Moving Checklist: How to Pack for a Move and Lose Nothing
A simple week-by-week moving checklist, plus packing tips that keep every box accounted for from the old home to the new one.
Your moving timeline
6–8 weeks before
Declutter first. Every item you donate, sell, or toss is one less thing to pack, carry, and pay to move.
Get quotes from movers or price out a rental truck. Book early for weekends and the end of the month — they fill up fast.
Gather supplies: sturdy boxes or totes, tape, markers, labels, and padding for fragile things.
2–4 weeks before
Start packing rooms you use least: guest rooms, the garage, attic, and seasonal storage.
Set up mail forwarding and schedule utilities to stop at the old home and start at the new one.
Keep important papers, medicine, and valuables aside to move yourself.
The last week
Pack everything except daily essentials. Pack an "open first" box with sheets, towels, chargers, basic tools, toilet paper, and snacks.
Take photos of electronics wiring before unplugging, and of any furniture you take apart.
Count your boxes so you know the total before the truck is loaded.
Moving day and after
Check each box off as it goes on the truck, and again as it comes off. That's how you know nothing was left behind.
Unpack the kitchen and bedrooms first, then work room by room.
How to label moving boxes
Write the destination room, not the room it came from: "Kitchen" or "Kid's bedroom" tells movers where to set it down.
Label the side as well as the top, so you can still read it when boxes are stacked.
Number every box. A numbered list on your phone — with what's inside each one — beats trying to write everything on the box.
Mark fragile boxes clearly, and keep them on top.
What size moving truck do you need?
As a rough guide: a cargo van suits a studio or a few rooms of things, a 10–15 ft truck fits a one- or two-bedroom home, and a 20–26 ft truck fits a three- or four-bedroom home.
Furniture and appliances take up most of the space, so a home with lots of big pieces may need a size up. If in doubt, ask the rental company or a mover.
Hiring movers safely
In the U.S., interstate movers must be registered with the FMCSA. You can look up a mover's license number on the FMCSA website before you book.
Get written estimates, and be wary of a quote far lower than the others.
Don't forget insurance
Moving is a good time to update your home inventory. If something is damaged or lost in the move, a list with photos and values makes a claim much easier.
Do it the easy way with Pegboard
- Photograph what goes in each box or tote, then search later to find which one has the coffee maker.
- Mark each box as on the truck, then arrived — so nothing gets left behind.
- Get a rough truck size from what you've actually catalogued.
- Draw the new home's rooms and choose where each room's boxes go.
- Share the move with everyone in your household, so the whole family can check boxes off.
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