Moving checklist and box inventory: a free 8-week timeline
Most moving stress comes from two things: forgetting a task until the last week, and not knowing what's in which box. Here's a simple timeline and a box system that fixes both.
8 weeks out
- Get quotes from movers or truck rentals
- Set a moving budget
- Start decluttering one room a week
6 weeks out
- Book your movers or truck
- Collect boxes, tape and markers
- Request school and medical records if you need them
4 weeks out
- File your change of address
- Schedule utility shutoff and start dates
- Pack the rooms you use least
2 weeks out
- Confirm the movers and the date
- Use up the food in your freezer
- Pack everything except daily essentials
Moving week
- Pack an "open first" box
- Photograph valuables before they're loaded
- Do a final walkthrough of the old place
How to inventory your boxes
Give every box a number and a room. List what's inside, roughly what it's worth, and mark it "fragile" if it is. Take a photo of the open box before you seal it. When you unpack, check off each number. If something arrives broken or never shows up, you'll have the box number, the contents and a photo for your mover's damage claim.
Want it done in a spreadsheet?
The Moving Planner & Box Inventory Kit ($9) builds the 8-week checklist from your move date and tracks your boxes, room by room. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
General information only. Your mover's contract decides how claims work.