Moving house: a checklist from a month out to the first week

What to do and when, so moving day is a day and not a week.

A month before

• Fix the date, and tell the owner or the society what it is; some societies want notice and a deposit for a lift or a gate pass.
• Get quotes from more than one mover, each after seeing the load, and ask what is included: packing material, loading, unloading, furniture assembly, insurance.
• Start with what you do not use: sell, give away or throw out before you pay to move it.

The last week

• Pack room by room and label every box with the room it goes to.
• Photograph valuable and fragile things before they are packed.
• Keep what you need on the first night in a bag of your own: documents, medicines, chargers, a change of clothes, basic tools.
• Arrange the utilities in the new home to be on, and the old ones to be closed or transferred.

Moving day

Be there. Check the load against your list as it goes on and as it comes off, and note anything damaged on the paper the mover gives you before you sign it. Take final readings of the meters in the old home and photograph them.

The first week

Update your address with your bank, your employer, your insurer and the post. Report any damage to the mover within the time they give. Take the time to look for what the home needs before it is filled.

This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules differ between states and change over time, so confirm the details that matter to you with a qualified professional or the authority concerned before you act.