Ultimate Moving Checklist & Planning Tips

Since 2015, moveBuddha has helped thousands of people plan smoother, less stressful moves. Our founder, Ryan Carrigan, worked in both local moving crews and national moving sales before launching moveBuddha to bring transparency to a confusing industry.

Today, our advice is backed by deep industry experience, ongoing research, and real stories from people who’ve moved, shared through our Better Moves Project.

One of the first steps in planning your move is to research the types of moving services available.

• Full-service: The best moving companies and best long-distance movers handle loading, unloading, and transportation, but at a higher price point. White glove moving services that provide packing support and additional moving supplies are even more expensive.
• DIY: If you’re on a tight budget, moving truck rentals and moving container companies are more affordable, but require you to do the loading, unloading, and, occasionally, the driving.

Having an idea of what these companies charge and what you’re willing to spend will help you gauge what services make the most sense.

No matter where you’re moving, having a ballpark estimate can help you stay within your budget. While every company’s quoting process is different, our moving cost calculator lets you compare multiple estimates at once and thoroughly assess moving expenses.

The cost will fluctuate if you’re renting a truck, booking a moving container company, or hiring a full-service mover. For example, our reader Marcel moved from Jersey City, New Jersey, to Austin, Texas, and hired Safeway Moving, our overall pick for best moving van lines. He was quoted $5,290 for the 1,753-mile move and charged exactly that.

This table shows the average cost of moving across state lines based on the size of your home.

Here are five simple steps for creating your moving budget:

• Estimate costs. Some companies like U-Pack will provide quick quotes online, but many companies require a phone call. We recommend requesting free quotes from at least three similar companies.
• List expenses. For DIY moves, common fees include rental trucks and packing materials like bubble wrap, packing tape, and cardboard boxes. If you hire a full-service moving company, there may be added costs for services like furniture assembly.
• Account for hidden fees. Think about other costs like homeowners insurance, security deposits, and tolls and fuels for moving trucks.
• Anticipate the cost of settling in. As you get settled in at your new home, you may spend more money on kitchenware, furniture, takeout, and other comforts before feeling at home.
• Track as you go. Put all of these numbers in a spreadsheet and note which ones may be tax deductible. Then, add them up and keep track of how much you spend along the way (and save receipts) to stay on track.

Once you’ve researched moving companies, compiled and compared at least three quotes, and created a moving budget, there are a few other tasks to take care of eight weeks before your move:

• Research new banks, doctors, and schools
• Create a moving binder to keep track of receipts
• Protect your move by looking up your rights through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
• Give your landlord notice
• Find a roommate
• Explain the move to your kids
• Host a garage sale

You can declutter and organize your belongings before your move with the following steps:

• Decide what items to keep. You’re most likely going to get rid of some stuff before you pack, but it’s also important to know what you’re not willing to part with. Keep a list and take pictures if it helps.
• Decide what items to sell or donate. Go through items you aren’t keeping and decide what newer, more expensive items you want to sell and which gently used, less expensive items could be worth donating. Donations can be tax deductible, so keep track of these in your moving binder.
• Identify fragile and special items. In the process of deciding what to keep, make a note of any furniture, antiques, or other items that are extra fragile or valuable.
• Figure out how to move them. Depending on how many delicate items you have, it’s worth researching specialized moving services.
• Digitize documents. Bills and other paperwork can add up and take up a lot of room you don’t need. With the exception of official documents like birth certificates, a lot of these papers can be shredded or scanned and uploaded to a flash drive or external hard drive.
• Measure furniture. Although these measurements will be helpful leading up to the move, it’s important to do them early on so you can figure out if it’s worth moving larger or older furniture.

Now that you’ve decluttered and organized, it’s a good idea to prepare yourself for packing. Planning ahead is particularly important if you’re hiring movers to help with packing in addition to loading and unloading.

Either way, packing prep will keep you organized and help you avoid unnecessary stress.Here’s what to do before filling your first box:

• Make a packing schedule. Whether you’re packing a little everyday (which is ideal), or carving out a few weekends and evenings to pack, it’s important to have a schedule and stick to it. Otherwise, the days leading up to the move will be more stressful than necessary.
• Research packing tips/hacks. From focusing on one room at a time to using tape effectively, review our top moving hacks so you know you’re doing it right.
• Label boxes. It might make sense to label a box after it’s fully packed, but labeling before you start packing will keep you more organized from room to room.
• Reserve storage. If your inventory includes furniture and other belongings that need to go into storage, reserve this space, unless you’re planning on hiring a moving container company, which often has add-on options for storage.

