The Ultimate Moving Checklist (8 Weeks Out to Move Day)

8 weeks out

• Get 3 quotes and book your mover
• Start decluttering, room by room
• Begin using up frozen and pantry food

6 weeks out

• Order packing supplies (or confirm full-service includes them)
• Take inventory of valuables and photograph electronics

4 weeks out

• Submit USPS change of address
• Notify utilities, insurance, banks, schools
• Schedule transfer or cancellation of services

2 weeks out

• Pack non-essentials
• Confirm move-day logistics, parking, and elevator reservations
• Refill prescriptions

Moving week

• Pack an essentials box (medication, chargers, toiletries, change of clothes)
• Defrost the freezer
• Walk through the empty home before you leave

Before you book: check the mover

If your move crosses a state line, the company must be registered with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Look up its USDOT number on the FMCSA website before you sign anything. Interstate movers must also give you the federal booklet "Your Rights and Responsibilities When You Move." Keep it. It explains your estimate, your bill and how to file a claim.

Paperwork to keep together

Make one folder, paper or digital, for the whole move:

• The written estimate from your mover
• The order for service, which lists the dates and services you agreed to
• The bill of lading, the contract and receipt the driver gives you at pickup
• The inventory, the list of every item and its condition
• Photos of valuable items and of your old and new home, empty

Never sign a blank or half-filled form. If something on the inventory is wrong, write a note before you sign.

Change your address the right way

You can change your address with the U.S. Postal Service online at its official site, or at a post office. Be careful with look-alike websites that charge extra fees. Then update your address with your bank, your employer, your doctors, your insurance and your car registration. If you're moving to a new state, plan for a new driver license and car registration; most states give you a set number of days, so check your new state's motor vehicle agency.

Moving-day checklist

• Be there when the crew arrives and when they leave
• Walk through every room, closet and cabinet before the truck leaves
• Read the bill of lading and inventory before you sign
• Write down the driver's name and the truck number
• Give the driver a phone number where you can be reached during the trip

Delivery-day checklist

• Check each box and piece of furniture against the inventory as it comes off the truck
• Write any damage or missing items on the delivery paperwork before you sign
• Take photos of any damage right away
• Keep all packing materials from damaged items until your claim is settled

If something is lost or broken

For interstate moves, you have 9 months from delivery to file a written claim with the mover. The mover must say it got your claim within 30 days and must pay or deny it within 120 days. If you can't agree, interstate movers must offer an arbitration program to settle disputes.

One week after the move

• Unpack the kitchen, bathrooms and beds first
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and learn where the water shutoff and breaker box are
• Check that your mail is arriving at the new address
• Register to vote at your new address
• Find the nearest urgent care, pharmacy and grocery store
• Keep receipts for your move in your folder. Moving costs are generally not tax-deductible for most people right now, but active-duty military moves have special rules, so check IRS guidance if that applies to you.

Keep it simple

The best checklist is one you actually use. Print this page or copy it into your phone, and check off one or two items each day. Small steps every day beat a panic the night before the truck comes.