Moving checklist: what to do and when (free printable)

Updated 3 November 2026 · By the FindMyItem team at Railstons GmbH

Moving rarely goes wrong on the big things. It goes wrong in the gaps: mail still going to the old address, a meter reading nobody took, the box with the kettle that nobody can find. This checklist puts every job in the week it belongs to. Print it, stick it on the fridge and check things off as you go.

8 weeks before: decide and declutter

• Fix the date. Confirm it with your landlord, buyer or seller before you book anything else.
• Get three quotes. Moving companies book up fast at the end of the month and in summer. If you are doing it yourself, book the truck now.
• Measure the new home. Rooms and doorways, so you know which furniture fits before you pay to move it.
• Get rid of what you will not take. Everything you sell or donate now is a box you do not pack, carry or unpack. Our garage sale checklist covers selling it in a weekend.
• Check your homeowners or renters insurance covers items in transit, or ask the moving company what theirs covers.

4 weeks before: book and start packing

• Book the moving company and confirm the time, parking and access at both homes. Ask the city about a parking permit if the street is busy.
• Get supplies: boxes in two or three sizes, tape, marker pens and labels.
• Tell schools, your doctor, dentist and vet, and ask how records move.
• Start with the rooms you use least: the attic, the garage, the spare room.
• Number every box and list what is inside as you pack it. It takes a minute per box and saves hours later. Our guide to labeling moving boxes explains a simple system.

2 weeks before: change your address

• File a USPS change of address so your mail follows you.
• Tell everyone who writes to you: bank, employer, pension, insurers, subscriptions.
• Arrange utilities at both homes: gas, electricity, water and internet. Internet often needs the most notice.
• Update your DMV records and voter registration with the new address.
• Arrange childcare and pet care for moving day, and start running down the freezer.

Moving week

• Confirm times with the movers and everyone helping.
• Defrost the freezer the day before.
• Pack an "open first" box for each person: kettle, mugs, chargers, toilet paper, medicines, basic tools and bedding for the first night. It travels with you, not in the truck.
• Keep documents, keys and valuables with you.
• Photograph the back of the TV and computer before you unplug them, so you know which cable goes where.

Moving day

• Do a last walk through: every closet, the attic, the yard and the shed.
• Take meter readings and photos at both homes. They settle most arguments about final bills and deposits.
• Show the movers which room is which. A colored sheet on each door helps.
• Check off box numbers as they come in, so you know nothing was left in the truck.
• Make the beds early. You will not want to at 10 pm.

Your first week in the new home

• Test the smoke alarms and find the main water shut-off and the breaker panel before you need them.
• Find a new doctor and dentist.
• Unpack the A boxes first, then the B boxes. C boxes can wait.
• Change the locks if you do not know who has keys.
• Write down what is in the boxes going to the attic or storage. Those are the boxes you will be hunting through in two years.

Keeping track of the boxes

The checklist works on paper. If you would rather keep the box list on your phone, FindMyItem has a Pack boxes mode built for moving: make a batch of numbered boxes, print QR labels on ordinary sticky label sheets, and photograph things straight into each box as you pack. Later, search "cheese grater" and see the box number and room, or scan a label to see everything inside.

To be clear about where it works today: FindMyItem is on iPhone only for now (iOS 16 or later) and on sale in the UK, US, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Android and iPad versions are coming. The free plan covers 3 places and 100 items; a big move usually needs more, which is what the free month of Pro is for. Pro also lets you share the boxes with up to 5 other people (6 including you), and there is no charge for additional users.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start packing? About four weeks before, with the rooms you use least. Leave the kitchen and bathroom until the last few days.

Who do I need to tell when I move? Your bank, employer, pension, insurers, doctor, dentist, schools, utilities, subscriptions, the DMV and your voter registration. A USPS change of address catches what you forget.

What should go in the open first box? Whatever you need in the first 24 hours: kettle, mugs, tea or coffee, chargers, toilet paper, medicines, basic tools, bedding and something for the children.