To figure out how to get furniture out of your old home and into your new one, measure your doorways and staircases using a flexible tape measurer.

For doorways, remember to measure not just width and height but also the diagonal distance between the top left corner and bottom right, or the diagonal clearance.

With stairs, you want to measure the height of the staircase, the height of the stairs and depth of the ledge you put your feet on, as well as the width and length of any landings and the amount of space to the ceiling.

Once you’ve downsized, organized, prepared for packing, and measured staircases and doorways, the following steps should be taken six weeks before your move:

• Check that the moving companies have a registered carrier ID number with the U.S. Department of Transportation to avoid scams
• Request time off from work for the move
• Notify schools of your move
• Get transcripts and school records
• Choose new schools for kids
• Do any needed home repairs
• Service your vehicle

Now that you’ve researched the type of moving services you need and compared quotes from at least three moving companies, it’s time to pick the best company and type of moving service for you.

Whether you’re packing and driving a truck yourself, loading up PODS or other moving containers, or hiring a full-service mover, it’s important to book these services at least four weeks in advance.

Depending on what company you chose, you may have to purchase moving insurance if it’s not included. Likewise, if you have car shipping or pet transport needs, it’s a good time to lock in these services, as well. For more on those, check out our top picks for best car shippers and pet shipping companies.

If you didn’t get a jump on labeling your boxes yet, now would be a good time to stock up on boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and other packing supplies. Then, go back and find your moving schedule to see how much you want to have packed over the course of the next few weeks.

From there, you can start or continue packing. It’s helpful to start with non-essential items first and pack items up room-by-room. It’s also a good time to figure out how to move your houseplants.

You’ve already set aside what items you want to donate. Now you have to carve out time and figure out where to drop them off or schedule for them to be picked up by a charitable organization.

Beyond donations, it’s a good time to eat anything perishable, use up forgotten but unexpired food in the pantry, and defrost whatever meals are in the back of the freezer. That way you won’t have to throw it away in a few weeks.

You’ve already digitized or shredded non-essential documents, but now you have to get organized with more official documents.

You’re going to want to invest in another binder or file folder for the following essentials:

• Passports
• Driver’s licenses
• Birth certificates
• Social Security cards
• Financial documents like bank statements, loan documents, and tax returns
• Legal documents like leases and property deeds
• Educational records like transcripts and diplomas
• Medical records and other healthcare information
• Employment documents like paystubs and contracts
• Receipts and warranties
• Moving documents like your contract with a moving company

Before you move into your new home, it’s a good idea to set up service for electricity, water, gas, and any other services like cleaning. If you’re moving into an apartment, some utilities may already be set up, but it’s always smart to double check.

While you’re at it with all these administrative jobs, you can set up your change of address at your local post office. Also make sure to change your address online with the DMV, which is necessary for voter registration.

Congratulations on booking your mover, starting to pack, donating unwanted items, compiling documents, and setting up service providers. You’re crushing it, but you’re not done yet.

Remember to do these things four weeks before your move:

• Confirm parking options for moving truck
• Request vet records and pet medication
• Cancel any local gym memberships and subscriptions
• Take photos of furniture in case of damage during the move
• Figure out temporary housing
• Ask friends to help with DIY move
• Make a moving day playlist (that your friends don’t hate
• Have a safe box

You should’ve already booked a storage unit by now, but if you have a local storage unit that you’re moving out of, now would be a good time to clean it out. You should also set up a safety deposit box through your bank (if you don’t have one already) and make sure any additional valuables and documents are accounted for.

In the process of packing, you might come across borrowed items that belong to friends and family. Not only will they appreciate you returning them, but they may also be more likely to help you with the move.

Whether you rent or own, it’s best to leave your old apartment or house in the same or better condition than when you moved in. This includes deep-cleaning the entire place, but more specifically, washing down outdoor furniture, professionally cleaning rugs, painting, and tending to any remaining repairs.

You should also recycle or dispose of any flammable items or anything that cannot be easily thrown away, such as old batteries.

As your moving date approaches, it’s important to tell friends and family where you’ll be relocating. Email is a great way to do this, although some people prefer social media.

But even with a private profile, refrain from posting your new address on a social media platform, and stick to DMs, email, or printed announcements. Give the people you care about your correct contact information to invite you to events like birthdays and weddings.

