Moving Checklist: 8 Weeks to Moving Day

Moving is one of the most stressful jobs most people take on, but much of the stress comes from leaving things to the last minute. Spread the work over about two months, and moving day becomes a lot calmer.

Use this checklist as your plan, and adjust the timing if you have less notice.

8 weeks before

• Set a budget. Include movers or truck rental, packing supplies, deposits, travel, and time off work.
• Decide how you'll move. Full-service movers, movers who only load and drive, a rental truck, or a portable storage container.
• Get estimates. Ask at least three movers for in-home or video estimates. Phone quotes without seeing your belongings are often wrong.
• Start decluttering. Go room by room, and sell, donate or recycle anything you don't want to move.
• Start a moving folder (paper or digital) for quotes, receipts, contracts and inventories.

6 weeks before

• Book your movers or truck. Summer, weekends and the last days of the month book up first.
• Order packing supplies: boxes in several sizes, tape, markers, packing paper and bubble wrap.
• Get school and medical records transferred, if you're changing schools or doctors.
• Measure your new home so you know which furniture will fit, and through which doors.

4 weeks before

• Start packing rooms and items you use least, such as guest rooms, books, seasonal décor and off-season clothes.
• Set up your change of address with USPS. You can choose the date forwarding starts.
• Schedule utilities. Arrange for electricity, gas, water, trash and internet to be shut off at your old home the day after you leave, and switched on at the new one the day before you arrive.
• If you rent, give written notice to your landlord if you haven't already, and ask about the move-out inspection.
• Plan for pets and children on moving day. A friend, family member or sitter makes the day much easier.

2 weeks before

• Confirm the date, time and details with your movers, in writing.
• Update your address with your bank, credit cards, employer, subscriptions and anyone who bills you.
• Update your insurance. Move your homeowners or renters insurance to the new home from the day you get the keys, and tell your car insurer your new address, since rates often change with your ZIP code. Ask whether your policy covers belongings while they're in transit.
• Use up food in the freezer and pantry.
• Refill prescriptions so you won't run out during the move.
• Arrange parking for the moving truck at both homes, if needed. Some cities require a permit.

1 week before

• Finish packing everything except what you'll need for the last few days.
• Pack an essentials box for the first night: medicine, documents, phone chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, bedding, towels, toilet paper, snacks, basic tools, a box cutter and paper plates.
• Clean as you go, so the old place is ready for the final clean.
• Reset smart home devices you're taking with you, and remove them from your accounts if you're leaving any behind.
• Back up computers and keep important documents and valuables with you, not in the truck.

The day before

• Defrost and dry the freezer if the fridge is moving.
• Charge your phone and set aside cash for tips and snacks.
• Pack the car with the essentials box, valuables and important papers.

Moving day

• Walk through with the movers to show what's going, what's staying and anything fragile.
• Read before you sign. For a professional move, check the bill of lading (your contract and receipt) and the inventory before signing, and keep a copy.
• Do a final walk-through of the old home: closets, cupboards, the attic, the garage and the yard. Take photos or video of its condition, especially if you're renting.
• At the new home, check each item off the inventory as it comes in and note any damage on the paperwork before the movers leave.

The first week after

• Unpack the kitchen, bathrooms and beds first.
• Change the locks or rekey them, since you don't know who has copies.
• Test smoke and CO alarms, and find the main water shut-off and electrical panel.
• Update your driver's license, vehicle registration and voter registration. Many states require a driver's license address update within a few weeks.
• File any damage claims with the mover promptly. For interstate moves, you have up to 9 months to file, but sooner is easier.

Choosing a mover and avoiding scams

• Interstate movers must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Look up their USDOT number on the FMCSA website and check their complaint history. Movers within one state are regulated by the state.
• Be wary of very low quotes, large cash deposits, phone-only estimates and movers who won't give a written estimate.
• Understand the estimate. A binding estimate is a fixed price. A non-binding estimate can change with the actual weight, but for interstate moves the mover can't usually demand more than 110% of it at delivery.
• Ask about coverage. For interstate moves, the free basic coverage pays only 60 cents per pound per item. Full value protection costs more but covers repair or replacement.
• Read "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move," the booklet interstate movers must give you.

Packing tips

• Heavy things in small boxes, light things in big boxes. Books in a large box are too heavy to lift safely.
• Label each box with the room it goes to and a short list of what's inside, on the top and one side.
• Fill gaps with towels, linens or packing paper so things don't shift.
• Take photos of electronics' cables before unplugging them.
• Keep hardware together. Put screws and bolts from furniture in a labeled zip-top bag taped to the furniture.