Plan Your Moves with Our Moving Checklist

Budget is an essential thing before creating a moving list. Calculate your possible expenses to understand how much it will cost you. A planned-ahead budget allows you to reduce some expenses, or find better ways to complete your move. Contact different moving companies to pick the best suitable service for your budget.  

Determine what items you will take and what you can get rid of. Even though it is still far from the final packing process, it is always better to clearly understand how many belongings there are. Once you complete this task create an items list to see which of them go into moving boxes.

Your moving company will send you documents regarding the service and terms and conditions before the process starts. Make sure to review everything to avoid any “surprises” when it’s too late. During this stage ask your questions or make adjustments if necessary. 

If you have kids, finding a school for them weeks before moving is one of the crucial tasks on the moving checklist. Spend some time selecting a suitable school in your area. Also, you can use this period before the move out date to request transcripts from their current school, thus being fully prepared for the relocation.   

Once you complete creating the list of items, it is worth determining which won’t be handled by the mover’s team. For example, these can be fragile items, expensive things, art, guns, or any other belongings you may not want to be taken and transported by a moving company. 

This stage is the next step in a moving checklist after you finish determining which things you are going to take to a new house. It may seem a little bit boring, but spend some time and write down your items in a list. It will help you not to forget anything and notice if something was missed during the move. 

Moving truck rental is always better to do in advance, as sometimes moving companies can be busy with numerous orders. That’s why you can avoid many risks by booking a moving truck a few weeks before. Moreover, you can adjust your budget or find a better option if needed.

It is always better to know before the moving day if some of your furniture is too large to be brought out in a “traditional” way. Sometimes you may need to disassemble it first or move the furniture out a certain way. Thus, add measurements to your checklist for moving.

The packing process can be truly exhausting. That’s why before starting find some packing hacks. It can help you make everything faster, yet more efficient by using fewer moving boxes, as there are different tricks on using space in the box the best way.

Once you determine the approximate number of items you would like to bring, prepare your moving supplies. These are cardboard moving boxes for small things, protection for fragile items, wardrobe boxes, etc. You can also ask your moving company about packing services to make the process easier.    

Many people make the same mistake — they start packing their belongings just a few days before, or even the day before moving out. The best way is to start packing some items in advance and do it each day. Select items you are rarely using and pack them. The same applies to clothing, for example, if it’s summer you can already start packing your winter clothes in wardrobe boxes.

When it comes to the safety and protection of your items during the whole process, it is recommended to buy moving insurance, or get more details from your moving company about the insurance coverage it provides. 

Get rid of perishable items you obviously won’t bring them to a new house. Also, change your meal plan for the period until moving and avoid buying something you may need to throw away. Thus, eat these now or donate.

If you are a member of any local clubs or organization, 4 weeks before moving is a good time to start canceling your membership and to say goodbye to your friends and colleagues. Also, do not forget about pools, gyms, or any other groups, especially with paid membership.

Typically, people start seeking internet providers after they arrive at a new house. However, the best way is to make such things in advance, so that there will already be an internet connection, which helps to adapt much faster and start working. 

It is a valuable point in a moving checklist. As with internet providers, make sure you have a new doctor, dentist, and vet contact in a new area before moving.

Planning is an essential thing. You can create a route on your own to make it comfortable for you and your family, or ask a moving company to take care of that, as professional movers typically have enough experience in efficient route planning.

Before you move out of your house, make sure to create a folder where you can keep receipts and bills. It is not what people usually take into account when thinking about the move, yet it is an important and useful step, just as with other documents. 

If there are any service providers you hired, inform them about your decision ahead, so that they may find new clients once you move.

When creating an item list, check if there are any borrowed things in your house and return them before buying moving supplies and packing everything.

It is always better to have a backup to avoid risks. Documents, tables, photos, or personal information can be easily backed up or stored in a cloud, thus you won’t lose these files if something happens to the computer.   

Maybe you are going to take some of your plants with you. Think about what will be the best way to make transportation safe for them. Also if your plants will remain in an old house, try to find a new owner for them before moving.

If you are using e-platforms, online shopping, or subscriptions connected to your address, do not forget to update such information.

Cleaning before moving out is a great thing, as with such you show love for your old home and make a good effort for future residents. Besides that, final cleaning can help you to find any lost or missed items.

At least the day before you leave, don’t forget to turn off your fridge to give it time to defrost.

The weather may impact the whole process, especially when driving, thus make sure to check it before the moving day. Heat, thunderstorms, fog, heavy snow, etc can make moving hard or even dangerous, so get the information about possible weather conditions to make necessary adjustments.

It is always better to have some cash. You may need it to tip movers or buy something while driving to the destination. Also, if you are moving to another country, you can convert cash into local currency for a better rate and lower fees.

Check if any deliveries still haven’t arrived. If some of the deliveries are pending, in such a case, make sure to cancel them or redirect them to your new address if possible.

Before the moving truck arrives you have some time to protect your floor and carpets, as there will be things moving around the house and it may cause some damage.  

The best way to guarantee successful moving is your participation in a process. Feel free about telling your ideas, answering movers’ questions, and giving instructions to the crew. The more you are involved in a process, the better result you will get, as well as the fewer “surprises” and mistakes there will be. 

Leaving a review is a great way to share your experience with other people. Also, your feedback can help moving companies improve their service and encourage responsible movers while firing low-quality employees.

Moving typically goes along with mess as there are numerous items, boxes, belongings, etc. The best way to start your life in a new place is to clean your house after you have done all the hard work regarding the moving process. Also, it is recommended to clean a house if somebody lived there before you.  

Installing a security system is an important step to complete as soon as you have moved into a new house. 

Together with packing, unpacking is probably the most boring thing. Here the tip is to sort all your boxes based on their purpose and the rooms, where you are going to place them. If you have marked your boxes and sorted these properly, the unpacking process would take less effort and time. 

Meet your neighbors and check which infrastructure there is in your area. Interesting places, malls, hospitals, services, etc – everything you may need to comfort life there. You can explore via Google maps, or by walking the neighborhood which may help you to adapt faster and learn the routes.

Don’t forget to make copies of the keys and give them to your family members, friends, or service providers (nanny, cleaner, etc).

If you haven’t done it before, update your bank account and credit card billing addresses during the first week at a new place to avoid any mistakes.

It is always better to install new locks once you move in, especially if you rent an apartment. In such a case ask your landlord about changing the locks to feel more protected.

Inspect your new house to check if any maintenance works or improvements are needed to make it comfortable and safe for your living.