Step-by-step moving guide
Moving Checklist
Use this flexible checklist to organize the weeks before moving day, the final week, arrival and international preparations. If your timeline is shorter, work with your team to prioritize what remains.
Jump to: Early preparation · Weeks before · Final week · Moving day · Arrival · International moves
Start early: sort and make arrangements
- Contact your moving team about your dates and the services you need. Review the estimate and agreed work before booking.
- Sort through cupboards, the garage and other storage areas. Decide what to keep, sell, donate or recycle.
- Ask the team which items cannot travel with the shipment and what preparation is required. Confirm instructions before handling fuel, chemicals or powered equipment.
- Make arrangements for pets and decide how your vehicle will reach the destination. Discuss any transport help you may need.
In the weeks before your move
- Update your address with banks, account providers and subscriptions. Arrange mail forwarding and changes to regular deliveries.
- Arrange utility and internet changes for both addresses, allowing for the dates you will need service.
- Gather important personal documents and keep them accessible rather than packing them with the shipment.
- Review valuation options and the applicable terms with your moving team. Ask what is included and how any separate insurance would differ.
- Check building access, parking and elevator arrangements at both addresses. Share any restrictions with the team.
- Return borrowed items and arrange for plants that will not travel with you.
- Confirm any disassembly, appliance preparation or packing work with the team so responsibilities are clear.
During the final week
- Pack a separate essentials bag with clothing, toiletries, medications, chargers and a few familiar items for children.
- Check your medication supply and keep prescriptions and health information available for the journey.
- Confirm travel arrangements and any help needed for children or pets on moving day.
- Prepare refrigerators, freezers and other appliances according to the agreed instructions and the manufacturer’s guidance.
- Clean garden tools and bicycles. Follow the moving team’s confirmed instructions for fuel-powered equipment and restricted items.
- Plan simple meals and set aside what you will need while your kitchen is packed.
On moving day
- Be available for questions and confirm the best contact details for you and the moving team.
- Review the inventory and applicable paperwork with the team. Ask about anything you do not understand before signing.
- Keep essentials, valuables and personal documents separate from the shipment.
- Complete a final walkthrough of rooms, cupboards and storage areas. Check that nothing intended for the move has been left behind.
- Confirm delivery arrangements, destination access and any changes the team needs to know about.
When your belongings arrive
- Show the team where furniture and boxes should go, keeping access routes clear.
- Check delivered belongings against the inventory with the team and raise any questions you notice.
- Ask how to report any concerns discovered during unpacking and which contact details or paperwork to keep.
If you are moving internationally
Requirements vary by destination. Start these preparations early and confirm what applies to your move:
- Check the passports, visas and shipment documentation needed for your destination with the appropriate authorities and your moving team.
- Confirm destination rules for pets, vehicles, plants and restricted belongings before making arrangements.
- Check voltage, plugs and compatibility before deciding which electrical goods to take.