Checklist for Moving to a New House

Things to do 2 months before moving

• Go to every room, sort and separate all the useful and useless items that you need or you want to get rid of. Determine if any of the useful items will require stronger packing supplies or extra insurance coverage.
• Find a Professional Moving Company for moving cost estimates. Don’t trust the over the phone estimates, ask for an on-site written estimate from each company.
• Create an inventory of all the items you’re moving. Pick a large folder or a binder and keep all your moving records and documents, notes, receipts, inventory lists, and contact information.
• If you have children, you should contact their schools and transfer their records to the new school district.
• Set an exact date for when the previous residents are able to give you the keys. If you are planning to renovate the new house, you better do this before moving in.
• Book the moving day off from work when the exact time was determined.

Things to do 1 month before moving

• If you are moving from or to a condo, you should reserve the service elevator in Toronto.
• Fill out the forms for change of address for all your subscriptions and utility services—such as your newspaper and magazine/ telephone, cable—to your new address.
• Take all the valuable items such as jewelry, legal documents and important collections to your safe-deposit box.
• If you are going to pack everything by yourself, it is time to start packing. Order boxes and other supplies. Number and label all the boxes, sort by color or room or their contents. Don’t forget to mark fragile contents!!
• Check the measurements and dimensions at your new home, if possible. This will prevent you from taking larger pieces of furniture that do not fit into the space of your new home.
• Pack a box of “essentials” items including everything you’ll need right away after moving.
• Find the useless items and whether you want to donate them to charity or not.
• Record serial numbers of electronic equipment, take photographs of the state of everything before and after. Fix or repair anything around your home.

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Things to do 2 weeks before moving

• Contact the moving company and reconfirm your previous arrangements.
• Transfer your utilities for the gas, electric, phone and cable companies. It is a quick procedure, you can even do it online. This must be done at least 2 weeks before moving.
• Ask your utility companies to do a final reading of the gas, electric and water meters. Don’t forget to keep a copy of all the final bills or reports. Give your utility companies your new address where they can send final invoices. Pay all the overdue bills.
• Check for any rental equipment such as: hot water tank, alarm systems, air conditioning units. Call the company and request to transfer rental agreements.
• Send your rugs to be washed and cleaned. The cleaner companies usually return them wrapped. Let them stay wrapped when returned until you move to your new house.
• Make a list of friends, companies, and relevant parties who should be notified of your changing address, including your bank, your company’s human resource department, insurance and utility companies.

Things to do a few days before moving

• If you are going to take your refrigerator with you, you better defrost the Freezer. At least 24 hours before moving day, you should empty, clean and defrost it.
• Try to finish packing, room by room. Don’t leave anything of your personal items behind.
• Finish packing. All the boxes should be ready, taped and labeled. Pay the most attention to this part. The way you are arranging things in the box and the method you use for classifying the boxes is very important.
• Pack a small suitcase for everyone in the family with enough clothes available to wear for the few first days.
• As a common courtesy, you better clean your home before leaving. You can also ask a cleaning company to come in. That’s what you want when you move into your new house, to be clean.
• Check your furniture for any dent and scratches before moving. Because then on the moving day, you will have an idea if the moving company caused any dent or scratch during the process.
• The water hoses, propane tank, gas/oil lawnmowers should be drained.
• Check what the best way to reach your new home is.
• You must arrange the cut-off/activation dates for your services in your old/new house. Notify the cable, gas, electricity, water, and garbage agencies.
• Put all manuals and warranties of your home appliance in a specific place for the new owner.
• Take photos of all electronics before unplugging them, this will help you assemble them and unpack easier and faster.
• Give all the house keys to the new owners or the real estate agent.

Things to do on the moving day

• Make sure the moving company has all the address details and phone numbers.
• Go room by room with your movers, make sure everything is removed and delivered.
• Shut off all utilities and appliances. Remember that during the winter you need to leave your heating system on in order to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.
• Check all the windows and doors to be locked before leaving.
• Before the movers leave the old house, sign the bill of inventory list and keep a copy. Then during loading, tick all the things listed in the inventory. You normally won’t need to do it unless your stuff is very valuable.
• Check every room, cabinet and closet at the last minute to make sure that you’re not leaving behind any important thing.
• Add some important items to your essentials box, including toilet paper, phone chargers, scissors, and garbage bags.
• Someone should be present at the new house location to help your movers put the items in the correct room.
• Tip your movers!

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