Moving Day Checklist: 30 Days Before to the Day After

Most moving guides treat the day-of as if it's the hard part. It isn't. The hard part is the four weeks before it — the forty small administrative tasks that compound if you skip them. Forgetting to forward your mail isn't a moving-day problem. It's a problem six weeks later when you realize your CRA notices are sitting in a stranger's mailbox.

This is the checklist we wish every customer had four weeks before we showed up. Week by week, from one month out to the morning after.

4 weeks before — set the foundation

Sort the move itself

• Get 2–3 written quotes from movers
• Book the moving company (peak season Saturdays book up 6+ weeks out)
• Confirm building requirements at both addresses — elevator reservation, loading dock booking, certificate of insurance required by the property manager
• Decide on packing: full pack, partial, or DIY
• Order or buy packing supplies (boxes, tape, paper, bubble wrap)

Start the paperwork

• Notify your landlord (if renting) — most leases require 60 days written notice; 30 might be too late
• Notify your current employer of address change for tax purposes
• Schedule a school transfer if you have school-age kids
• Start a moving binder or digital folder for receipts (movers, packing materials, mileage) — most are tax deductible if the move is work-related

Declutter aggressively

The cheapest move is the one with less stuff. Pricing scales with volume and weight. Start sorting now — donate, sell, dump.

• Run a Facebook Marketplace or Kijiji blitz for furniture you don't want to move
• Book a donation pickup (Diabetes Canada, Salvation Army, Habitat ReStore)
• Schedule a junk-removal pickup if you have appliances or big items going to the dump

3 weeks before — address changes & utilities

Change of address — the official list

Canadian movers consistently forget about half of these and pay for it later:

• Canada Post mail forwarding ($79+ tax for 6 months)
• CRA (Canada Revenue Agency) — file via CRA My Account
• Service Canada (EI, CPP, Old Age Security)
• Provincial driver's licence and vehicle registration (you have 30 days from arrival in most provinces)
• Provincial health card
• Voter registration (Elections Canada)
• Bank, credit cards, investment accounts
• Insurance (home/tenants, auto, life, health)
• Employer, payroll, RRSP/pension administrator
• Subscriptions (magazines, streaming services with regional pricing, gym)
• Online retailers with saved addresses (Amazon, Costco.ca, etc.)
• Doctor, dentist, optometrist, vet
• Kids' school registrations

Utility transfers

Schedule disconnects at the old address and connects at the new address. Aim for new address one day before move and old address one day after.

• Electricity (Hydro One, Enbridge, BC Hydro, etc.)
• Natural gas
• Internet (book installation 2+ weeks ahead — popular dates fill)
• TV / streaming
• Home phone (if applicable)
• Water (some municipalities require buyer/seller direct contact)
• Property tax / municipal services (registered automatically through real estate close, but verify)

2 weeks before — start packing

Pack what you won't need for two weeks

• Out-of-season clothing
• Books, decor, art
• Spare bedding, linens
• Kitchen items beyond the essentials (one pan, plate, mug per person)
• Anything in storage rooms, basement, attic, garage

Label as you pack

Three things on every box label:

1. Destination room (BEDROOM 2, KITCHEN, OFFICE)
2. One-line content summary (BOOKS — FICTION, or KITCHEN — POTS)
3. FRAGILE or HEAVY indicators if applicable

Numbered boxes also help: writing "BEDROOM 2 — Box 3 of 7" means you immediately know if anything went missing when unpacking starts.

Take photos

• Photograph TVs, computers, and complex setups before unplugging. Where every cable goes saves you 30 minutes per device at the new place.
• Photograph valuable items (art, electronics, antiques) for insurance purposes before they go on the truck.
• Photograph the condition of your old rental walls and floors before move-out, and your new rental on arrival — both for security deposit purposes.

