Moving house checklist
A good move is a planned move. Work through this week-by-week checklist and you will spread the load, avoid last-minute panic and arrive in your new home organised.
Six weeks before
- Set your moving date and get a fixed-price removal quote so you can budget early. Our cost guide explains what drives the price.
- Declutter room by room. Sell, donate or dispose of anything you will not take, because fewer items means a smaller, better-value move.
- Start collecting boxes and packing materials, and create a simple inventory of valuable or fragile items.
Four weeks before
- Book your removalist to lock in your preferred date and time slot.
- Notify your landlord or arrange settlement dates, and confirm access and parking at both addresses.
- Begin packing rarely used rooms such as the garage, spare room and top cupboards.
Two weeks before
- Arrange to connect electricity, gas, internet and water at the new place, and schedule disconnection at the old one.
- Redirect your mail through Australia Post and update your address with your bank, employer, Medicare, insurer and the electoral roll.
- Run down your fridge, freezer and pantry so there is less to move and waste.
One week before
- Finish packing except for daily essentials, and label every box clearly by room and contents.
- Pack an essentials box: chargers, toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, snacks, tea and coffee, and basic tools.
- Confirm your booking, back up important documents and disassemble any large furniture that needs it.
Moving day
- Be present to let the crew in, walk them through the home and point out fragile or priority items.
- Keep your essentials box, valuables and documents with you, not on the truck.
- Do a final walk-through of every room, cupboard and the garage before you lock up, and take meter readings.
The first week in your new home
- Unpack the essentials box and the kitchen and bedrooms first so daily life can resume.
- Test smoke alarms, locate the meter box and water shut-off, and check all utilities are working.
- Update your address anywhere you missed and meet the neighbours.
Want to pack smarter as you work through this list? Read our tips for moving house, and if you are moving locally see removalists in Brisbane for how a fixed-price booking works.
Moving checklist FAQs
When should I start packing?
Start with rarely used rooms about four weeks out and work towards daily essentials in the final week. Spreading it over several weeks is far less stressful than a last-minute rush.
What should go in my essentials box?
Anything you will need in the first 24 hours: chargers, toiletries, medications, a change of clothes, snacks, tea and coffee, phone chargers, basic tools and important documents. Keep it with you rather than on the truck.
Do removalists help with packing?
Packing is usually a separate service. With PicUp, have your boxes packed, sealed and labelled before the crew arrives; the team brings blankets and straps to protect furniture and handles all the lifting and loading.
When should I connect utilities at the new place?
Arrange connections about two weeks before so power, gas and internet are live the day you arrive. Schedule disconnection at your old home for the day after you leave.
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Tell PicUp your pickup and drop-off suburbs and your item list, and your exact fixed price appears online before you book. No callbacks, no surprises on moving day, and every job is covered by multi-million dollar transit insurance.