Structic
Home Organization

Moving Checklist: 8 Week Printable Timeline

Most moving checklists are a flat list of forty tasks with no order.

That is not a checklist, it is a source of anxiety. You cannot tell what to do today, so you do either nothing or everything.

This one is organised by week, because moving problems are almost always timing problems — the utillity you cancelled too early, the deposit you claimed too late, the box you packed before you needed the thing inside it.

The eight weeks

Week 8 — Decide and budget

  • Confirm your move date and whether it is flexible
  • Set a moving budget: movers, truck, deposit, cleaning, utility setup
  • Decide: hire movers, rent a truck, or ask friends (be honest about which)
  • Start the declutter — anything you do not move is money and effort saved. Our 30-day declutter challenge works well here
  • Create a moving folder or binder section for quotes, contracts and receipts

The highest-value task this week is the declutter. Every box you do not pack saves packing time, moving cost and unpacking time.

Week 7 — Research and book

  • Get three quotes from movers (in writing, with the same inventory list)
  • Check whether your mover is licensed and insured
  • Book the mover or truck — good slots on month-end weekends go early
  • If renting: read your lease for notice period and cleaning requirements
  • Notify your landlord in writing

Ask every mover the same question: what is excluded from the quote? Stairs, long carries, pianos, packing materials and weekend surcharges are the usual additions.

Week 6 — Sort and measure

  • Measure the new place: room sizes, door widths, stair turns, appliance spaces
  • Decide what does not fit before you pay to move it
  • Sell, donate or bin the "out" pile — get it out of the house now, not on moving day
  • Start using up food: freezer, pantry, cleaning supplies
  • Order supplies: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, mattress bags, labels, markers

Box count rule of thumb: a one-bedroom apartment is roughly 20–30 boxes; add 10 per additional bedroom. Buy 20% more than you think.

Week 5 — Start packing the things you never use

  • Pack off-season clothing, holiday decorations, books, display items
  • Pack one room completely before starting another — partial rooms produce chaos
  • Label every box with destination room, not contents ("Kitchen — often used", not "misc")
  • Keep a numbered master list of boxes if you have valuables
  • Photograph the back of your electronics before unplugging anything

Label by destination, not contents. At the other end you will be directing boxes to rooms, not searching for a specific item.

Week 4 — Utilities and admin

  • Schedule utility disconnection at the old place (for the day after you leave)
  • Schedule connection at the new place (for the day before you arrive, if possible)
  • Transfer or set up: electricity, gas, water, internet, trash
  • Redirect mail (postal service forwarding + update address with bank, insurance, subscriptions)
  • Update address for: driver's licence, voter registration, employer, medical providers
  • Book a cleaner for the old place if your lease requires it

The classic mistake: cancelling utilities on your move-out day. If the move slips a day, you have no power and no water.

Week 3 — The kitchen and the fragile things

  • Pack the kitchen in stages: keep out one plate, one pan, one mug per person until the last day
  • Wrap glassware properly — box, paper, no empty space
  • Pack the "do not pack" items into one labelled box (see below)
  • Confirm the mover's arrival time in writing
  • Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day

Week 2 — The essentials box and final admin

  • Pack a first-night box (detailed below) and keep it with you, not on the truck
  • Defrost the freezer; clean the fridge
  • Confirm transfer of any security deposits
  • Take photos of every room empty, for the deposit dispute that may come
  • Return borrowed items; collect anything lent out
  • Charge everything: power banks, tools, vacuum

Week 1 — Move

  • Pack the last items; do a final sweep of cupboards, wardrobes, storage, balcony, garage
  • Read meters on the day you leave and photograph them
  • Hand back keys and get written confirmation
  • Direct the truck at the other end using your room labels
  • Check every appliance works within 24 hours

After — first week in

  • Test smoke and CO detectors
  • Locate the water shutoff, breaker panel and gas valve — note them in your home binder
  • Change the locks or get the landlord to confirm they were changed
  • Find the nearest: grocery, pharmacy, urgent care, hardware store
  • Note the filter sizes you need for the new place

The first-night box

Pack this last, keep it with you, and label it clearly. Not on the truck.

  • Phone chargers and power bank
  • Bedding for each bed, and pillows
  • Toiletries, towels, toilet paper
  • One change of clothes per person
  • Basic tools: screwdriver, knife, tape measure
  • Cleaning supplies: cloth, spray, bin bags
  • Snacks, water, and a way to make coffee or tea
  • Medications
  • Scissors and a box cutter
  • Pet food and bowls; baby supplies
  • A printed copy of the mover's number and the new address

The three mistakes that cost the most

1. Packing before decluttering. You pay to move things you will throw away in three months. Declutter at week 8, not week 2.

2. Under-labelling. A box marked "misc" will be opened last and will contain the one thing you need first. Label by room, and mark the boxes you need on day one.

3. Cancelling utilities too early. Schedule disconnection for the day after you leave. Always.