Moving Checklist: A Week-by-Week Timeline

A successful move comes down to one thing: starting early and staying organized. This moving checklist breaks the entire process into clear, week-by-week steps, from two months before moving day through the moment you hand over your keys. Work through it in order and you can avoid the last-minute scramble that makes moving so stressful. Feel free to print this page and check off each task as you go.

At Craig Van Lines, we have helped families and businesses across Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland relocate since 1918. We are an accredited member of the Better Business Bureau with an A+ rating, and the checklist below reflects what more than a century of moving households of every size has taught us.

Want help at any stage? You can contact us for a free, same-day moving quote or call (703) 273-5533.

Why You Need a Moving Checklist

Moving touches almost every part of your life at once: your home, your finances, your schedule, your kids, and your pets. A written checklist keeps all of those moving parts in one place so nothing slips through the cracks. Just as important, it lets you spread the work across several weeks instead of cramming everything into the final days, which is exactly where most moving-day problems begin.

Two Months Before Moving Day: Start Planning Early

Moving can feel like a monumental task, but starting early is the best way to reduce stress. At the two-month mark, focus on building a plan and organizing the logistics of your move.

Create a Moving Binder or Folder

Set up one central place to store every moving document, whether it is a physical binder or a digital folder. Include your moving quotes, your to-do list, receipts, inventory lists, and any legal paperwork you may need. Having everything in one spot saves hours of searching later.

Declutter Your Home

Take stock of your belongings and decide what to keep, sell, donate, or throw away. The less you move, the easier and cheaper the move will be. Start with the spaces that collect the most unused items, such as closets, the garage, the attic, and storage rooms.

Research and Book a Moving Company

Request quotes from at least three companies and compare more than price. Confirm that each mover is properly licensed and insured, carries adequate coverage, and has strong customer reviews. Book your preferred company as soon as you have a firm date. During the busy summer season, the best crews fill up weeks in advance, so the earlier you reserve, the better.

Set Your Moving Budget

Moving comes with costs that are easy to overlook, so build a budget early. Account for packing supplies, professional movers or a truck rental, transportation, and utility setup fees. Leave a little room for surprises, such as last-minute repairs or extra services.

Notify Schools and Employers

If you have children, tell their current schools about the move and start registering them in the new district. Let your employer know your timeline as well, especially if you will need time off around moving day.

Six Weeks Before Moving Day: Begin Prepping

With about six weeks to go, dig deeper into preparations and start handling the administrative tasks that come with a move.

Gather Packing Supplies

Collect everything you will need to pack: boxes, tape, markers, bubble wrap, and padding for fragile items. Many moving companies sell ready-made packing kits, and you can often pick up free boxes from local stores. If you would rather skip this step entirely, ask about our professional packing services.

Start Packing Non-Essential Items

Begin with the things you rarely use, such as out-of-season clothing, holiday decorations, books, and keepsakes. Label every box with its contents and the room it belongs in, and mark anything breakable as fragile so it gets handled with extra care.

Update Your Address and Notify Key Contacts

Update your address with banks, insurers, subscription services, and anyone else who sends you mail, and let friends and family know you are moving. You can set up mail forwarding through the USPS website so nothing important gets lost during the transition.

Transfer Your Utilities

Contact your providers for electricity, gas, water, internet, and cable to schedule a disconnect at your old home and a connect at your new one. Aim to have utilities up and running the day you arrive so you are never left in the dark.

Schedule Repairs or Home Improvements

If your current home needs repairs before you sell or hand it back, line up contractors now. The same goes for your new place: any upgrades are far easier to complete before the furniture arrives.

One Month Before Moving Day: Handle the Details

With about four weeks left, it is time to confirm the big arrangements and shift toward packing the items you use more often.

Confirm Your Moving Arrangements

Verify the date and time with your moving company and make sure you understand their policies on delays, damage, and cancellations. If you need add-on services such as furniture disassembly, request them now rather than on moving day.

Keep Packing

Move on to the things you use more regularly, such as kitchenware, linens, and home-office supplies. Keep updating your box-by-box inventory so you always know what is packed and where it belongs.

Organize Important Documents

Gather birth certificates, passports, financial records, and medical files into one clearly labeled folder. Make copies of anything critical and keep this folder with you rather than on the truck so it cannot get misplaced.

Make Travel Arrangements

For a long-distance move, finalize your travel plans now. Book flights or hotels if you need them and map out the route for your moving truck or personal vehicle.

Plan for Pets and Plants

Decide how your pets will travel, confirm their vaccinations are current, and consider a pet sitter for moving day. Research the safest way to transport any plants. For more guidance, read our tips on making moving with kids and pets easier.

Two Weeks Before Moving Day: Final Preparations

Two weeks out, finish packing and start preparing your old home for its next owner or renter.

Pack an Essentials Box

Set aside one box with everything you will need for the first day or two in your new home: toiletries, a change of clothes, medications, phone chargers, basic kitchen items, and your document folder. Keep it with you, not on the truck.

Finish Packing

By now, most of your belongings should be boxed. Leave out only what you will use in the final days, such as a few outfits, basic toiletries, and a handful of kitchen essentials.

Clean Your Home

Clean room by room, paying special attention to the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. If you are selling or returning a rental, professional cleaners can deliver the thorough move-out clean many leases require.

Confirm Your Utility Transfers

Double-check that your utilities will switch over on schedule. Photograph your meter readings before you leave so there are no surprises on your final bill.

