Moving Checklist: What to Do Before You Move

A move can become stressful when important tasks are left until the last minute. A simple checklist can help you organize what needs to be done and what can wait.

Before you decide to move

• Compare the yearly cost of staying with the expected yearly cost of the new home.
• Estimate the cost of selling your present home.
• Estimate your moving expenses.
• Think about maintenance, stairs, location, transportation, family, and future needs.
• Decide what you would keep, donate, sell, or discard.

Several weeks before the move

• Choose a moving date.
• Arrange movers or other transportation.
• Begin packing items you do not use every day.
• Organize important documents.
• Arrange for utilities and other services at the new home.
• Notify the people and organizations that need your new address.

One week before the move

• Finish most packing.
• Keep medications, identification, important papers, valuables, and essential personal items where you can reach them.
• Confirm moving arrangements.
• Prepare a small bag with items you will need immediately.

On moving day

• Keep important personal items with you when practical.
• Check each room before leaving.
• Make sure doors, windows, and other important items are secured.
• At the new home, check that essential utilities and services are working.

After you arrive

• Unpack the essentials first.
• Set up the bedroom and bathroom so daily routines can begin.
• Take time to learn the layout of the new home.
• Update any remaining records or accounts that need your new address.

One question to ask before packing

A moving checklist helps you prepare for a move. But first, make sure you have decided that moving fits your situation.

Compare the yearly cost of your present home with the expected yearly cost of the new home, and think about the personal factors that money cannot measure.