Moving Into a New Apartment: A Checklist to Make It Easy

Are you moving into your new apartment soon? If you are, then you’ll have plenty to do.

Along with dealing with the death of a loved one, going through a divorce, or suffering from a major illness, moving home is one of the most stressful life events you can experience.

To help you cope with the demands of the move, the list of items on your to-do list can be endless. There are packing boxes, organizing removalists, contacting service providers, and cleaning your property from top to bottom. And that is just for starters!

There are probably several other things you haven’t thought of in between.

For this reason, when moving into a new apartment, it is essential to write a checklist to make it easy for you to manage.

In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive overview of what you need to include on it.

From hiring movers and packing your belongings to transferring your utilities and keeping a track of essential tasks, let us help you gear up for a more stress-free move.

12 to 4 weeks before moving day

In the period of 12 to 4 weeks before your moving day, here is what you should do:

Source moving boxes

One of the first things you will need to do is source moving boxes, tea chests, or containers.

Instead of buying them brand new, you should try and find some cheap cardboard boxes online. You may be able to pick some up for free at your local supermarket or fruit and vegetable wholesalers too.

You should also procure packaging supplies like black marker pens, bubble wrap, void filler, and packing tape to help box things up.

Organize your belongings

The best way to maintain a coordinated and well-organized move is to adopt a methodical and well-planned approach to it.

To reduce the amount you need to pack, the period of up to 12 to 4 weeks before your move is an ideal time to start selling stuff you either don’t need or want anymore.

The best way to do this is to go through all your old clothes, shoes, children’s toys, books, and other household items. As you do this, put anything you no longer have use for to one side, as this is clutter.

Once you have gone through all your possessions, consider running a garage sale or selling these items online via the Facebook marketplace. Alternatively, you can donate them to a local charity shop or children’s hospice as appropriate.

Decluttering is an important step, as it will significantly reduce the amount you need to pack and transport to your new home.

Anything you want to keep, particularly those items you will not need before your move, should be boxed up and clearly labeled, ready to be transported.

Budget

A step within the moving process that often gets overlooked, or at least not properly managed, is budgeting for it.

Take the time to draw up a budget for your move. This should include any rent you might need to pay or bond money for your new apartment.

It should also include the cost of hiring a removalist company, changing utility providers, buying cleaning products, and funding any work you might want to do in your new place. For instance, steam cleaning the curtains, painting the walls, or polishing the floors.

When calculating your budget, be sure to add an ‘emergency’ fund for unforeseen expenses. Commit to not overspending on this budget and use the proceeds of any belongings you sold to provide additional funds to the moving budget if required.

Research and book a removalist

Unless you have several friends who can help you – including one who owns a van – you’ll probably need to hire a removalist firm.

Whether you hire removalists to help you move all your belongings or just the heavier and larger items is up to you. Either way, you will need to plan this out.

Make sure you conduct extensive research on moving companies you’re considering booking. In particular, check out their website, reviews, insurance, and certifications.

Also, be aware of your needs. Many companies can handle the entire process for you. This includes carrying out the boxes, moving them to their new destination, and then carrying them into it.

The best moving companies are busy for a reason, so if you want to engage them for your moving day, make sure you book them well in advance.

You can look up reputable and affordable removalists on sites like Muval.

Four weeks before moving day

Four weeks before moving day will come around very quickly. When it does, you should:

Buy necessities

If you need to get any new items before moving into your new place, you should try and buy them ahead of time.

You will have enough to do on moving day without worrying about having to rush out to buy extra cleaning or packing supplies. So make sure you are well stocked with these.

Other things to get are toiletries, new furniture, and some snacks. You can even start preparing some easy dinners that you can heat in the microwave for the first couple of nights after moving in.

Contact your service providers

Four weeks before your move is a very good time to start contacting your utility companies.

Not only can you advise them of your change of address, but you can also transfer your service with them to your new home. Or set up a completely new one with another company.

Service providers may include utility providers for electricity and gas. It may also include telephone landlines if you need them, satellite TV, and internet.

It is worth letting your insurance company know as well.

Take the time to research the companies to ascertain if they offer services in the suburb where you will be moving. Also consider internet speeds, prices, and accessibility to make sure you choose the best providers for your new apartment.

The sooner you can organize and connect to these regular services, the more quickly you can return to your everyday life once you have moved.

Appointment Tracking

It can be a head-spinning time when you move home, and sometimes those important appointments and dates come along much quicker than you think.

Utilizing a prominent spot, like your fridge, to display a calendar or plan of activities is an excellent idea.

It allows you to keep track of the moving day schedule. This includes any appointments or tasks you have planned before, during, and after the move.

