A moving checklist, from 8 weeks out to moving day
What to do and when: booking movers, changing your address, packing room by room, and the box you open first.
Moves go wrong in the same few places: the mover was booked too late, the address change was forgotten, nobody knows which box has the bedding, and the last two days turn into a scramble. A timeline fixes most of that. Here's a checklist you can follow from eight weeks out to moving day.
8 weeks before
- Decide how you're moving: full-service movers, a moving container, a rental truck with helpers, or a mix.
- Get at least three quotes if you're hiring movers. For interstate moves, ask for an in-home or video survey rather than a phone guess.
- Check the mover's registration. Interstate movers in the US must have a USDOT number. You can look it up and read the FMCSA's guidance on spotting fraud at Protect Your Move.
- Start decluttering. Everything you don't move is something you don't pack, label, carry or pay to ship.
- Make a moving folder (paper or digital) for quotes, contracts, receipts and inventories.
6 weeks before
- Book your mover or truck. Weekends and the end of the month fill up first.
- Order supplies: boxes in two or three sizes, tape, markers, packing paper, labels.
- Start an inventory. Decide how you'll track what's in each box: a spreadsheet, a notebook, or an app like BoxTrack with QR labels.
- Measure the new place for large furniture, especially doorways, stairs and elevators.
4 weeks before
- Start packing rarely used things: off-season clothes, books, decor, guest-room items, storage closets.
- Number every box and label it with the destination room. (See how to label moving boxes.)
- Change your address with USPS. You can do it online at the official USPS site, usps.com/move, which charges a small identity verification fee, or in person at a post office for free. Be wary of look-alike sites that charge more.
- Schedule utilities: shut-off at the old place for the day after you leave, and set-up at the new place for the day before you arrive. Include internet, which often takes longest.
- Transfer prescriptions and request copies of medical, school and vet records if you're changing providers.
2 weeks before
- Pack room by room, finishing each room before starting the next. Mixed-room boxes are the hardest to unpack.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance, subscriptions and anyone who sends you mail.
- Arrange pet and child care for moving day if you can.
- Plan the food: start using up the freezer and pantry.
- Confirm the mover's dates and get the pickup window in writing.
1 week before
- Pack everything except essentials.
- Pack your "open first" box for each person: phone chargers, medications, toiletries, a change of clothes, bedding, toilet paper, a few plates and utensils, a kettle or coffee maker, basic tools, and any documents you'll need.
- Set aside a "do not move" area for things traveling in your car: important documents, valuables, laptops, medications.
- Defrost the freezer if it's moving with you.
- Count your boxes and check them against your inventory.
1 day before
- Take apart beds and furniture, and bag the screws and hardware. Tape each bag to the furniture it belongs to.
- Charge everything.
- Get cash for tips and snacks for helpers.
- Photograph valuable furniture to show its condition before the move.
- Do a final walkthrough of closets, cabinets, the garage and any storage spaces.
Moving day
- Be there for the walkthrough with the mover. Point out fragile and "do not move" items.
- Check the mover's inventory before signing it. The box count should match yours.
- Take meter readings and photos of the empty home.
- At the new place, direct traffic: every box goes to the room on its label.
- Check off boxes as they come in, and note any damage on the paperwork before you sign. (More in how to make a moving inventory list.)
After the move
- Unpack the open-first boxes, then the kitchen and bedrooms.
- Find things without opening every box. If your boxes have QR labels, scan one to see what's inside, or search all boxes at once.
- Register to vote and update your driver's license at your new address. Many states set a deadline for updating your license after you become a resident, so check your state DMV's site.
- File any damage claims promptly. For interstate moves, you generally have nine months from delivery to file in writing.
Printable summary
| When | Main jobs |
|---|---|
| 8 weeks | Quotes, check mover's USDOT number, declutter |
| 6 weeks | Book mover, order supplies, start an inventory |
| 4 weeks | Pack rarely used items, change address, schedule utilities |
| 2 weeks | Pack room by room, update accounts, confirm dates |
| 1 week | Pack all but essentials, open-first box, count boxes |
| 1 day | Take apart furniture, charge devices, final walkthrough |
| Moving day | Check inventory, direct boxes, note damage before signing |