How to Create a Moving Checklist: What Not to Forget

Got an upcoming move? You’ll stress less if you keep organized and get started preparing for your move day early. One of the things you could do to make your move more manageable is to create a moving checklist.

With almost 30 years of experience in the moving industry, All My Sons Moving & Storage knows the ins and outs of moving. Our company understands how anxiety-inducing an unorganized move can be and we want our customers to feel empowered with special tips and tricks from the pros.

You should get started building your moving checklist as soon as you know you are moving. Depending on how much time you have before you move, you might perform all or just some of the items we list here. Be sure to read through all the items to make sure something does not apply to your move before you forget about it. You may realize during your brainstorming for this list that there are additional concerns you have that you can add to your personal moving checklist. 

Get ready to jot down what matters to your move and look at our recommended moving checklist.

Now that your move is on the horizon, the earlier you get started the better. Start your moving checklist with some of these basic items.

• Declutter and Downsize: One of the things you can do that will make your move so much easier is to simply decide what must stay and what must go. Take careful stock of your belongings and sort them into what you definitely want to keep, what you can give away, and what you should probably dispose of.

• Create a Household Inventory: While you take stock of what you own, why not create a household inventory? This is a useful tool that will serve you well on moving day as you look to navigate all your boxes. It may even be beneficial after moving day is over when you need to make insurance claims for any future disasters or incidents. A household inventory can help you keep track of your collections and always know where your stuff is.

• Determine Your Budget: Make an estimate of how much money you can set aside for your move. If you’re taking the DIY approach, you will need to rent a truck, recruit friends and family, and purchase all your moving supplies. While it might be less expensive to move yourself on paper, remember that your time and energy is valuable too. Get quotes from a few different moving companies to determine how much you could expect to pay if you hired professional movers.

Research Moving Companies: When you’re thinking about having your move done by pros, it’s important to contact the right pros. Compare the prices, services, and availability of your preferred moving companies.

Things are starting to pick up in your world as the move date approaches. By now, plans should be getting finalized and the decluttering should be done. Move onto these next items on your moving checklist. 

• Book Your Movers: By the month before your move, you should have booked your movers. Book as early as possible to ensure you have your preferred move date in the schedule.

• Purchase Packing Supplies: You will need boxes, packing paper, bubble wrap, and tape. Try to make an estimate of everything you will need and make one order. You can also ask family, friends, or local groups if they have any spare boxes or supplies available. 

• Begin Packing Non-Essentials: The easiest things to start packing will be the things you rarely see on a day-to-day basis. Check your closets, attic, and garage for keepsakes and seasonal items you can put away right now. Then move up your hierarchy of need and start packing media collections, books you are not currently reading, and décor items. 

• Schedule Time Off: If you need to take time off work to complete your move, schedule your time off at least a month in advance and notify your employer that you will be unavailable on your move day.

With your move just under two weeks away, you might be starting to feel the pressure. Breathe, with the help of your trusty moving checklist, you’ve got this. Here are some items you can perform with your move date less than two weeks away. 

• Change Your Address: File a Change of Address with USPS. You can file up to three months before your move, but please allow 7 to 10 business days for mail forwarding to take effect. Make a list of all your subscriptions, delivery accounts, and services that will need to be updated with your new address and update them as soon as possible. You don’t want to order something online only for it to be delivered to your previous address.

• Update and Schedule Utilities for Cancellation: Go through all your utilities and call each company to either update them for the move or schedule an end to service. Some of your services, like internet or cable, might possibly transfer to your new address. Others, like electricity or water, you may have to discontinue. Be sure to give companies your new address so they can reach you with any final bills.

• Notify Friends and Family: If you have not already started bringing up your move in casual conversation, then let your family and friends know you will be moving soon. You can send moving announcements out with your new address, or let family and friends know individually. 

• Start Packing Regular Essentials: Now that all your non-essentials have been packed, it’s time to start packing your everyday items room by room. Set aside the items you will need on move day, items for emergencies, or any items you are not comfortable with movers handling.

Packing is well underway, and your rooms are starting to look empty. As the days in your final countdown come to an end, check off these items and breathe easy knowing that you’ll be well-prepared for the big day.