Cancel or Transfer Local Services

Cancel or transfer recurring local services such as lawn care, gym memberships, newspaper delivery, and home security.

Prepare Appliances and Dispose of Hazardous Items

If you are taking the refrigerator, defrost it a few days ahead to prevent leaks, and use up or donate any perishable food. Movers cannot transport flammable liquids, so drain the fuel from lawn mowers, gas edgers, grills, kerosene heaters, and chainsaws, and dispose of it safely.

Moving Week: Final Logistics

With just days to go, the focus shifts to confirming details and tying up loose ends.

Confirm Everything With Your Movers

Touch base with your moving company one last time to confirm the schedule and make sure they have the correct addresses for both your old and new homes.

Pack Your Last Boxes and Verify Labels

Finish your final boxes and do a quick pass to confirm every box is labeled with its room and contents. Clear labels are what let movers place each box exactly where it belongs.

Do a Final Walkthrough

Once everything is loaded, walk through the entire home, including closets, cabinets, the attic, and the garage, to make sure nothing is left behind.

Hand Over Keys

If you are selling or returning a rental, leave the keys with your agent, landlord, or the new owner, along with any appliance manuals or warranties they will need.

Moving Day: The Big Day

The day has arrived. Now it is all about a smooth, well-supervised move.

Oversee the Move

Be on hand to answer the crew’s questions and confirm that boxes and furniture are handled with care and routed to the right rooms in your new home.

Inspect Your New Home

Before anything comes off the truck, take a few minutes to check that your new home is clean and ready for your belongings.

Unpack Your Essentials First

Start with your essentials box and set up your most-used items, including toiletries, basic kitchenware, and bedding. That first comfortable night makes the whole move feel worthwhile.

Follow these steps and the experience becomes far smoother, from decluttering and packing early to trusting the move to Craig Van Lines. Preparation is the key to settling into your new home with ease.

Quick-Reference Moving Checklist

Use this condensed version as a printable cheat sheet.

Finalize with your mover:

Date and time of the move
Number of boxes needed
Whether you want Craig Van Lines to pack for you
Valuation coverage for your belongings

Pack early (seldom-used items):

Out-of-season clothing
Seasonal decorations
Books, records, and media
Fine silver and china

Clean out these spaces:

Attic
Closets
Garage and shed
Basement

Keep these documents with you:

Medical and dental records
Children’s school records
Car titles and registrations
Passports and birth certificates
Banking and settlement papers

Schedule connect and disconnect dates for utilities:

Electricity
Water and sewer
Gas
Internet, cable, and phone
Trash and recycling
Check on hook-up charges and deposit policies

Pack a settle-in box:

Trash bags, paper towels, and paper plates and cups
Can opener and basic utensils
Linens and towels
Flashlight and a small tool kit
Cleansers, sponges, and light bulbs

Empty fuel from (movers cannot transport these):

Lawn mowers and gas edgers
Gas grills
Kerosene heaters
Chainsaws

A Note on Moving Expenses and Taxes

Keeping receipts for your move is still smart, but the tax rules have changed. For most households, moving expenses are no longer deductible on a federal tax return. Since 2018, the federal moving-expense deduction has been limited to active-duty members of the Armed Forces who move under orders, and beginning in 2026 it also applies to certain intelligence-community employees who move under orders. A handful of states still allow a moving deduction on the state return, so save your records and confirm the current rules with a qualified tax professional or directly with the IRS. This information is general and is not tax advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I start planning my move?

Ideally about two months before moving day. Starting early gives you time to declutter, compare movers, set a budget, and pack in stages, which is far less stressful than rushing in the final week.

How far in advance should I book a moving company?

Reserve your movers as soon as you have a confirmed date, generally four to six weeks out. During the peak summer season, book even earlier, since the most reputable crews fill their calendars quickly.

What should I pack first when moving?

Start with non-essential, seldom-used items such as out-of-season clothing, books, and decorations. Save daily essentials like toiletries, a few outfits, and basic kitchen items for last.

What should go in my moving essentials box?

Pack toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, phone chargers, basic kitchen items, and your folder of important documents. Keep this box with you rather than loading it on the truck so you can reach it the moment you arrive.

Are moving expenses tax deductible?

For most people, no. Since 2018, the federal moving-expense deduction has applied only to active-duty military who move under orders, with certain intelligence-community employees added beginning in 2026. Some states still allow a deduction on the state return, so keep your receipts and check with a tax professional.

Move With Confidence

A great move starts with a great plan and the right team. Craig Van Lines has served Northern Virginia, Washington, DC, and Maryland since 1918 with dependable, affordable residential, commercial, and packing and storage services. When you are ready, contact us for a free, same-day quote or call (703) 273-5533, and we will help make your next move your easiest one yet.

Fred Craig

Fred C. Craig III is the owner of Craig Van Lines, a Northern Virginia moving company his family has run for more than a century. The business began in 1918 when J.H. Craig hauled cattle, feed, and hay from Virginia’s rural farms to the markets of the DC area. As the region shifted from farmland to residential communities in the 1940s, the family started moving households after hours and on weekends, eventually building the full-service moving company Craig Van Lines is today. Fred carries on that tradition, providing the same quality and care his family has brought to this community for over 100 years.

The Complete Moving Checklist: Your Week-by-Week Timeline