Moving house is exciting right up until you realise the kitchen still needs packing, someone has misplaced the tape and the kids want lunch. Apparently, feeding everyone remains your job even when the plates are in a box.
A good moving house checklist gives you somewhere to put all those jobs that would otherwise live in your head. This guide breaks the move into manageable stages, from booking help and sorting storage to finding clean pyjamas on your first night.
Start around six to eight weeks ahead if you can. If you have less time, work through the same stages in order and focus on bookings, essentials and getting everything safely from one home to the next.
6–8 weeks before moving: sort the big decisions
Confirm your dates and make a moving budget
Write down when you need to leave, when you can collect the new keys and whether there is a gap between those dates. Confirm who is handling each handover.
Then make room in the budget for removalists or truck hire, packing materials, cleaning, fuel, storage and any time off work. Include meals for moving day. A takeaway dinner is much easier to account for now than another thing to feel guilty about later.
Keep quotes, receipts, contact numbers and booking confirmations in one shared folder. Give each task a name and a deadline so “we need to organise that” actually becomes someone’s job.
Book your removalist or hire vehicle
Compare written quotes and ask what is included. Check charges for stairs, difficult access, travel time, minimum booking periods and changes to your moving date.
Tell the removalist about narrow driveways, lifts, bulky furniture and anything that needs special handling. If you live in an apartment, ask the building manager about loading areas and lift bookings.
Measure larger furniture and the doorways it needs to pass through. Discovering the sofa will not fit is a fairly expensive way to spend moving morning.
Work out whether you need temporary storage
Sometimes the old place needs to be empty before the new one is ready. Or you are moving somewhere smaller and need time to decide which furniture will fit.
Self-storage units can provide a temporary home for furniture and packed belongings during that gap. Roomia’s location finder lets you look for a facility near you. Before booking, compare unit sizes, access arrangements and the total cost for the time you expect to need.
Label anything going into storage separately from boxes heading straight to the house. Keep school gear, medication, documents and first-night essentials with you. Nobody wants to make a storage run for a missing teddy at bedtime.
Declutter before buying boxes
Open one cupboard at a time and sort its contents into keep, donate, sell and dispose of responsibly. Start with easy decisions, such as clothes that no longer fit and duplicate kitchen gear.
Set a deadline for selling things. If an unwanted table is still sitting there the week before moving day, decide whether donating it is worth more to you than another round of messages asking whether it is available.
For more help getting started, read our guide to moving house.
4 weeks before moving: gather supplies and start packing
Use what you already own
Suitcases, sturdy tubs and reusable bags can all have a job. Check boxes for damage before reusing them, and reserve smaller cartons for heavy items such as books.
Make a packing station with tape, markers, labels, scissors and wrapping material. A X-Press It Packing Tape 3 Pack is one option for sealing cardboard cartons. Keep a spare roll somewhere obvious, because packing tape has a remarkable ability to disappear in an otherwise empty room.
If you will use them after the move, the Living Space 20 L Storage Box 4 Pack gives you reusable containers for toys, craft supplies or seasonal belongings. Check delivery timing and local availability before ordering.
You do not need to replace every cardboard box with a new tub. Buy for the storage you will actually need.
Pack the things you can live without first
Begin with decorations, spare linen, off-season clothing and rarely used kitchenware. Leave everyday cooking equipment and enough clothes for the remaining weeks accessible.
Label the top and side of each box with its destination room and a short description. “Kitchen: mugs and cutlery” is far more useful than “Kitchen stuff”.
Wrap fragile items individually, cushion empty spaces and avoid making boxes too heavy to handle comfortably. Our guide to packing and moving fragile items has more ideas for delicate belongings.
Think about the trips between the house and car
For smaller belongings, a Folding Hand Truck Dolly Utility Cart with 2 Baskets may be useful for carrying several items at once. It is worth considering if you will also use it for shopping or household jobs after the move.
Check the manufacturer’s load limits, wheel suitability and instructions before use. Bulky furniture and awkward loads need suitable equipment and help.
Give the kids a small job of their own
Let each child choose a few things for a bag that travels with them: a favourite toy, a book, a change of clothes and something comforting.
