Before Moving Into a New House: The Pre-Move-In Checklist

Everyone focuses on the move itself — the truck, the boxes, the lifting. Very few people spend meaningful time on the 48–72 hours before the truck arrives. That gap is where the most avoidable moving problems originate: utilities that weren't set up, a property that hasn't been cleaned, safety hazards you walked past without noticing, and no record of what the place looked like when you arrived.

This checklist covers what to do before a single box crosses the threshold of your new home.

Book the Utilities Before You Book the Movers

The most common first-night failure is arriving at a new home with no power, no hot water, or no internet. These don't sort themselves out on moving day.

Electricity and gas can usually be switched on within 24–48 hours if you contact the provider in advance. If the property has been vacant, the supply may have been disconnected at the meter, which requires an on-site visit from a technician — this can take several days. Call the provider as soon as you know your move-in date and ask them specifically: is the property currently live, or does it require reconnection?

Internet is the utility most commonly left too late. Installation appointments in many areas book out 2–4 weeks. If you work from home, this matters immediately. Book the installation slot before you book the removalist or moving truck.

Water at a rental property is typically already connected. At a newly purchased home, confirm with the settlement agent or conveyancer that water is transferring to your name on settlement day.

Trash collection — confirm the pickup day and what bins are provided. New residents routinely miss their first few collections because they don't know the schedule.

Do a Pre-Move-In Inspection

Before your possessions arrive, walk through the empty property with your phone and document its condition. This applies whether you're a buyer or a renter.

For renters: You need a timestamped photographic record of every room that predates your occupation. Walk every room, open every built-in cupboard, check inside the oven, photograph any marks on walls, stains on carpet, chips in tiles, or damaged fixtures. Photograph the meter readings. This is your insurance against being charged for pre-existing damage when you move out.

For buyers: An empty property reveals things that were hidden by furniture and the seller's belongings. Look for water stains on ceilings and walls, dampness around window frames and external walls, and the condition of kitchen and bathroom fixtures. Run every tap, flush every toilet, test every light switch, and open every window. Note what you find.

For new builds: Developers sometimes hand over properties with defects covered up or incomplete finishes. A pre-move-in inspection done before your furniture is in the way gives you the clearest view of what needs to be fixed. Document everything in writing and email it to your developer or builder as a formal snagging list.

Clean Before You Move In, Not After

Cleaning a property is dramatically easier when it is empty. This is worth doing even if the previous occupants had the place professionally cleaned.

Kitchen: Clean inside all cabinets and drawers before you put anything in them. Wipe down all surfaces including the inside of the oven, the range hood, and behind the appliances where grease accumulates. Check the dishwasher filter.

Bathrooms: Scrub the grout, descale the taps and showerhead, and clean the exhaust fans. If the toilet seat is old, replacing it before you move in costs very little and feels substantially better.

Floors: Vacuum and mop all hard floors before boxes arrive. Carpets, if you intend to shampoo them, should be done while rooms are empty.

Windows: Clean the inside of windows while access is easy and before curtains or blinds go up.

If you are using a cleaning service, schedule them for the day before the movers arrive, not on moving day itself. Cleaning crews and moving crews in the same property at the same time create a chaotic and counterproductive situation.

Safety and Security Before Day One

Change or rekey the locks. This applies to all buyers and is worth doing at most rentals too. You have no idea how many people had keys to the property before you: previous tenants, landlord's contractors, the owner's family members. Rekeying a lock costs $50–$100 per lock. Replacing a lock entirely costs $100–$250. Do this before you move a single possession in.

Locate the main shutoffs. Before the property fills with boxes and furniture, take 10 minutes to locate and physically operate:

• The main water shutoff valve (usually under the kitchen sink, in a utility cupboard, or outside near the water meter)
• The electricity circuit breaker panel
• The gas shutoff valve, if applicable

In a plumbing emergency, you need to find the water shutoff in seconds, not minutes. Knowing where it is before you need it is not a paranoid precaution — it is basic property knowledge.

Test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. Press the test button on each one. Replace any that are more than 10 years old. If there are no CO detectors in the bedrooms or near the heating appliance, install them before sleeping in the property.

Check window and door locks. Test every window latch and door lock, including patio doors and any internal lockable doors. Identify any that are broken or inadequate before your furniture is in the way.

Set Up the Infrastructure for Move-In Day

Plan where furniture is going. You don't need a professional floor plan, but knowing which room a bed goes in and roughly where — against which wall — prevents movers from placing it in the center of the room and leaving you to shift it alone after they've gone.

Measure critical doorways. Before the truck arrives, measure the front door, any internal doors on the route to the main bedroom, and any staircase turns. A sofa or wardrobe that doesn't fit through the door is one of the most frustrating moving day problems. Measure the furniture itself if there's any doubt.

Create a labeling system for movers. Put a piece of paper on the door of each room in the new property with the room name: "Master bedroom," "Kitchen," "Box room." This means boxes labeled with a destination room actually go to the right room without constant supervision.

Decide where the essentials box goes. Your essentials box — the one with toilet paper, chargers, medications, and the kettle — should be unloaded last and placed somewhere immediately accessible. Don't let it get buried under forty other boxes.

Address Changes and Account Updates

These don't need to be completed before you move in, but starting the process a week before your move-in date prevents gaps in mail and service delivery.

Mail redirection: File your change of address with the postal service before you move. In the US, the USPS online form takes 10 minutes and costs a nominal verification fee. In the UK, Royal Mail redirection starts at around £39 for three months and requires at least five days' notice.

Priority accounts: Banks, credit cards, and your employer's payroll department are the highest priority — these affect where financial correspondence and deposits go. Update these first.

Government records: Driver's licence, vehicle registration, and voter registration all require your current address. Most states and countries require an update within 30 days of moving.

The Pre-Move-In Checklist at a Glance

Two weeks before:

• Book internet installation
• Arrange electricity, gas, and water connections
• Schedule a cleaning service for the day before move-in

Three to five days before:

• Do a pre-move-in walkthrough and photograph all rooms
• Submit change-of-address forms
• Measure doorways and plan furniture placement

Day before move-in:

• Cleaning crew completes property
• Confirm movers' arrival time
• Prepare and label all rooms with destination signs

Move-in day before truck arrives:

• Locate water, gas, and electrical shutoffs
• Test smoke and CO detectors
• Change or rekey locks
• Confirm utilities are live

The most stressful part of any move is the feeling that things are out of control. Running this checklist in the days before the truck arrives converts chaos into a sequence of completed tasks.

Our Moving Checklist contains the complete system — pre-move-in prep, the 8-week packing and notification timeline, room-by-room packing guides, and a full moving day schedule. Everything in one printable document so nothing gets missed.