Moving4 min read
A calm moving checklist, from keys to the first night
Moving does not have to be chaos. A few weeks of light preparation, one well packed box, and a plan for the first night make the whole thing feel smaller.
Every move has a moment, usually around eleven at night, when you are sitting on a box looking for a phone charger that you definitely packed. This checklist is designed to make that moment shorter.
It runs backwards from the first night in the new place, because that is what you are really planning for: a bed, a shower, a light that works, and something to eat.
Four weeks out: decide, book, and declutter
- Confirm your move-in date and the time you can get the keys.
- Book movers or a truck now. Weekends and the end of the month go first.
- Give your current landlord written notice if you have not already, and check your lease for the exact deadline.
- Start with the closets, garage and kitchen cupboards. Everything you donate or sell is something you do not have to wrap, carry or unpack.
- Collect boxes, tape, markers and something soft for wrapping. Towels and linens work and you have to move them anyway.
Two weeks out: the boring calls
The tasks nobody remembers until they are urgent:
- Schedule electricity, water, gas and internet for the new address, starting on or before move-in day. Internet installs can take a while to book.
- Schedule the shutoff at your old address for the day after you leave, not the day of.
- Forward your mail and update your address with your bank, employer, insurance and any subscriptions.
- Set up renters insurance for the new home if you do not have it, and check what it does and does not cover.
- Arrange child care or pet care for moving day if you can. It is a long day for small people and animals.
One week out: pack like you will unpack
Label every box on two sides with the room it goes to and a few words about what is inside. "Kitchen, pans" is far more useful than "Kitchen." Keep heavy things in small boxes and light things in large ones. Put screws and small hardware for furniture in a zip bag and tape it to the piece it belongs to.
Take a photo of the back of your TV and computer before unplugging anything. You will not remember which cable went where.
The first night box
This is the most important box you will pack. It travels with you, in the car, not on the truck.
- phone chargers and a power strip
- toilet paper, hand soap, a towel and a shower curtain with hooks
- sheets, a pillow and a blanket for each person
- medications, glasses or contacts, and basic toiletries
- a few plates, cups, cutlery, a pan, a knife and dish soap
- snacks, water and something easy for breakfast
- a box cutter, a screwdriver, light bulbs and a flashlight
- important documents: your lease, IDs, and anything you would hate to lose
- food, a bowl and a leash or litter for any pets
Moving day
Before the truck is loaded, do a final walk through the old place: closets, cabinets, the dryer, behind doors. Photograph each clean, empty room. Give your landlord your forwarding address in writing, since in Texas the deposit refund and any itemized list of deductions can wait until you do.
At the new place, do the opposite. Before anything comes inside, walk through and photograph every room, floor and appliance as you found it. Note any problems on the move-in form and keep a copy. Then direct boxes to rooms using the labels, so nothing lands in a pile by the door.
Test the basics as soon as you can: lights, hot water, the stove, the fridge, the smoke alarms and the locks.
The first night
Make the beds before you do anything else. It takes ten minutes, and future you, tired at midnight, will be very glad. Hang the shower curtain. Plug in the chargers. Order food or make something simple, and leave the rest of the boxes for tomorrow.
The first week
- 1Unpack the kitchen and bathroom first; they make daily life work.
- 2Find the breaker panel, the water shutoff and the thermostat.
- 3Save your landlord's contact details and the emergency number for repairs.
- 4Report anything that is not working, in writing, so there is a dated record.
- 5Break down boxes as you go. Neighbors and local groups are often happy to take them.
- 6Walk the neighborhood. Find the nearest grocery store, pharmacy and a good place for coffee.
If your landlord manages the home on Holuway, your lease, documents and repair requests live in one place in your dashboard, which saves a lot of searching through email in that first week.
And if you are still looking for the right place, start with a search by neighborhood, price and the things that matter to you. The calmest moves start with a home that fits.
