A smoother move starts with a few clear decisions. Whether you’re packing a few rooms or preparing an entire household, this guide will help you stay organized before moving day.

Start With the Big Details

Before you pack, confirm the basics: where you’re moving from, where you’re going, your preferred date, the approximate size of the move, and whether you need help with packing, storage, transport, or specialty items. The right support can make the practical details easier to manage.

Four Weeks Before the Move

• Request your moving estimate and confirm your preferred moving date.
• Walk through your home and decide what to keep, donate, sell, recycle, or dispose of.
• Start sorting basements, garages, closets, storage areas, and spare rooms.
• Gather important documents, including identification, medical records, school records, insurance papers, and moving documents.
• Contact doctors, dentists, veterinarians, and schools if records need to be transferred.
• If your address is changing, check what updates may be needed for your driver licence, health card, vehicle registration, school records, insurance, and other accounts.
• Start planning for pets, children, vehicles, plants, and specialty items.
• For a longer relocation, begin reviewing travel plans, delivery timing, and any documentation requirements.

Three Weeks Before the Move

• Start using up food, cleaning supplies, and household items you do not want to move.
• Make plans for items movers may not be able to transport, such as aerosols, flammable items, chemicals, propane tanks, fuel, perishables, plants, or regulated items.
• Begin collecting packing supplies if you plan to pack yourself.
• Start packing items you use less often, such as seasonal decor, books, storage items, and guest room belongings.
• Schedule donation drop-offs or pickups.
• Arrange service for major appliances if they need to be disconnected, cleaned, drained, or prepared before moving day.
• Confirm storage plans if your move-out and move-in dates do not line up.
• Tell your mover about fragile, oversized, high-value, antique, or specialty items that may need extra care.

Two Weeks Before the Move

• Confirm travel plans and delivery timing if you’ll be away from home for part of the move.
• Submit your change of address and arrange mail forwarding if needed.
• Notify banks, credit card companies, insurance providers, subscriptions, government agencies, and service providers of your new address.
• Schedule utility shutoff and setup dates for electricity, water, gas, internet, phone, and other services.
• Return library books, borrowed items, rentals, or anything that does not belong to you.
• Continue packing non-essential items room by room.
• Label boxes clearly by room and contents.
• Set aside medication, important documents, chargers, keys, valuables, and daily essentials so they do not get packed by mistake.

One Week Before the Move

• Reconfirm your moving date, arrival window, addresses, and contact information.
• Finish packing most non-essential items.
• Prepare suitcases or essentials bags for each person in the household.
• Keep medication, prescriptions, identification, passports, documents, chargers, valuables, toiletries, and a change of clothes with you.
• Plan simple meals for the final days before moving.
• Clean and prepare outdoor tools, bicycles, garden equipment, and anything that may need to be free of dirt or fuel.
• Drain fuel from lawnmowers, trimmers, and powered equipment.
• Confirm childcare, pet care, parking, elevator access, or building move-in and move-out times if needed.
• If Moving On Express is packing certain items, leave those items in place unless instructed otherwise.

The Day Before the Move

• Finish packing suitcases and essentials bags.
• Defrost, clean, and dry your refrigerator or freezer if it is being moved.
• Prepare a box of items you may need right away, such as cleaning supplies, toiletries, basic tools, paper towels, chargers, and simple kitchen items.
• Set aside keys, documents, payment information, and anything the moving crew may need.
• Charge your phone.
• Clear walkways, stairs, driveways, elevators, and parking areas where possible.
• If you are moving in winter, clear snow and ice from walkways, driveways, and loading areas where you can do so safely.
• Do a final check for items that should not be loaded, including medication, documents, valuables, and travel essentials.

Moving Day

• Be available to answer questions from the moving crew.
• Walk through the home with the movers before loading begins.
• Point out fragile, high-value, oversized, or specialty items.
• Confirm the destination address, best contact number, and any delivery instructions.
• Keep essentials, documents, medication, valuables, chargers, and personal bags with you.
• Do a final check of closets, cabinets, drawers, storage areas, the garage, basement, and outdoor spaces.
• Make sure windows and doors are locked, lights are off, and keys are returned or transferred as needed.
• Take a final look around before leaving.

Moving Tips

• Start earlier than you think. Packing and planning usually take longer than expected.
• Declutter before you pack so you do not pay to move items you no longer need.
• Use smaller boxes for heavy items like books, tools, and canned goods.
• Label boxes by room and contents.
• Keep passports, medication, important documents, valuables, chargers, and essentials with you.
• Ask your mover before packing flammable, hazardous, perishable, regulated, or unusually valuable items.
• If you have children, set aside comfort items and essentials for moving day.
• If you have pets, confirm vaccination records, travel supplies, and a quiet place for them during the move.
• If your new home is not ready, ask about storage options.
• For a longer relocation, plan for weather, travel time, delivery timing, and temporary housing if needed.

If you need help, Moving On Express can review the move details and help coordinate packing, storage, transport, or extra care for specialty items.

Tell us where you’re moving from, where you’re going, your preferred move date, and the size of the move. We’ll review the details and prepare an estimate.