Move to a New Home
by NeatTick · Used 0 times
The week-by-week moving plan, the first-night box, and the move-out clean that gets your deposit back.
This is a community template. Start a checklist to check items off or edit them.
Moving House
6-8 weeks out
- Get quotes from at least three movers (or reserve a truck)
- Book the movers or truck
- Declutter: sell, donate, or toss what you won't move
- Measure large furniture and the new home's doorways
- Start using up frozen and pantry food
- Request school and medical records transfers
3-4 weeks out
- Order boxes, tape, and packing paper
- Start packing rarely used rooms and items
- Label every box with its room and contents
- Schedule utility shutoff at the old place
- Set up electricity, gas, water, and internet at the new place
- Submit a change of address with USPS
- Update your address with your bank, cards, and employer
- Arrange time off work for moving day
1 week out
- Confirm the moving date and arrival window
- Update your address with insurers, subscriptions, and doctors
- Pack most rooms, leaving daily essentials out
- Pack a first-night box
- Refill prescriptions
- Reserve elevator or truck parking, if needed
- Back up computers
Day before
- Defrost and dry the fridge and freezer
- Pack the last items and bedding (not the first-night box)
- Charge phones and power banks
- Get cash for tips and snacks for the crew
Moving day
- Do a final walkthrough of every room, closet, and cabinet
- Take photos of the meter readings
- Check the moving inventory before the truck leaves
After the move
- Change or rekey the locks
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
- Find the breaker box and main water shutoff
- Update your driver's license and car registration
- Update your voter registration
- Unpack the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms first
- Break down and recycle boxes
First-Night Box
- Phone chargers
- Toilet paper
- Hand soap and a towel
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Medications
- Pajamas and a change of clothes for everyone
- Sheets, pillows, and blankets for the first night
- Snacks and bottled water
- Paper plates, cups, and utensils
- Coffee or tea and a way to make it
- Box cutter or scissors
- Basic tools (screwdriver, hammer, Allen keys)
- Flashlight
- Trash bags
- Shower curtain and rings
- Light bulbs
- Pet food and bowls
- Important documents (lease, IDs, moving contract)
- Kids' favorite toy or comfort item
Move-Out Cleaning
Kitchen
- Clean inside the oven and the stovetop
- Clean inside and behind the fridge
- Wipe out cabinets and drawers
- Clean the microwave inside and out
- Scrub the sink and run the disposal
Bathrooms
- Scrub the toilet, tub, and shower
- Clean the mirrors, sink, and cabinets
- Clear hair and soap scum from the drains
Every room
- Dust ceiling fans, light fixtures, and vents
- Wipe baseboards, doors, and light switches
- Clean inside closets
- Patch nail holes and touch up paint (if allowed)
- Clean windows, sills, and tracks
- Vacuum and mop all floors
- Replace burned-out light bulbs
Handover
- Take date-stamped photos and video of every room
- Remove all trash and belongings
- Return all keys, fobs, and garage remotes
- Give the landlord your forwarding address in writing