Here is a comprehensive moving checklist to help ensure your stress-free move. We all know moving can be stressful especially when it means moving long-distance or international. We want to help you prepare so that your experience is a safe, successful move, especially with professional movers.
Moving checklist infographic
This relocation moving checklist provides timelines and moving tips to help you stay organized and stress-free throughout the whole process. Check out our infographic that contains some simple and smart tips to prepare you for moving day.
4-8 weeks before you move
- As soon as you know you are moving, reserve a moving company. If you need packing assistance, American Moving can also pack and unpack your house, apartment, or condo for you.
- Visit American Moving to purchase necessary moving boxes and packing supplies.
- Start to clean out closets, the garage, and attic and host a garage sale or donate your unwanted things to charity.
- Change your address online or get a change of address card from your local post office.
- Make a list and notify organizations of your change of address such as magazines, charge accounts, insurance companies, clubs, friends, and family.
- If you have school aged kids, arrange to transfer school records.
3 weeks before you move
- Decide if you would like professional packing assistance such as American Moving Professional packing service or if you will pack your cartons
- If you decided to pack yourself, start packing and labeling all the boxes
- Make a survival closet of the items you will need last out and first into your new home
- Compile all personal records
- Schedule to disconnect your utilities such as gas, electric, water, cable, and the internet after your move-out day.
- Schedule to connect all your utilities the day before your scheduled move-in day.
2 weeks before you move
- Plan to use all the food in your refrigerator and freezer. You can donate your non-perishables through Move for Hunger and we can help.
- Clear basement and attics completely and decide what to move.
- Cancel delivery services such as newspapers.
- Dispose of all flammables, cleaners, paints, aerosols, ammunition, etc.
- Drain the oil and gasoline from your lawn mower, and other power tools if they are to be moved
- Be sure that you have packed everything in advance.
1 week before your move
- Make sure that American Moving has your contact phone numbers for the day of the move
- Empty and clean your refrigerator and freezer, clean your stove, etc.
- Only use the household items that you’ll need on move in day, such as sheets, towels, a few pans and dishes. Make sure everything else is ready to be moved.
- Pack your suitcase and day of the move box with all necessary essentials to get you through the next few days in case you don’t get to unpacking right away.
Moving day
- Do one last walk-through once the van is loaded to make sure nothing was left in closets, basement, attic, cabinets, drawers, etc.
- Greet the movers at your new home and review the move with your American Moving team of experts
- Inspect your items as they are unloaded and note if there are any damaged items.
Finally, unpack and get settled into your new home.