What to Do Before Moving: A Week-by-Week Pre-Move Checklist

Most moving disasters happen not on moving day but in the weeks before it — the missed cancellation, the utility that runs for six weeks after you've left, the movers you forgot to book until the week before. Getting ready to move is a project, and like any project, it needs a plan.

This guide breaks down what to do before moving into manageable phases: eight weeks out through the final 48 hours. Work through it in sequence and you'll arrive at moving day with the hard decisions already made.

8–6 Weeks Before Moving: Decisions and Bookings

This is the phase most people skip until it's too late. The tasks here have long lead times, and doing them late costs money.

Book your movers. Moving companies fill up fast, particularly from May through September in the US and Canada, and December through February in Australia and New Zealand. For a peak-season move, eight weeks is the minimum booking window for a reputable firm. If you're in the UK, do not book movers before contracts are exchanged — wait for that commitment first, then book immediately, making sure your cancellation policy is clear.

When vetting companies, confirm accreditation. In the US, any interstate mover must carry a USDOT number — you can verify this on the FMCSA website. In the UK, look for BAR (British Association of Removers) membership. In Australia, AFRA (Australian Furniture Removers Association) is the benchmark. In Canada, check CAM (Canadian Association of Movers).

Decide what you're not taking. The 12-month rule is your framework: if you haven't used it in the past year, you don't need it at the new place. Moving unused items costs money per kilogram or per cubic metre, so decluttering before you pack is directly financial. Sell what you can, donate the rest, and dispose of what nobody wants. Items movers will refuse include paint, aerosol cans, propane tanks, cleaning solvents, and other hazardous materials — plan to dispose of these separately.

Notify your landlord if you're renting. Standard notice periods are 30 days in most US and Canadian jurisdictions, 21–28 days in Australia and New Zealand, and as little as one month in the UK depending on your tenancy agreement. Missing this triggers financial penalties, so check your lease and set a calendar reminder.

Create a moving folder. A shared Google Drive or Dropbox folder for receipts, quotes, booking confirmations, and utility account numbers keeps everything findable when you're stressed in week two.

5–4 Weeks Before Moving: Logistics and Notifications

Handle address changes. Address changes have processing lead times that most people underestimate. In the US, USPS mail forwarding requires 7–10 business days to activate; file at moversguide.usps.com for a $1.10 identity verification fee. In the UK, Royal Mail Redirection starts at around £39.50 for three months and needs at least five days' notice. In Australia, Australia Post mail redirection starts at around $38.50 for one month and needs three business days. In Canada, Canada Post charges about $61.50 for three months within a province.

Beyond postal redirection, compile a list of every organisation that holds your address. Priority tier: bank accounts, credit cards, employer payroll, the IRS or HMRC or ATO for tax records, vehicle registration and driver's licence, insurance policies (home, auto, health, life), and any government benefit payments. Second tier: subscriptions, loyalty programs, gym memberships, streaming services.

In the UK, you must update your V5C vehicle logbook with the DVLA as well as your driving licence — failure to update the V5C can result in a fine of up to £1,000. In Australia, update your state transport department (Service NSW, VicRoads, etc.) within the required timeframe for your state, and update Medicare via myGov. In Canada, provincial health cards (OHIP, RAMQ, etc.) each have their own update processes.

Book internet installation. This is the most time-sensitive utility booking and the one people most consistently forget. NBN connections in Australia and fibre installations in the UK and New Zealand can take two to four weeks for a technician appointment. Book this now. If you're in the US, check availability at the new address before assuming your current provider services that area.

Arrange storage if needed. If your moving date and your access date don't align — a common occurrence when buying and selling simultaneously — you may need short-term storage. Short-term storage typically costs $200 or more per month. Price this in advance rather than scrambling on moving week.

3–2 Weeks Before Moving: Packing Begins

Audit your insurance. Standard home contents insurance does not always cover goods in transit. Check your policy and, if necessary, purchase specific moving insurance or "full value protection" from your mover (distinct from the basic "released value" coverage, which in the US pays approximately $0.60 per pound — next to nothing for electronics). Document high-value items with photos and serial numbers before they go in boxes.

Start packing non-essentials. Begin with items you don't use daily: off-season clothing, books, art, decorative items, spare linens. Pack room by room to maintain organisation. Label every box on the side (not just the top — when boxes are stacked, you can only see the sides) with the destination room in the new house, not the room it came from.

Cancel or transfer local services. Gym memberships, local subscriptions, and recurring services tied to your address need cancellations or transfers. In Australia and New Zealand, electronic toll tags (e-TAG, E-ZPass equivalents) require address and account updates. In the UK, TV Licensing must be transferred to the new address — leaving it at the old address risks the new occupant being investigated, and it also means your new address is unregistered.

1 Week Before Moving: Final Preparations

Defrost your freezer. This needs to happen 48 hours before the movers arrive, not the morning of. A partially defrosted freezer drips during transit. The same applies to washing machines — drain hoses the day before.

Disassemble what you can. Flat-pack furniture that can be broken down should be. Photograph the reverse side of your entertainment setup and any complex cable connections before unplugging — this saves thirty minutes of confusion at the other end.

Pack your essentials box last. This box travels with you, not in the truck, and gets unpacked first. Include: toilet paper, hand soap, a towel, phone chargers, a power strip, a box cutter, prescription medications, basic tools (screwdriver, hammer), a kettle or coffee maker plus mugs, snacks, a change of clothes for everyone, and children's or pets' immediate needs. The first night in a new home is disorienting; this box is the difference between manageable and miserable.

Do a final meter read at the old address. Photograph gas, electricity, and water meters on the day you leave. Email the readings to your providers with a date stamp. In the UK, this is your protection against being billed for the next occupant's usage.

Photograph the property condition. This is non-negotiable for renters. A comprehensive photographic record of every room — walls, floors, appliances, fixtures — taken on the day you leave is your evidence in any deposit dispute. In Australia and New Zealand, the Entry Condition Report at the start of tenancy sets the standard; your exit photographs demonstrate you met it.

Moving Day

Wake up early. Strip the beds first so mattress covers can be added before the mattress goes on the truck. Brief the movers on fragile items and, more importantly, on items that should not be moved (anything you're transporting yourself, anything being left behind).

Do a final walkthrough before leaving: attic, basement, garage shelves and rafters, built-in wardrobes, inside the dishwasher and washing machine drum. Lock every window and door.

The Hardest Part About Getting Ready to Move

The honest difficulty in pre-move preparation is not any individual task — it's the cognitive load of holding fifty tasks in your head simultaneously during a period when you're also managing a property transaction, work, and family. The research is clear that moving ranks as one of the highest-stress life events, and most of that stress is not from physical labour but from the fear of forgetting something important.

A structured checklist, worked through in sequence from eight weeks out, eliminates that fear. You are not relying on memory — you are following a plan.

Our Moving Checklist covers all of this and more in a single printable system: the pre-move timeline, room-by-room packing guide, address change master list, moving day protocol, and first-night essentials — including region-specific sections for the US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.