1 week before — final stretch

Confirm everything

• Reconfirm the moving company by phone (date, time, truck size, mover count, total estimate)
• Confirm building reservations at both ends
• Confirm utility transfer dates
• Confirm internet install date
• Send your moving company a certificate of insurance to the new building's property manager if required (most buildings require this in advance, not on move day)

Pack down to essentials

• Pack everything except: one outfit per family member per day until move + 2 days, basic kitchen for one meal per day, basic toiletries
• Schedule the laundry blitz (clean everything you're packing so you don't move dirty laundry)
• Finish using up perishable food
• Disassemble what the movers don't need to disassemble (or plan to have them do it — confirm in advance which is the case)

Money

• Confirm payment method with the mover (e-Transfer is most common; credit card may have a 3% surcharge)
• Have cash on hand for tipping ($20–$40 per mover for local; $40–$80 for long-distance)
• Set aside enough cash for the move-day expenses (food, parking, last-minute supplies)

The day before

• Pack a separate "essentials" bag for each family member: 2 days of clothes, toiletries, medications, chargers, kids' comfort items
• Pack a "first night" box that travels in your car, not the truck: bedding for one bed per person, towels, toilet paper, basic toiletries, basic kitchen (one pot, plates, cutlery, kettle, coffee/tea), phone chargers, one or two changes of clothes
• Charge all phones, tablets, and laptops
• Empty and defrost the freezer if you're moving it
• Drain gas from any small engines (lawn mower, snow blower)
• Confirm pickup time with the movers
• Wash and dry one final laundry load
• Take valuables (jewelry, important documents, family heirlooms, hard drives with photos) and put them in your car, not the truck

Moving day

Before the truck arrives

• Get up early — 30 minutes earlier than the planned start
• Walk every room with a phone in hand: photograph empty rooms (for security deposit), check every drawer, closet, and cabinet
• Lay out moving blankets or runners on hallway floors if you have hardwood — protects against scuffs
• Reserve parking outside your building if needed (parking permit, ideally arranged in advance)
• Have coffee and water ready for the crew

When the truck arrives

• Walk the foreman through every room and point out anything fragile, heavy, or that doesn't go
• Confirm the inventory list, weight estimate, and total quote in writing
• Sign the bill of lading only after reading it
• Keep a copy of the BOL in your car

During the load

• Stay nearby for questions — don't hover, but don't leave the building
• Periodically check what's gone on the truck (mirror, TV, art) is properly padded
• Keep water, snacks, and a pleasant attitude on offer for the crew
• Do a final walkthrough before the truck leaves — every closet, cabinet, basement, attic, balcony, storage locker

Before leaving the old place

• Take final empty-room photos for the landlord
• Take all your keys, garage openers, parking passes, mail keys
• Drop keys with the landlord, agent, or new owner per your move-out agreement

At the new place

• Walk through and photograph any pre-existing damage
• Tell the foreman the room layout — where furniture goes, which rooms are which
• Set up beds first thing — sleep matters more than unpacking
• Set up the kitchen second — one pan, plates, cutlery
• Don't try to unpack everything tonight

The day after — the part everyone forgets

• Locate your essentials box. The single most frustrating moving experience is needing toilet paper at 11pm and not knowing which box it's in.
• Test major appliances. Fridge cooling, dryer working, water heater on. Catch issues while you still have rapport with the previous owner / property manager.
• Confirm internet installation. If the appointment fell through, get on the phone first thing.
• Walk the perimeter. Note any damage during unload, while it's fresh.
• File any move-related insurance claims within 7 days. Most moving company policies have short claim windows. Document damage with photos immediately.

The first week

• Update your address with anyone you missed (there's always at least three)
• Register your vehicle in the new province (if applicable, 30-day window in most provinces)
• Set up your health card
• Find a new family doctor (varies by province; in Ontario the waitlist is long — start day one)
• Locate the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, vet, and emergency room
• Introduce yourself to immediate neighbors
• Test smoke and CO detectors — replace batteries if needed
• Locate the main water shutoff and electrical panel

Getting a moving quote is the easy part. If you want help with the rest of the move — packing, labor, long-distance dispatch, even someone to walk you through the schedule — get in touch.