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The Ultimate House Moving Checklist

Moving house can be a stressful experience. Packing up your life and transporting it across the globe or even just around the corner, is never an easy thing to do.

This moving house checklist will help you to prepare yourself and your treasures for moving day and ensure your move is safe, timely and pain-free.

General Moving and Packing Tips

You need to be aware of the general principles that apply to all relocations:

  • Rationalize Your Belongings – Moving house is the perfect time to get rid of all those things that you don’t use anymore. After all, there’s no point packing up and moving things that you don’t need.
  • You’ll Need More Time Than You Think – Packing properly takes time. Packing properly means packing your goods so they stay safe, secure and are easy to unpack at the other end.
  • You’ll Need More Space Than You Think – Your belongings will take up a lot more space than you think. Asking for a volume estimate from your chosen removalist company is the best way to gain an accurate idea as to the resources you will require.

Moving House Checklist and Tips: Two Months to Moving Day

It’s never too early to start the process of packing and preparing. Experience has taught us that starting two months out is the optimum time for ensuring a smooth move:

  • Start shopping around and get some moving quotes, once you have found a quality removalist company at a reasonable price it’s time to lock them in.
  • Book in relocation services for all of your vehicles.
  • Arrange transport for your pets.
  • Organize the tradesmen you will require to take care of any sale or lease contract requirements.
  • Create a system to keep your paperwork organized and create a moving budget to ensure your costs don’t balloon.
  • If you require storage, do your research and organize it now.
  • Create a meal plan so that you can use up all your perishables and frozen foods and have your fridge and cupboards completely empty by moving day.
  • Do a bit of reading about your new area, find out where all the important amenities are located (doctors, pharmacies, colleges, etc.).

Moving House Checklist and Tips: One Month to Moving Day

Getting an early start doesn’t give you any time for rest; these are the things you need to start doing from one month out:

  • Make sure you have given your removalists a clear moving date and timeframe
  • Start packing everything. The more time you give yourself at this stage, the easier the unpacking will be
  • Organize the time off you will require around your moving dates
  • Create a separate checklist that details all of your precious, fragile and sentimental items and start organizing packing material for these
  • Read the manufacturer instructions on how to safely move items such as fridges and washing machines
  • Normal home insurance usually won’t cover any damage to your items during the relocation, so talk to your removalists and organize insurance
  • Start the process of changing your address, especially with important contacts such as the tax office and banks
  • Start collecting all the keys for your current home, including the spare keys you have given to relatives and friends.

Moving House Checklist and Tips: Two Weeks to Moving Day

Confirm payment and relocation specifics with your mover:

  • Make sure you have an understanding of all moving requirements (parking, access restrictions and traffic management) imposed by authorities.
  • Organize disconnections and reconnections with utility providers.
  • Cancel or redirect subscriptions and recurrent deliveries and organize a mail redirection service.
  • Start canceling services such as gardeners and cleaners. Organize one last spring clean from your current house cleaner and organize a cleaning service for your new home.
  • Ask someone to babysit young children and pets so you are completely free to focus on the move.
  • Ensure your computer is backed up and all files are stored securely.
  • If you are relocating over a large distance and you will be using your car it’s important you get it thoroughly serviced.
  • Get precise room measurements of your new home and create a floor plan to ensure all furniture fits.
  • Refill any prescriptions and make sure you have enough medication to last for a couple of weeks after your move.

Moving House Checklist and Tips: One Week to Moving Day

With only one week until moving day, you need your checklist more than ever:

  • Organize a final inspection of your new home to ensure the property is in accordance with the agreed standard.
  • Ask for your solicitor or agent to collect the keys to your new home. It may be a good idea to book a locksmith so you can get the locks changed on the day you move in.
  • Create a box for small, important items (like remote controls) and keep them in a specially marked box
  • Finish packing the last of the food in your pantry, fridge and freezer
  • Confirm flights and accommodation if you’re relocating overseas or interstate.

Additionally, confirm the following details with your removalist:

  • The old and new addresses, access details at both locations and important phone contacts
  • Any and all changes to your moving plan
  • Insurance specifics
  • Payment requirements.

Moving House Checklist and Tips: The Day before Moving Day

If you’ve been working through the checklist you shouldn’t have much to do at this point, here a the things you should be doing on the day before the big move:

  • Create an ‘Essentials Kit’ with all of the things you will need on the moving day (including medication, cell chargers, a first aid kit and water)
  • Make sure family members have a bag packed with all of their clothing, toiletries and toys
  • Make sure your moving company is 100% up-to-date with all of your requirements
  • Drain water from your washing machine and iron. Clean and defrost your fridge and freezer.

Moving Day Checklist

Tips for your old home:

  • Create adequate access for the moving truck and outline the access points to your removalists
  • Point out the ‘high priority’ boxes and make them easily-accessible and ensure they are the last boxes packed
  • Keep your inventory handy so you can mark off all your valuables
  • Any important items, such as jewellery and documents (birth certificates, passports etc.) should be carried on by you in person if possible
  • Don’t leave until you are sure that:
  • All your valuables are on the truck
  • Everything has been disconnected and turned off
  • The house is completely secure
  • House keys have been returned to agent or solicitor.

Use this checklist at your new home:

  • Give a copy of your furniture floor plan to your removalists
  • Make sure all access points are clear
  • Check all utilities, remembering that the hot water will take some time to heat up if the pilot light has been switched off
  • Don’t sign off on the inventory until you have checked all of your belongings for damage
  • Don’t switch on your fridge until it has been standing upright for at least three hours
  • Assembling the beds should be your first priority, before unpacking the kitchen, bathroom and other essential areas.