Relocating to a new place can be an exciting adventure, but it also requires careful planning and organization. To ensure a smooth transition, it’s crucial to have a well-structured timeline that outlines the most important tasks at each phase of your relocation. In this blog post, we’ll guide you through the key stages of the moving process, providing you with a comprehensive timeline to keep you on track. Let’s dive in!

P.S. are you more of a pen and paper gal? Me too. That’s why I’ve taken everything I know about how to move and put it into a Moving Planner full of packing checklists, timelines, and worksheets that will guide you through your relocation step-by-step.

You can order your copy on Amazon here.

Phase 1: Preparing for the Move

3-4 Months Before the Move:

• Research your new location: Gather information about your destination, including housing options, schools, healthcare facilities, and local amenities. This will help you make informed decisions during the move.
• Create a moving budget: Estimate your moving expenses, including packing supplies, transportation costs, and potential storage fees. Having a budget in place will help you manage your finances effectively. Find a comprehensive list of items to budget for HERE.
• Start decluttering: Sort through your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, sell, or discard. Organize garage sales or online listings to get rid of unwanted items and lighten your load. This will save you more time and money than you realize- read more about how to do it HERE.
• Assemble your team of relocation professionals. You will need to start speaking with real estate agents if you are planning to sell and purchase a home. Additional services are available as well such as a moving coach (to coach you through the personal challenges of moving) and relocation specialists (to consult with you about your specific relocation needs). If you’re trying to do this alone… you’re doing it wrong. It doesn’t cost you anything to get connected to a relocation agent in your future town, and I offer FREE relocation consultations to help you make a moving GAME PLAN.

2-3 Months Before the Move:

• Hire a reputable moving company: Decide on the level of service you’d like to have for your move. The most expensive, and also most convenient, option is to hire full service movers. The least expensive, but most hassle, option is to rent a moving truck and do the entire more yourself. The in-between option is to use moving containers. Once you’ve decided on the level of assistance you will require, research moving companies, obtain quotes, and book your preferred choice in advance. Ensure they have proper licensing and insurance coverage.
  For more information about hiring moving professionals- read my advice HERE.
• Notify important parties: Inform your employer, schools, healthcare providers, and utility companies about your upcoming move. Arrange for the transfer or cancellation of services as necessary. Don’t forget about subscription boxes and local memberships (like the gym)!
• Gather important documents: Collect and organize important documents such as passports, medical records, school transcripts, and financial statements. Keep them in a secure and easily accessible place. DON’T PACK THEM WITH THE MOVING TRUCK. KEEP THEM IN YOUR POSESION AT ALL TIMES.

Phase 2: Packing for the Move

4-6 Weeks Before the Move:

• Start packing: Begin packing non-essential items, such as off-season clothing, books, and decorations. It’s also important to pack away decorative and clutter items. This will help with the staging and selling of your home, but it also makes keeping your home clean during the showing process much easier. If you’re not planning to sell your home, you’re simply giving yourself a head start on packing, which future you will greatly thank you for.
  Click HERE to learn more important decluttering tips!
• Pack a Moving Essentials Box: This box will be your go to place for all the important items you will need over the coming weeks. Keep them separate so you know where they are and they aren’t accidentally packed up. Read more about this IMPORTANT group of items here.
• Notify change of address: Go online to officially change your address with USPS. This will have USPS begin forwarding your mail to your new address so you don’t miss any important mail. Don’t worry, you can select the date you’d like mail forwarding to begin- so do this ahead of time. Inform friends, family, and important contacts about your new address as well.
  Click HERE to begin changing your address with USPS.
• Arrange for transportation: If you’re driving to your new location, plan your route, book accommodations, and schedule vehicle maintenance if necessary. If flying, book your tickets and make necessary pet transportation arrangements if applicable.

2-4 Weeks Before the Move:

• Confirm moving logistics: Reconfirm the details with your chosen moving company, including the moving date, packing services, and any special requirements. Verify hotel stays and pet accommodations.
• Transfer utilities: Arrange for the disconnection of utilities at your current home and the setup of services at your new residence. This includes electricity, water, internet, cable, gas, and sometimes trash. Some utility companies will require proof of residency like a copy of the lease agreement or purchase agreement. There are often utility deposits involved in this process as well. You should have a line item in your moving budget for this process.

Phase 3: Moving Week

1 Week Before the Move:

• Finalize packing: you’ve been packing up items for weeks now, and there have been some items you haven’t been able to part with (like your coffee maker), and some things you know you’ll need immediately in your new home (like your bed sheets), and using the Open First Box method is the best way to keep it all straight. Set aside a box (or two or three), for those essential items you can’t pack until the last day and know you will need immediately in your new home. Pack these boxes LAST so they are easily accessible and then unload them FIRST in your new home.
  Click here to read more about packing an Open First Box!
• Confirm arrangements: Confirm travel plans, accommodations, and any storage solutions if there’s a gap between leaving your current home and moving into the new one.
• Coordinate with professionals: Schedule a final walk-through with your real estate agent, arrange for cleaning services, and ensure all necessary paperwork is completed.

Moving Day:

• Conduct a final walkthrough: Before leaving your current home, double-check all rooms, cabinets, and storage areas to ensure nothing is left behind. If you will be selling your home, the buyer may also be doing a final walkthrough. Make sure the home is in expected condition by then.
• Oversee the move: Be present during the packing and loading process to answer any questions and ensure items are handled carefully. If you’re doing a DIY move, consider enlisting friends and family and offer take out lunch as a thank you.
• Take inventory: Some people like to keep an inventory of each item in each box, numbered and labeled. I find this level of organization only overcomplicates an already stressful event. Make your move easier and only keep an inventory of valuable or important items. Allow everything else to be simply packed, and have the box labeled with the room it should be delivered to. You can also label boxes with general descriptions like, “dishes” or “linens”
• Don’t forget these items and tasks that most people overlook on Moving Day:
  • Unload and pack items in the attic, basement, and closets
  • Retrieve items stored outside of your home such as P.O. boxes, safety deposit boxes, storage units, friends’ homes, gym lockers, dry cleaners etc.
  • Ensure your Open First Box or most essential items are packed at the back of the moving truck or in your own vehicle.
  • Leave behind any keys, garage openers, key fobs, remote controls, etc that belong with the home.

Phase 4: Settling In

1+ days after the move

• Get Aquainted with your New Home: Make sure you know where all the important safety features are in your new home. Locate the water and gas shut off valves in case of an emergency. Locate the breaker box and the hot water heater and make sure everything is functioning properly.
• Begin Thinking about Community: There’s so much to do after moving to a new place, making friends and getting plugged in might not be very high on your priorities. But did you know that having at least one good friend in your new town will greatly decrease the odds of you regretting your recent move? Begin thinking about ways to meet people and get connected to your new town.
  Click HERE to read more about how you can make friends in a new city!
• Connect Utilities and Set up Internet: Ideally your utilities would already be connected, but if you’ve forgotten to do this make sure to do it ASAP. If the previous owners left the utilities on, they are likely to disconnect them shortly, and it is more expensive and more hassle to have them turned on again rather than transferring service into your name.
• Get to Know your New Town: After a few days of getting settled in your new home, make sure you put a pause on unpacking and get out into your new neighborhood and town. Try some of the local restaurants, visit the parks, and attend local events and festivals. This is the fun part, it’s time to enjoy living in your new location!

All of these steps are organized into my step-by-step Moving Planner- available on Amazon.