It will help tremendously when the frenetic pace of the move is upon you, as you will have a regular visual reminder of all upcoming and key events.

For those who want to be extra organized, you can double up by entering these important dates into your phone. Setting alarms for them will significantly help reduce your stress levels on moving days too.

Three weeks before moving day

Three weeks before moving day is the perfect time to get the following activities done before things get very hectic.

Organise your records

It is important to organize your records, especially if you are moving a far distance.

Although they are accessible online, you might want to take a physical copy of your family’s medical records to your new home. Make sure this includes your children’s immunization records.

You should also take the opportunity to notify your work of your new address and back up all the documents on your computer.

If you have any children still at school, advise them of your move and have any records transferred to their new learning institution.

Service your Car

If you are moving far distance away or interstate, you should get your car serviced. The last thing you want is to break down on the way to your new home.

This expense should be a part of your moving budget. So should shipping your car to your new address, if you are not going to drive the long distance there.

Should you plan on using your car to move boxes to your new apartment, you will also need to ensure it is up to the task.

Change of Address

You don’t want to continue to get mail at your old address, so the quicker you change your address with the post office, the better.

Don’t forget to update your driving license and address details with any of your bill companies.

You will want to let your bank and accountants know of the change of address. As well as any other services you require like a doctor or dentist.

Book a baby or pet sitter

If you have young children or pets and no friends or family living near you, you might want to book a babysitter for a few hours a week. At least leading up to and including the moving day itself.

With little ones vying for your attention, it can be impossible to clean, pack or even unpack with them and/or pets running around.

It will also be a lot less overwhelming for children and your pets to have their new home already furnished with most of their possessions unpacked.

Two weeks before moving day

Two weeks before moving day and things will start to progress. Here is what you should do during this time.

Create a cleaning checklist

It might be helpful to book a company to do the final house cleaning. But it’s also good to create a cleaning schedule in the lead up to moving. This way you can be sure to have everything covered.

To help you do this effectively, remember to keep your electricity connected until after you have cleaned your house. Even if you have already moved all your stuff out of it.

Organize Insurance

Finalize your home and contents insurance to cover your new apartment from the day you move in.

Confirm Removalist

Confirm the date the removalist is coming to ensure everything is booked and correctly scheduled. Decide whether to take out insurance for the removalists and reconfirm the quoted price.

Misc

Start eating and cooking all your perishable food from the freezer and fridge – other than what you intend to have on the first couple of days in your new home.

Return any outstanding library books.

One week before moving day

The week before moving day will be a very hectic time. But make sure you do the following.

Confirm Utilities

Confirm your new address with your service provider.

Also, double-check the date for disconnection from your current home and the connection dates for electricity, water and internet at your new apartment address.

Check the weather and any repairs that are required

Ensure any repairs to your current place are completed, and check the weather forecast for moving day, so you’re prepared for any eventuality.

The last thing you want is to be moving home during a thunderstorm or in dangerous conditions of potential flash flooding.

Appliances

Clean the oven and all appliances that might be staying in the home you are vacating.

Gather together any instruction books for the dishwasher, stove, oven, air conditioner, etc, for the new tenant/buyer.

Overnight bag

Pack an overnight bag including all your usual bathroom toiletries to tide you over until you start unpacking in your new place.

Organize Access

Collect all the keys for the household, including gates, padlocks, garage, and sliding doors, to give to the new owner/tenant.

Moving Day

Moving day will be a whirl of activity, but here is what you should remember to do.

Organize the move

Allocate different tasks to each person helping you with your move. Leave a note at your current place with the details of your forwarding address.

Hot Water System

Turn off the hot water system at the property you are vacating just before you leave, and switch on the hot water system as soon as you arrive at your new address.

Security

Lock all the doors and windows on your way out. Once you arrive at your new apartment, test all the keys. You may even want to have the locks changed immediately too.

Packing

Take a final walk around your current place to ensure you haven’t left anything behind.

Pack all your important documents and jewelry into a bag to take with you and keep them on you at all times until you get into your new place.

If you are using a removalist, open the boxes marked fragile first to ensure there are no breakages and if there are, inform the removalist and your insurance company to make a claim.

One week after moving in

During the week after moving in, most of your time will be taken up unpacking. However, try to remember to do the following.

Settling in

Contact the local council for a new residents’ kit. This will provide you with lots of information you will need to know about living in your new area.

Also, keep your pets indoors for at least a week to familiarise them with the new surroundings.

Contact removalist

Arrange a pickup or return of any used packing boxes purchased from the moving company.

If you purchased them elsewhere and there is no storage space in your new home to put them, then contact a recycling center near you to drop them off there.