🚚Long-Distance Moving Checklist

Decide how you are moving and what it will cost before anything else.

• ▢Pick a moving date and a backup date in case it slips.
• ▢Set a total budget: movers/truck, supplies, deposits, and a 15% buffer.
• ▢Decide: full-service movers, hybrid, or DIY truck rental.
• ▢Get 3 written quotes from movers and compare what each includes.
• ▢Start a moving folder (digital or paper) for quotes, receipts, and dates.
• ▢For a long-distance move, book early. Summer slots fill 6-8 weeks out.

Every box you do not move is money and time saved. Sort ruthlessly.

• ▢Go room by room: keep, donate, sell, trash. Be honest about clutter.
• ▢List sellable items on Marketplace early; pickups take time to schedule.
• ▢Book a donation pickup or find a nearby drop-off for bulky items.
• ▢Use up the freezer, pantry, and cleaning supplies you cannot move.
• ▢Estimate supplies: small/medium/large boxes, tape, paper, markers, bubble wrap.
• ▢Photograph high-value items now for insurance and damage claims.

Move your address and accounts now so nothing important goes to the old place.

• ▢File a change of address with USPS, set to start on moving day.
• ▢Schedule utility shutoff at the old home and turn-on at the new one.
• ▢Update your address on banks, cards, insurance, and subscriptions.
• ▢Book internet/wifi installation at the new place for move-in week.
• ▢Start packing low-use rooms: storage, off-season clothes, books, decor.
• ▢Update your driver license and vehicle registration for the new state.

Most of the house gets boxed now. Label as you go or regret it later.

• ▢Pack room by room and label every box with room + contents + a number.
• ▢Keep a master list: box number to contents, so you can find anything.
• ▢Pack a clearly marked 'open first' box: tools, chargers, toilet paper, snacks.
• ▢Keep screws and small parts in labeled bags taped to the furniture.
• ▢Confirm the mover booking, arrival window, and final price in writing.
• ▢Plan the drive or flights, hotels, and fuel stops for a long-distance move.

Tie off loose ends. Confirm every booking. Pack the rest of the house.

• ▢Reconfirm movers or truck rental 48 hours before. Get a direct phone number.
• ▢Pack a suitcase per person: 3 days of clothes, meds, documents, chargers.
• ▢Defrost and clean the fridge/freezer at least 24 hours before the move.
• ▢Withdraw cash for tips and small day-of expenses.
• ▢Back up your computer and keep passports, IDs, and the lease with you.
• ▢Top off the car, check tires, and download offline maps for the route.

Be the calm coordinator. Direct the crew, protect the essentials, check everything.

• ▢Walk the movers through the home and point out fragile or do-not-move items.
• ▢Keep your essentials bag and valuables in your own car, not the truck.
• ▢Do a final sweep: closets, cabinets, attic, behind doors, the dishwasher.
• ▢Photograph the empty old place and note the meter readings.
• ▢Sign the mover inventory and read it before initialing any damage waiver.

Get safe, get connected, get one good night of sleep. Boxes can wait.

• ▢Direct boxes to the right rooms using your labels as the crew unloads.
• ▢Check for damage against your inventory before the movers leave.
• ▢Set up beds and the bathroom first so the first night is livable.
• ▢Confirm water, power, gas, and wifi are actually working.
• ▢Test smoke and CO detectors; locate the breaker box and water shutoff.

Unpack what matters, finish the admin, and start to feel like home.

• ▢Unpack the kitchen, then bedrooms, then living space, in that order.
• ▢Break down boxes and book a recycling or mover box pickup.
• ▢Verify your address updated everywhere; watch for misdelivered mail.
• ▢Find the nearest grocery, pharmacy, urgent care, and your new commute.
• ▢Leave honest reviews for your movers; flag any damage claim within the window.
• ▢Update voter registration and find new doctors/dentists in the area.