Get Ready for Moving Day

If the thought of moving day keeps you up at night, then it’s time to use our complete checklist. Don’t let mountains of boxes, unorganized kitchenware, and a looming moving day cause you to stress out. Here’s your moving checklist for weekly tasks, moving hacks, and pro packing tips.

Complete Moving Checklist: 8 Weeks of Moving

Your ticket to a stress-free, or at least low-stress, moving day is to plan ahead. Take eight weeks to find packing help and loading help to sail through your upcoming move.

You may not need a full eight weeks to pack your belongings and head to a new address. This timeline gives you room to have a garage sale and contact movers to ensure a smooth process. It’s helpful to start early if you’re looking to relocate during a peak moving season but check through these tasks as soon as possible if you’re short on time.

Week 1: Make a Game Plan

Whether you love the thought of a color-coordinated moving binder or aren’t interested in planning anything beyond breakfast, it’s essential to have a game plan for your move. Moving across the country, state, or street involves many moving parts, so it’s best to know ahead of time what to expect. Your binder may look empty now, but it’s soon going to be packed with important documents, phone numbers, and dates.

Here are some other important steps to take as you prepare for your move:

• Check out city guides for your new home city.
• Create a moving budget.
• Give notice to your landlord or contact a local realtor to sell your home.

Week 2: Reach Out to Professional Movers

Now that things are getting real, it’s time to call in reinforcements. Professional movers can make a cross-country move look like a piece of cake. Get a few quotes from reputable moving companies and ask what services are included. Some companies include packing materials, labor, truck rental, and unpacking services, while others require you to pay extra for these tasks.

Here are some other tasks to complete this week:

• Request time off work/put in your notice.
• Start an inventory of large items and valuables.
• Clean and organize your home to prepare for packing.

Week 3: Order Supplies and Spread the Word

It’s time to commit to hiring movers in your area to ensure you have assistance before the big day. If your moving services don’t include moving boxes, bubble wrap, and other packing supplies, this is a good time to order those as well.

Don’t forget to check off these other moving checklist tasks for week three:

• Make hotel, airline, or other travel arrangements for moving day.
• Notify schools, if you have school-aged children, to receive school records.
• Inform your healthcare provider.
• Record any tax-deductible expenses.
• Request a quote for auto and homeowners insurance for your new house.

Week 4: Plan a Garage Sale

One look at your old home, and you’ll probably realize that you have a lot of stuff. Not everyone is in this category, but people typically have many items that aren’t convenient to move out or aren’t being used. Save time and money by donating, selling, or using up things rather than packing them.

Review these other moving checklist tasks this week:

• Make a game plan for your appliances and inform the moving company: Will you take them, leave them, or sell them?
• Inform any organization, club, gym memberships, or subscriptions of your move.
• Organize a garage sale to declutter your home. Consider donating any possessions that don’t sell.
• Reduce the amount of food in your pantry, refrigerator, and freezer.

Week 5: Get Packing

This week is the week to start packing items you don’t use often. Think of anything you don’t need during the next month and pack it up. This can include off-season clothing, kitchen items you don’t use a lot, home decor items, and books.

You should also take on these tasks:

• Safely dispose of hazardous items.
• Service your vehicle(s).
• Determine whether you need temporary housing in your new area.
• Confirm the time, date, and other important information with your moving company.

Week 6: Handle the Housing Details

Leaving a home and moving to a new one means contacting utility providers, post office, child care, old and new school, and home services. Take this week to notify anyone you may have forgotten about your upcoming relocation.

You should also go through this week six moving checklist:

• Inform Social Security and/or Medicare about your move if you receive these benefits.
• Consider finding a new home for your plants if you’re moving across state lines.
• Check that you don’t have any outstanding bills or parking tickets.
• Fill out a change of address form and forward your mail.
• Notify anyone you receive mail from about your change of address. Don't forget your friends and family members!.

Week 7: Check Out Your New Home

If you have the opportunity, revisit your new home this week to go over some details you probably didn’t think about when you first purchased it or signed the renter’s agreement. Make a game plan for your new furniture arrangement. Review your window treatments and other home decor to see if you need to order any new items to decorate your new property.

Here are some other tasks to check off the list as you prepare your new house:

• Schedule painters or repair services for your new home, if necessary.
• Ensure your moving truck has a safe parking spot at your new address.
• Forward prescriptions, and medical records.
• Organize all your manuals and warranties to leave behind ones applicable to your old home and bring along documents for your appliances and devices.

Week 8: Vacate the Premises

It’s time to make your old home ready for the new owners or tenants. Leave a good impression by cleaning your old home and packing up the final items left. Request an estimate from a professional cleaner or roll up your sleeves and scrub those surfaces yourself.

Remember to take on these tasks as well:

• Remove any trash and recycling.
• Schedule an inspection with your landlord if renting.
• If renting, request that your security deposit be returned.
• Return any rented, borrowed items.
• Pack a suitcase for the trip and the first week in your new home.

Moving Day: Last-Minute Prep

Take the first few moments of the day to do a final walk-through of your home. This is a good way to officially say goodbye to your home and make sure you haven’t forgotten any last-minute thing. If you’ve covered the entire checklist before your moving date, then you have plenty of time to check a few more things this important day:

• Leave your keys behind with your landlord or real estate agent.
• Check the moving team’s inventory sheet of your belongings.
• Drink plenty of water.
• Head to your new home.

Post-Moving Week 1

After eight weeks of organizing, packing, and cleaning, the first week in your new home may feel surreal. Thankfully, you should have packed a suitcase for the first week, including clothes and toiletries. Take your time to unpack those moving boxes, organize, and clean as you prepare to explore your new home.

Consider these tasks as well to get situated in your new neighborhood:

• Introduce yourself to your new neighbors.
• Check the smoke alarms.
• Switch over utilities.
• Change the locks.
• Update your address and driver’s license.
• Register to vote.
• Give away, donate, or sell your old moving boxes

Save Time and Money With MovingLabor.com

From the decision to move to moving day, use this weekly moving checklist to ensure smooth sailing from your old home to your new home. Contact MovingLabor.com to see how you can enjoy a convenient moving service at an affordable price.