When I moved into my current apartment I had everything planned to the final detail before I had even moved. I had bought furniture for my new place, sitting in boxes under my old bed or in the corner of the room, waiting to move in to my current digs. I used different colored tape on my moving boxes depending on which room the box was going to go to… even though I was moving to a one bedroom where the rooms were at most twenty feet apart.

As I’m getting ready to move in a few months yet again, I relooked at my checklist to make sure it still had everything – and to see if there was anything I should get started on. Is there anything I’m missing that you would add?

2 MONTHS BEFORE MOVE DATE

• Book movers or book u-haul (Boston-area, I’ve had great success with Raimonds Movers)

1 MONTH BEFORE MOVE DATE

• Set up utilities (likely gas and electric) at new place
• Let current utilities companies know you are moving
• Get an install date for cable at your new place
• Secure parking for movers if needed

3 WEEKS BEFORE MOVE DATE

• Move any current utilities to roommates who are staying (if applicable)
• Get moving boxes – or rent them!
• Consider if there’s any furniture you should buy now, so movers can move it
• Start packing

1 WEEK BEFORE MOVE DATE

• Donate clothes/items you are planning to purge so you don’t move them
• Spend a lot of time packing

A FEW DAYS BEFORE MOVE DATE

• Hang up parking passes for movers and call the city
• Schedule mail forward through Post Office
• Consider moving one AC unit if moving in summer
• Make a plan for food – no one wants to move hangry!
• Pack an “overnight” bag with essentials you don’t want movers to move (meds, jewelry, important documents)
• Get cash tip for movers/ keep out check book
• Be close to finishing packing!
• Clean as much as you can now so you don’t have to on moving day (especially the fridge and the bathroom)

ONCE YOU CAN GET INTO THE NEW PLACE

• Bring basics to new place (hand soap, toilet paper, paper towels, trash bags, cleaning spray)
• Put champagne in fridge
• Walk through apartment and take video/ pictures of any issues up front (confirm all stove burners work, windows open, blinds work, faucet doens’t leak). Send to landlord when you move in and keep for when you move out (that scuff was here when I got here!)
• Clean new place

DAY OF MOVE

• Move modem + other stuff for cable
• Tip movers at the beginning of the move and say you’ll double it if they do a good job
• Make bed early on
• Final clean of the place you’re leaving
• Tip movers at the end

AFTER MOVE

• Send email to friends and loved ones that address changed
• Change address at the list below
• Get a new library card if you changed cities!

CHANGE ADDRESSES:

• Car registration
• Insurance (Car, renters, life, health, dental)
• Credit cards / Bank / other Financial companies (401K, other investments)
• Employer
• Magazines
• Cell Phone
• Amazon
• Voter Registration
• Loan providers (student loans, car loans)
• Google Maps
• Uber
• Mail forwarding at the Post Office if you didn’t do it previously