Explain what will happen on moving day and who will be looking after them. Older children can label their own boxes or help plan their new room.
Our tips on how to reduce stress when moving with kids are a useful next read if the move is bringing up big feelings.
2 weeks before moving: deal with the admin
Packing is visible. Address changes and service bookings are easier to forget until the Wi-Fi does not work.
Work through your household’s list:
- Arrange electricity, gas where applicable, water and internet for the relevant dates.
- Update banks, insurers, employers, schools and childcare.
- Check address updates for government services, licences and vehicle registration.
- Arrange mail redirection if needed.
- Update subscriptions, regular deliveries and saved online-shopping addresses.
- Organise care for children and pets during loading and unloading.
- Confirm cleaning arrangements and handover instructions.
Check the requirements that apply to your tenancy and state or territory rather than assuming a particular notice period or cleaning service is compulsory.
Plan a few meals around what is already in the freezer and pantry. This is a good week for using things up before buying more.
1 week before moving: pack for the first 24 hours
Keep an essentials kit out of the truck
Pack as though the family is going away overnight. You want to get through dinner, showers, bedtime and breakfast without opening twenty cartons.
Keep these accessible:
- Regular medication and personal care items.
- Toilet paper, soap, toothbrushes and towels.
- Pyjamas, underwear and clothes for the next day.
- Phone chargers, keys and important documents.
- Water bottles, snacks and simple breakfast food.
- Pet food, bowls, leads and other pet essentials.
- Nappies, wipes and feeding supplies where needed.
- Bedding and the kids’ comfort items.
- A small cleaning kit, bin bags, scissors and basic tools.
Put the kettle, tea and coffee somewhere easy to find too. That first cuppa deserves a better plan than “probably in one of the kitchen boxes”.
Confirm bookings and access
Check arrival times, phone numbers, parking arrangements and payment details with everyone involved.
Photograph furniture before dismantling it and label the fittings. Keep screws and bolts in a sealed, clearly named bag with the relevant item.
Follow appliance instructions for preparing your fridge, freezer and washing machine for transport. Keep the cleaning gear out until the final clean is finished.
Moving day: check each room before you leave
Start with breakfast and keep drinking water throughout the day. Put your essentials kit somewhere clearly separate from the load so it does not disappear into the truck.
Before leaving the old home:
- Check cupboards, drawers, the garage, shed and outdoor areas.
- Take any agreed condition photographs and meter readings.
- Collect chargers, spare keys and items left on high shelves.
- Confirm windows and doors are secured.
- Follow the agreed key-handover arrangements.
At the new home, show the movers which room each box belongs in. Check that everything has been unloaded and note visible damage promptly.
Keep children and pets away from the loading route and make sure walkways stay clear. There is enough happening without someone trying to squeeze past a trolley with a bowl of cereal.
You can also download our printable moving house checklist to keep nearby.
After the move: make tomorrow morning easier
Set up beds, the bathroom and a basic kitchen
Start with somewhere to sleep, somewhere to wash and enough kitchen equipment to feed everyone. Then find the clothes and bags needed for the next day.
The picture frames can wait. Being able to locate a towel cannot.
Unpack one useful area at a time and flatten empty cartons as you go. Keep a small list of anything missing or damaged while the details are fresh.
Give everyday belongings a home
Once you know how the rooms work, think about getting storage in place where things naturally collect.
Measure before buying furniture or organisers. A unit that looks perfect online still needs to fit beside the door without blocking it.
For a playroom or children’s bedroom, a toy storage unit can give toys a predictable place to go. Group similar things together so pack-up does not require an adult to decode the system.
Near the entry, a shoe rack or bench organiser can help contain the shoes that otherwise spread across the hallway. Follow assembly and anchoring instructions for any furniture you add.
For storage solutions, check out Factory Fast Australia once you have measured the spaces you need to organise.
Leave room to settle in
You may still have unopened boxes next week. That is fine. Focus on the belongings you use, the routines that help everyone get through the day and the jobs that genuinely need doing.
A functioning home can include a takeaway container on the bench and a box marked “miscellaneous” in the corner.
What is the one thing you wish you had done before your last move? Share your moving-day tip in the comments.
Have your say!