A service checklist for moving to a new home

Arrange moving services around the homes’ handover dates. Transport, packing, cleaning, and preparing the new home affect one another’s timing. Start with dates you cannot change and leave enough room between them for your own tasks.

Make two parallel plans

The old home must be emptied and left in the agreed condition. At the new home, you need access, places for belongings, and essential living arrangements. The same day may not suit both sets of tasks.

Record at least key collection and return, any renovations, the moving truck’s arrival, and cleaning. Check building access routes and procedures before booking movers.

Choose services around your workload

A moving service may mean just a truck and crew or a broader packing and unpacking package. Routine home cleaning and move-out cleaning also involve different task lists. Ask each provider for a clear scope.

One possible division of work is:

• You: Declutter and transport important documents
• Packing service: Agreed rooms and fragile items
• Movers: Transport, carrying, and agreed furniture disassembly
• Cleaning company: Final cleaning of the empty home
• Separate installer: Necessary installation work

Agree who supplies boxes and protective materials and when they are returned.

Pack a separate first-night box

Keep medication, keys, chargers, essential clothing, and items for the day’s meals apart. Moving day is easier when you do not need to locate everything immediately.

If the homes’ dates do not line up, plan temporary storage and a two-stage move early. Once the scope is clear, find help for the remaining tasks through home services.

An example of coordinating moving dates

If you receive the new keys before handing back the old home, moving and final cleaning can happen on different days. With little time available, confirm task order and provider availability before booking. After the move, reassess the need for regular household help so a choice made during a busy one-time event does not automatically become permanent.