Moving is not one big job. It is a hundred small ones, and the stress comes from trying to do them all at once in the final week. The fix is simple: spread the work across the weeks you have, and do each thing when it is easiest to do. This checklist breaks the whole move into seven stages, from eight weeks out to after you have unpacked. Start wherever your date lands. If you only have three weeks, jump in at the four-week stage and keep going. Every task here is concrete, so you can tick it off and move on.
Eight weeks before the move
This is planning time, and it is worth more than any other week. The decisions you make now, especially who moves you and on what date, shape how the whole thing goes.
- Set your moving date, and check whether it clashes with a public holiday or the end of the month, when demand and prices peak.
- Get quotes from removalists and compare what is actually included, not just the headline rate. Our house removals quotes are capped in writing before we start.
- Book your mover early. The best crews and the best dates go first, especially over summer and at month end.
- Decide whether you will pack yourself or use a professional packing service. If you are busy or short on time, this is the task most worth handing over.
- Start a moving folder, paper or digital, for quotes, receipts, contracts and the checklist itself.
- Begin decluttering room by room. The less you move, the less it costs and the less you unpack.
Six weeks before
Now you turn the plan into supplies and paperwork. Getting these moving early means the final weeks are about packing, not chasing.
- Order or collect packing materials: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, markers and butcher's paper. If we pack for you, materials are included.
- Sell, donate or dump anything you decided to let go of. Book a council pick-up if you have large items, as slots fill up.
- Start using up freezer food and pantry items so you are not moving a full fridge or a cupboard of half-used jars.
- If you are renting, give written notice to your landlord or agent and confirm the exact date your lease ends.
- Research schools, medical practices and childcare near the new home if you are moving with family, and get on any waitlists.
- Book time off work for moving day and, ideally, the day after for unpacking.
Four weeks before
Packing begins in earnest, starting with everything you will not miss. This is also when you line up the services that need lead time.
- Pack the rooms you rarely use: the garage, spare room, linen cupboard and out-of-season clothes.
- Label every box clearly with its room and a short list of contents. Your movers, and future you, will thank you.
- Arrange to connect electricity, gas, internet and water at the new address, and set a disconnection date at the old one.
- Start your change of address checklist so redirects and notifications are underway well before the move.
- Confirm access details with your mover: parking, lift bookings, stairs, and any tight driveways at both ends.
- Arrange care for pets and young children on moving day so they are safe and out from underfoot.
Two weeks before
The pace picks up. Most of the house should be packable now, leaving only the essentials you use daily.
- Pack everything except the bare essentials for the final two weeks. Keep one box per person of clothes and toiletries.
- Redirect your mail through Australia Post so nothing important goes to the old address after you leave.
- Confirm the booking with your removalist, including arrival time, crew size and the final address.
- Service or clean any appliances coming with you, and plan to defrost the freezer 24-48 hours before moving day.
- Return anything borrowed, and collect anything of yours that is out at the dry cleaner, the repairer or a friend's place.
- Back up your computers and photograph valuable or fragile items before they are packed, for peace of mind.
The week of the move
This is the final run. Everything should be nearly done, so the last days are calm rather than frantic.
- Finish packing every room except a clearly marked essentials box for the first night.
- Pack that essentials box last and load it first at the new place: phone chargers, medications, snacks, a kettle, toilet paper, bedding and a change of clothes.
- Empty, defrost and dry the fridge and freezer 24-48 hours before the move.
- Confirm the weather forecast and let your mover know of anything that might affect access on the day.
- Do a final clean of packed rooms as you go, so cleaning is not left entirely for the end.
- Withdraw some cash and keep important documents, keys and valuables in a bag you carry yourself.
Moving day
If the earlier stages are done, today is mostly about being available and letting the crew work. Your job is coordination, not heavy lifting.
- Be up, dressed and ready before the crew arrives. We move between 7am and 7pm, seven days a week.
- Walk the crew through the home, flag anything fragile or valuable, and point out which boxes go to which room.
- Keep your essentials box, keys, phone and documents with you, not on the truck.
- Do a final walk-through of every room, cupboard and the garage before you lock up. Check nothing is left behind.
- Take final meter readings and photos of the empty property, especially if you are renting and want your bond back.
- Hand over keys only once you have confirmed the truck is fully loaded and the house is empty.
After you move
The truck is unloaded, but a few loose ends remain. Tie them off in the first week and the new place becomes home faster.
- Unpack the essentials box and set up the beds first, so night one is comfortable no matter what else is still in boxes.
- Check that utilities are connected and working, and report any faults straight away.
- Finish any change of address notifications you did not complete before the move.
- Test smoke alarms, locate the water and gas shut-offs, and change the locks if you want the extra security.
- Break down and recycle empty boxes as you go, so the new home does not stay cluttered.
- Introduce yourself to the neighbours and get your bearings on bins, parking and the nearest shops.
Work through this in order and the move stops being one overwhelming day and becomes a series of small, manageable ones. When you are ready to lock in the crew, we make that part simple. Our quotes are capped in writing before we lift a box, so the number you plan around is the number you pay. Get your free capped quote and cross the biggest task off this list today.