There will come a point in anyone’s life when they’ll have to take everything they own and relocate.
If it’s your turn to enter the rodeo, it’s best to be prepared.
Moving requires you to be on your toes and juggle multiple tasks at once, and it’s not uncommon for one key task to slip under the radar—potentially causing a domino effect of move-in problems.
If you want to keep the move as seamless as possible, you’ll benefit greatly from having a pre-moving checklist. This list helps keep you on pace and track for all necessary moving obligations.
Furthermore, a checklist also introduces a level of accountability and order to the entire moving process, making the entire process feel less overwhelming overall.
Unsure what to include in your pre-moving checklist? Fear not!
Here are some things you ought to do before you relocate to that second address.
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T minus 60 days
If you want to fulfil moving obligations without feeling too rushed, we recommend setting the moving day at least two months away from your first day of action.
This gives you enough breathing room to do all the duties while still giving you enough time to follow through with contingency plans in case things arise.
Two months before move-in, your main goal should be to formulate a moving game plan and to organise the various aspects of the move as comprehensively as you can.
In particular, these are the activities that you ought to be doing during this time:
- Assess your new home’s move-in condition
- Create a moving binder to track move-related documents
- Research quotes of potential moving partners
- Secure arrangements for pet relocation
- Start purging unnecessary clutter
- Host a garage sale and sell unused items
- Donate unused items to charity, friends or family
- Gather all necessary documents and secure them
- Inform household family members about the move
These tasks should be accomplished between 60 to 45 days before the move-in day.
This way, you and other members of the family will have adequate time to dispose of items, secure essential ones, reflect on the move, and plan the subsequent actions accordingly.
T minus 45 days
Two weeks after accomplishing all the pre-move activities, it’s now time to move on to more pressing matters. Wrap up all the activities that you have yet to accomplish in the list above.
Once that’s been dealt with, here are the moving obligations you should do once you’re at the 15th-day mark of your moving timeline:
- Buy or collect moving day items like boxes, bubble wrap, cutters, and duct tape
- Check measurements of furniture and determine whether they can fit the entrances of your new home. If not, dispose.
- Notify relevant parties about the move (i.g. Hospitals, banks, schools, and insurance providers)
- Return any borrowed items and pay off any remaining loans
- Organise records and start looking into changing your home address
- Begin packing essential items you don’t plan on using for the next 45 days
If you’re planning to list your home for sale, you can also use this time to check the state of it and determine whether you need to repair it. This way, you can give an honest valuation of your home and find the right buyer or renter for it.
T minus 30 days
With one month remaining, the clock is ticking! Moving day is fast approaching, and the momentum of all the pre-moving activities is keeping you busy.
That said, you can’t slack off just yet—things are still getting started, after all. There’s still a lot of work to do. Here are the things you should do once you’re a month into your moving schedule:
- Create and organise a moving inventory of all the things you intend to bring
- Encourage your family to create a moving inventory of their own
- Confirm the moving day with your relocation company
- Label boxes using a Post-it note and markers (or printed papers), and create a checklist per box
- Start putting clothes and other non-essential items into boxes
- Cancel monthly subscriptions tied to your home address
- Schedule disconnection for your internet and electricity services
- Secure necessary travel arrangements (such as hotel bookings, flight bookings, etc.)
- Secure a date and service for pet transportation
This phase is when you start feeling the weight of the move—literally. Prepare to have lots of boxes of miscellaneous things scattered in various rooms of your house.
If you have organisational tools like an inventory checklist, that would be great. There’ll at least be some order in the chaos.
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T minus 15 days
Two weeks to go! Realistically speaking, a task or two (or twenty) from the previous steps will still be ongoing during this time, but things are moving quickly and you’ll need to keep up the pace.
Here are a couple of must-do steps during this phase of your pre-move checklist:
- Ensure that packed boxes are sealed tight
- Pack a “first-night” pack if you plan to stay at your new house directly
- Dispose of any hazardous or industrial waste on your property
- Update your pet’s tags with new address information
- Avoid buying a tonne of organic and frozen goods in the supermarket
- Secure important documents and ensure they’re in a sealed location
- Reconfirm moving and cancellation arrangements
These tasks will take some time, but don’t rush them! Be sure that all your bases are covered so that you won’t end up backtracking and losing your momentum.
T minus 7 days
A week before the move, you’ll likely be preoccupied with packing, contacting utility providers, and a whole lot of other things previously mentioned. This phase of the moving period is primarily dedicated to helping you accomplish those tasks.
That said, there are a few minor activities that you should also consider during this time, such as:
- Pack your personal suitcases with clothes
- Ensure that your medication box is full
- Eat disposable food, frozen food, and drinks that you don’t plan on bringing along with you
- Defrost the freezer
- Clean the lawn and garden
- Pay any pending accounts
Moreover, clear out all rooms from the attic to the basement to ensure that you aren’t leaving anything valuable behind.
Related: Final House Inspection Checklist
Moving day
The big day is here! After months of backbreaking preparation, it’s time to transition to a new home and a new life.
If you’ve accomplished all the above tasks without a hitch, then congratulations—you’re done with the tough part.
Here is the final list of instructions to add to your checklist for moving day:
- Keep your essentials bag and personal suitcase close to you
- Direct the removalists on where to pick up the boxes
- Tally the boxes and ensure everything’s in the right place
- Do a final sweep of your house and ensure everything’s accounted for
Turn off all electricity sources - Grab some snacks and water for the road
- Take out the trash
- Ensure that your family is all set to go too
Once everything’s settled, pat yourself on the back.
You have accomplished one of the toughest and most stressful feats of modern humankind.
We hope this ultimate pre-moving checklist will help you enter your new chapter with ease and elegance. Good luck moving!
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Tom is a Digital Content Writer passionate about sustainable property & property trends. Regardless of the subject, he will always write blogs of the best calibre. Read more about Tom here.
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