At this point, there are just a few more things to do to prep for your move:

• Prep two weeks’ worth of meals
• Refill prescriptions
• Backup your computer
• Order any new furniture
• Reconfirm moving arrangements
• Get a babysitter and/or pet sitter for the move
• Make list of new emergency service providers for your new home
• Set up trash removal and recycling

By now, you might be at that frustrating stage of packing where you’re wondering how you ever accumulated so much stuff. Don’t quit now. Instead, keep your head down and keep packing the rest of your belongings and disassemble any remaining furniture.

You’re going to want to pack an essentials box, which will have extra chargers, a first aid box, and anything important for children and pets. It’s also wise to pack a suitcase or box with a few days’ worth of necessities like clothing and toiletries.

There are a few steps to take before you move out of your soon-to-be former home:

• Protect old and new floors from scratching on moving day
• Schedule utilities that need to be turned off
• Take pictures of rooms once emptied
• Withdraw cash for movers’ tips
• Hire a cleaning service, if needed

Now that you’ve finished packing and prepared your place for moving day, there are a few small items to check off the to-do list:

• Empty oil and gas from grills, heaters, etc.
• Donate unopened food
• Unplug your fridge and freezer the day before move
• Get the keys to your new home
• Check weather for rain, ice, snow, or other potentially hazardous conditions
• Come up with a Plan B for the move

You’ve already researched and booked your movers, but you still have to meet and greet them. During this time, you should:

• Have them sign the Bill of Lading: A Bill of Lading serves as a receipt, contract, and even a document of title, which means it can be used to transfer the ownership of goods while they’re in transit.
• Offer refreshments: When you greet your movers, you may want to provide water or a few other refreshments. Taking time to do this is not just polite; it could make the difference between good and great service.
• Tip your movers: Tip your movers about 20% of your moving costs, or more if they go above and beyond. Another easy rule of thumb is to set aside $20–$30 per moving crew member for local moves and $50 per mover for long-distance moves.
• Tip more for extra services: If your movers are going the extra mile by handling fragile or bulky pieces or helping disassemble or reassemble furniture and electronics, you might want to consider giving them a little more.

Once your belongings are delivered, find your inventory list and take stock to check for missing items. Then, take photos of any damaged items for your records and so you can file insurance claims later.

Now that all of your possessions are in one place, you can unpack. Start with your essentials box, then unpack and organize room-by-room and assemble furniture.

If your time is limited and your budget is flexible, services like HireAHelper can help you unpack and get everything assembled in your new home.

You’ve taken note of any missing or damaged items, assembled some furniture, and started the unpacking process. You’re not finished just yet.

Here are a couple loose ends to wrap up:

• Do a final sweep of the house
• Supervise the load-in

You cannot typically ride to your new home with the movers due to liability issues. You’ll need to make arrangements for you and your family, whether it be driving your own car or flying and using one of the top car shippers to transport your vehicles. If you are going with a moving truck rental, you’ll be driving all your items yourself.

It may be worth it to hire professional movers for your next home move. Hiring professional movers is more expensive than doing everything yourself. But if you can afford it, the additional cost can save you some time and effort, especially if you are moving a larger household.

Tip your movers about 20% of your moving costs, or more if they go above and beyond. Another easy rule of thumb is to set aside $20–$30 per moving crew member for local moves and $50 per mover for long-distance moves.

Make sure your moving abroad checklist includes:

• Researching healthcare, cultural norms, cost of living, and crime rates in your new country
• Paying attention to any entry or immigration requirements
• Putting belonging into storage
• Having a contingency plan if you don’t like being an expat

International moves tend to be more complicated, and as a result take more planning in advance. If this applies to you, check out our picks for best international movers.

The items you should prioritize on your moving checklist include setting your budget and starting the search for movers at least two months in advance. This will give you a lay of the land ahead of time and provide you with multiple options. This will also give you time to prioritize comparing quotes and think about the best moving company for you.

Our moving cost calculator can be helpful for side-by-side estimates from multiple moving services at once.

The following items should be included in an essential moving day survival kit:

• IDs, moving contracts, and other important documents you may need to access during your move
• Cash and credit cards
• Clothing, medication, and toiletries you might need during your move
• Tape and scissors
• A boxcutter or utility knife
• A small toolbox
• A flashlight
• Chargers for phones and other electronic devices
• Cleaning supplies
• Bedding
• Snacks, water, coffee, and tea
• Anything else that provides comfort and doesn’t take up a lot of space