The Week-Before-Moving-Day Checklist

Call your truck rental company or moving company and confirm the reservation in writing — date, time window, truck size or crew size, and total cost. This is the week small scheduling mistakes turn into expensive same-week surprises, so get it in writing now while there's still time to fix a problem.

Pack every room and item you won't need this week: off-season clothes, books, decor, spare linens, kitchen items you use less than weekly. Getting the non-essentials done early means the last few days are only about the things you're actually still using.

Label every box with its destination room, not just its contents. This one habit is what makes unloading fast instead of chaotic — movers or friends can place boxes directly without asking you where everything goes.

Set aside one box (or bag) that stays with you, not on the truck: toiletries, a change of clothes, phone chargers, basic tools, medications, and anything for kids or pets. The goal is to survive your first night without digging through sealed boxes.

Check parking availability, elevator reservations, and loading dock rules at both your old and new address. If either building requires a reserved freight elevator or a permit for a truck to park, this is the last safe day to sort that out before it becomes a moving-day problem.

Schedule utility shutoffs at the old place and startups at the new one, and file your change of address with the post office. Update your address with your bank and any subscriptions you don't want going to the wrong door.

Charge your phone and any tools you'll need, confirm the morning schedule with everyone involved, and do a mental walkthrough of both locations. Set out snacks and water for moving day — a fed crew, even if that crew is just you and a couple friends, moves faster and makes fewer mistakes.