• Clean out and Defrost Freezer and Fridge: Your move will be easier if you do not have any perishable food to quickly transport and stash, so spend the week cleaning out your fridge and freezer. You can try a zero-food-waste app or a website like Supercook, My Fridge Food, or Recipe Radar to find recipes that will use up what you have. If the fridge and freezer are coming with you, defrost them once they are empty to avoid water leaks during the move.

• Pack an Essentials and Emergencies Bag: Get a stash together of the items you’ll need during your move and immediately upon arrival such as clothes, toiletries, and electronic chargers. Include items you need in the event of an emergency like medication and special documentation, and items you will need to get settled after your move like a boxcutter to get boxes open. Keep cleaning supplies on hand as well so you can give your old place one final spruce before you depart.

• Label Your Boxes: Hopefully you have labeled your boxes along the way and created a special moving inventory to ensure you know the contents of all your boxes. Now is the time to mark what boxes are essential and what needs to go in which room. If you have the funds to splurge on colored tape, you could color code all your boxes, so you know at a glance which room they need to go in.

• Confirm Your Moving Details: Call up your moving company and confirm your moving details. Let them know about any last-minute changes or logistical concerns. Now is also your opportunity to ask any final questions about insurance and policies.

Today is the big day. While it’s been a stressful few months, you’ve saved yourself a lot of hardship and anxiety by being prepared and organized ahead of time. If you’ve hired moving professionals, then this part of the process could even be a breeze. Check off these final move-day items.

• Clean Rooms as They Empty: Once the boxes and furniture have been carted onto your moving truck, give the empty room some much needed tidying up. Pick up or vacuum away any objects that hid under furniture, scrub sinks and toilets, and toss out all the dust bunnies. This will make your landlord and the next tenants of your home very happy.

• Do a Final Walkthrough of the Old Home: When everything has been loaded onto the truck, make sure to do one final sweep of your previous home. Throw open every cabinet, cupboard, and closet door you find and make sure not a single stray box has decided to attempt an extended stay. 

• Supervise Movers: If you’ve hired the pros, then don’t break a sweat. Delegate your moving tasks and ensure all your items make it safely onto the truck. Be available for any questions from your movers and exercise your pointer finger as you tell movers where to put things.

• Unpack Essentials: Now that you are walking through the doors of your new home, it’s time to settle in with your basic essentials. Make sure your kitchen and bathroom are stocked with what you need to get through your first week in your new home. This step should be easy if you packed an essentials and emergencies bag or box.

The movers have departed, and you now live in a maze of boxes. Congratulations on making it to your new home, but before you throw away your moving checklist make sure these final items have been completed.

• Ensure Utilities are Connected: Call up your new or old utilities companies to make certain your new home is active and ready to bill. Get your internet connected and call for service technicians if you need help getting things set up.

• Change Your Driver’s License Address: Depending your state of residence, the address on your license may need to be updated immediately after your move. Some states allow a few months of grace but complete this step as soon after your move as you are able. If you have moved in-state, you might be able to complete this step online. Check your local DPS website.

• Register Your Vehicle: When you move to a new state, make sure your vehicle is registered in that state. In some states you will have 30 days to register your vehicle. Please check your local regulations to ensure you have enough time. Make sure your vehicle insurance address is up to date as well.

• Unpack and Organize: Now that all your belongings have made the journey to your new home, it’s time to get down to business unpacking. You might be tempted to put this step off and live in a box maze, but you will definitely feel more settled once your belongings are all in their new places.

Now that your moving checklist is written, you’re ready to start your next move with less stress and anxiety. Your move might need to be completed on a faster timeline, or you might have other concerns about pets or children to include in your personal moving checklist. The only wrong way to write a moving checklist is to neglect writing one at all, so start taking inventory of all your moving needs early and get your move done with a moving checklist.

Now that you’re ready to move, check off one of the most important items on your moving checklist: Schedule with your movers. Call the experts at All My Sons Moving & Storage to do all the heavy lifting. From local moves to professional packing, our moving specialists can offer services that meet your needs and budget. 

Get a quote online or call your local All My Sons Moving & Storage to get ready to start checking items off your moving checklist.