The Ultimate Moving Checklist According to a Realtor

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Moving is considered the third most stressful life event that people experience, preceded only by the death of a loved one and divorce. The packing, the game of box Tetris, the logistics… oh my. As a real estate agent, I assist in helping people to move constantly and trust me when I say EVERYONE needs a little help. Here are some things you definitely don’t want to forget:

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1. EDIT & ORGANIZE

There is nothing worse than showing up to your shiny new digs with a bunch of stuff you don’t even like. I am currently participating in the “100 Less Things” challenge: donate, sell, or throw away 10 items in your house every day for 10 days. This is a great thing to do 4-6 weeks before your big move. Go through EVERYTHING and get rid of everything that doesn’t spark joy a la Marie Kondo. I like to start with the places where junk loves to hide: drawers, closets, and the dreaded garage. Make sure that everything you’re bringing with you is something you genuinely love or need and don’t just transport junk from one place to another.

2. COLLECT BOXES & PACKING SUPPLIES

Don’t keep your move a secret: tell everyone! People love to get rid of boxes and your family and friends will be happy to throw some your way. Not having any luck? Grocery stores and liquor stores end up with a TON of boxes from their shipments and are usually happy to have you take them off your hands.

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3. PACK, TAPE, LABEL, REPEAT

Ugh. The worst part. When packing up your home, resist the urge to just throw things in boxes all willy nilly. You’ll regret it later. Pack things in boxes organized by room so when your boxes arrive to their destination, they can be unloaded into the correct space which will save you from digging. A sharpie works great, but color-coded labels are even better. These color coded labels will save you a ton of time, plus you can stick one on the wall or door of each room to help your movers know where to put things.

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4. BRING IN THE PROS

Speaking of movers: they truly are a lifesaver. I will never move solo again. It is so worth it to hire people with a little muscle who are trained to keep your stuff safe. Enter Muscle Movers LLC. They can help as much or as little as you want. From simply driving your stuff from point A to point B to literally packing up your whole house for you, transporting it, and unpacking it. They even provide the truck, labels, boxes, and tape if needed. Answer a few questions here and they’ll send you a quote! I really appreciate that they even offer to move big items such as couches or pianos in the Las Vegas, Nevada area which is helpful to someone like me who would find that extremely difficult to do on her own.

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5. CLEAN IT UP

Prep the place for the next family by deep cleaning everything: wipe down all the surfaces, clean the carpets, mop the floors, scrub the bathrooms, clean the windows, dust the fans, change the air filters… whew! I’m tired just typing that. This is definitely another task I’d hire out.

6. DON’T GET LEFT IN THE DARK

I can’t tell you how many panicked phone calls I’ve gotten from clients who decided to move in the evening only to show up and realize they don’t have power. With so much going on surrounding a move, it’s pretty easy to forget to switch over your utilities. Make sure you contact your electric, gas, water, and trash agencies and give them the dates to shut off service to your old place and activate at the new one.

7. FORWARD YOUR MAIL

Start a list on your phone and add to it as you think of people, places, and agencies that will need your new address. A great place to start is USPS with a simple change of address form. Don’t forget to update your ID, Amazon, bills, your employer, your bank, and of course, all your friends and family.

8. PACK A FIRST NIGHT BOX

No matter how ambitious you are, you probably won’t get completely unpacked on day one. So packing a specific box of things you’ll need for that first night will save you the annoyance of digging through all your boxes looking for things you need for the first night. Include paper plates and cups, cutlery, pet food, a change of clothes, pajamas, toiletries, a phone charger, and any necessary medications.