Moving is one of those things that feels manageable until it isn't. Then it's a four-day panic where nothing is in a box and the movers are outside.
This checklist exists so that doesn't happen to you.
8 weeks before move-in
- Create a "moving" folder (physical or digital) for every receipt, quote, and document
- Take inventory of what you own. Be honest. What's coming, what's getting donated, what's getting tossed
- Research movers — get three quotes, check Google reviews, verify they're insured
- If renting movers, book the date NOW for weekend moves (especially summer in Houston)
- Start using up frozen and pantry food — don't move what you can eat
6 weeks before
- Schedule the mover or confirm your DIY truck rental
- Order packing supplies (or save boxes from Costco/grocery store runs)
- If you have kids in school, request transfer paperwork from the current district
- Notify your landlord if applicable (most leases require 60 days)
- Start packing what you don't use daily — seasonal clothes, books, decor
4 weeks before
- File a change of address with USPS (do it online, takes 5 minutes)
- Update your address with: bank, credit cards, employer, IRS, voter registration
- Schedule utilities to be shut off at your old place AND turned on at the new one (same day, or one day overlap)
- Transfer or cancel: internet, cable, gym membership, subscription deliveries
- Begin packing seriously — one room per weekend works for most people
2 weeks before
- Confirm move date with movers (call, don't just email)
- Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day
- Refill any prescriptions you'll need in the first 2 weeks
- Pack a "first night box": sheets, pillows, towels, toilet paper, phone charger, coffee setup, snacks, basic toiletries
- Label boxes by ROOM not by content — movers don't care what's inside, they care where it goes
The week of
- Confirm closing time and bring required documents (cashier's check, ID, social security card if buying)
- Do your final walkthrough 24-48 hours before closing
- Defrost the freezer at your current place 24 hours before move
- Charge all electronics, vacuums, and tools the night before
- Cash for tipping movers (typically $20-40 per mover for a half-day, $40-100 for a full day)
Moving day
- Walk through old place one last time — check every closet, every drawer
- Take meter readings (water, electric, gas) and photograph them
- Leave the keys per your agent's or landlord's instructions
- Have the new home's keys, address, and your phone fully charged
- Tip the movers when they finish
First week in the new place
Houston-Specific
Within your first week: change your address with the Texas DMV (30 days legally required), register to vote in your new county, and find your nearest H-E-B. Don't pretend that last one isn't important.
- Test every smoke detector and CO detector — replace batteries
- Locate the main water shutoff and the breaker box
- Change the locks (or rekey them — usually $80-150 from a locksmith)
- Set up your home insurance binder and digital records
- Meet at least one neighbor
What I tell every client
You won't unpack everything in week one. Or two. Probably not even month one. That's fine. The boxes that are still sealed at the 60-day mark are usually telling you something: you don't actually need what's inside them.
Set up the bedroom first, then the kitchen, then the bathroom. Everything else can wait.