Moving Checklist

Moving day goes smoothly when the six weeks before it are organized. Work through this list from the top and nothing important slips.

Six to eight weeks out

• Book your mover (or reserve a truck) — good crews fill up first, especially at month-end.
• Start decluttering room by room; donate, sell, or toss what will not make the trip.
• Gather important documents — ID, mortgage and legal papers, school and medical records — into one folder that travels with you.
• If you are renting either end, confirm elevator bookings and move-in/move-out rules with property management.

Four weeks out

• File your change of address with Canada Post and set up mail forwarding.
• Update your address with your bank, employer, CRA, Service Ontario (licence and health card), and insurance providers.
• Schedule utility disconnections and connections — hydro, gas, water, internet — for closing day at both addresses.
• Order packing supplies and start with the rooms you use least.

Two weeks out

• Confirm details with your mover: addresses, elevator times, parking for the truck.
• Arrange care for kids and pets on moving day.
• Use up frozen and perishable food; plan simple meals for the final week.
• Refill prescriptions and set aside a first-night box — kettle, toiletries, chargers, a change of clothes, basic tools.

Moving week

• Finish packing and label every box with its destination room.
• Defrost the freezer and drain garden hoses, washer lines, and portable appliances.
• Set aside valuables, keys, and closing documents to move personally.
• Do a final meter reading and photograph it at both properties.

Moving day

• Walk the movers through the house before loading; point out fragile items.
• Do a last sweep of every closet, cupboard, and the garage before the truck leaves.
• At the new house, check that everything on the agreement of purchase — chattels, fixtures — is present before the crew departs.