The Ultimate Apartment Moving Checklist
1 month before moving day
- Find out what day you can pick up the keys to the new apartment from your real estate agent and organise your moving date
- Get quotes from different removalist companies and enquire about their availabilities
- Get quotes for packers and unpackers if you are wanting a full service move
- Get quotes for removalists insurance or check with your home and contents insurance provider
- Get quotes from local or mobile self storage facilities if needed
- Get quotes for apartment move in and move cleaners
- Plan out the furniture floor plan at your new apartment
- Purchase moving boxes and packing supplies from your moving company, a local storage facility or from Bunnings
- Go through your belongings and sort them into keep, sell, donate or trash piles
- Start packing your belongings that you won’t need access to in the near future
- Arrange a collection of unwanted furniture with your local charity shop, The Salvation Army or St Vinnies
- Put any unwanted items up on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree or eBay for sale or for free
- Speak to your building manager about the move out and/or move in process
2 – 4 weeks before moving day
- Book your removalists for your preferred moving date
- Book your packers and unpackers for your full service move
- Book your apartment cleaners for your move in and move out
- Book the lift for your move in and/or move out with the building manager
- Organise truck parking with the building manager for the move in and move out and advise your moving company
- Organise your removalists insurance with a separate insurance provider or with your home and contents insurance provider
- Update your residential address details for:
- Vehicle
- Election
- Tax
- Medical
- Finance
- Subscriptions
- Insurance
- Utilities
- Get quotes and arrange connections for your utilities:
- Telephone
- Internet
- Gas
- Electricity
- Pay TV
- Water
- Arrange a final metre reading and disconnection of utilities
- Organise a plan for your children on moving day
- Organise a plan for your pets on moving day
- Organise some time off work for your moving day
- Update friends and family with your new residential address
- Continue packing your apartment with any items you will not need for the next few weeks until after you move
- Pack any important documents and valuables in a separate box that is easily identifiable so you can move this box yourself on moving day
- Start sorting through and packing your pantry so prepare recipes to finish most perishable foods before moving day
1 week before moving day
- Organise with your postal service to redirect your mail
- Redirect other regular deliveries or subscription services
- Pack a moving essentials box for your first new nights in the new apartment
- Advise your moving company about any last minute details about your apartment and your move such as lift booking times and truck parking zones
- Start dismantling some items of furniture that you won’t need until after you move
- Water your plants for the last time until after the move
- Start finalising your packing and only leave out the daily items you need and change of clothes
- Check the weather forecast for your move day and prepare yourself if it is a raining day or a hot summer’s day
- Dispose of flammables and any other hazardous items that can’t be relocated to your new apartment
- Consume as many food items as possible to minimise the amount of food required to be moved or thrown out
- Get your fridge ready before moving day
Day of the move
- Put your moving essentials box and the box containing all your important documents and valuables aside or in your car so you can move it yourself
- Do a thorough check of all the cupboards and rooms in the apartment to make sure nothing has been forgotten
- Shut all the doors and windows
- Turn off all the power at the switchboard
- Return your keys including the spares to the real estate agent
