Most of the stress on a moving day comes from two or three things that should have been settled a fortnight earlier. Permission from the society. The lift. Deciding what is actually going.
This is a working checklist rather than a list of reminders to be calm. It is arranged by when each thing needs doing, because the order matters more than the items.
Three to four weeks before
Decide what is actually moving
Do this before you get quotes, not after. Household moving is priced on volume, so anything you dispose of now is volume you do not pay to transport. Go room by room and be decisive about what has not been used in a year.
Get quotes based on real details
Have these ready before you call anyone:
- Number of rooms and roughly how full they are
- Floor at both ends, and whether a lift is working and available
- How close a vehicle can park at each end
- Anything that needs dismantling
- Anything fragile, unusually heavy or high in value
- Your preferred date, and how flexible it is
Our guide on how to choose a mover in Kalyan covers what to ask them in return.
Start the society paperwork
This is the item most often left too late. Many societies require written intimation before shifting, and some ask for a deposit or a no-dues certificate first. Rules vary between buildings, so confirm with your own committee or manager rather than assuming, at both the old address and the new one.
Ask specifically:
- What written permission is needed, and how long it takes
- Whether shifting is restricted to particular hours or days
- Whether the service lift needs booking, and by whom
- Whether any deposit is required, and how it is refunded
Two weeks before
Confirm the booking in writing
You want the date, an arrival window rather than "morning", and a written scope naming packing, dismantling, reassembly, loading, unloading and unpacking. Knowing which of those are excluded matters as much as knowing which are included.
Book the lift at both ends
If either building has a service lift, book it now for the agreed window. If the lift will not take a mattress or a double-door fridge, find that out now rather than on the day, because those items will go down the stairs and that changes the time the job takes.
Start on utilities and addresses
- Arrange final meter readings and closing bills
- Book transfer or disconnection of internet and cable
- Update the address on bank accounts, insurance, and anything that posts documents to you
- Redirect or collect anything that arrives by post
- Update the delivery address on any subscriptions
Deal with the things movers will not take
Gas cylinders, paints, solvents and other flammables are usually excluded from a household load. Ask your mover what their exclusions are and plan to hand those over, use them up or dispose of them properly.
One week before
Pack what you will not need
Off-season clothes, books, spare bedding, decorative items. Label as you close each carton, with the room it is going to at the *new* address rather than the room it came from. That single habit is what lets a crew put cartons in the right room instead of stacking everything in the hall.
Photograph anything valuable
Take pictures of electronics, furniture in good condition and anything fragile before it is packed. It takes ten minutes and settles any question about condition afterwards.
Handle appliances properly
- Defrost the refrigerator at least a day ahead and dry it out
- Empty and dry the washing machine; ask whether the mover secures the drum or expects you to
- Keep remotes, cables and fittings for each appliance together, taped to the appliance or bagged and labelled
Confirm arrangements
Reconfirm the date and window with your mover, and check the lift booking is still in place at both ends. Make sure someone will be present at the destination.
The day before
Pack an essentials bag that travels with you
Not on the vehicle. With you.
- Documents, identification, keys
- Medicines and anything prescription
- Phone chargers and a power bank
- A change of clothes for each person
- Basic toiletries and a towel
- Snacks and water
- Torch, scissors, a marker pen, and a basic tool for reassembly
- Bedding for the first night, unless you are certain beds will be reassembled
Jewellery, cash and irreplaceable documents should stay with you throughout. Most movers ask you to do this anyway.
Final preparations
- Charge phones and the power bank
- Clear a path to the door in each room
- Set aside anything that must not be loaded and tell the crew clearly
- Make sure the crew's point of contact has a number that will be answered all day
Moving day
Before loading starts
- Walk the crew supervisor through the flat and point out fragile, heavy and do-not-load items.
- Confirm the destination address and the contact there.
- Agree where the vehicle will park at both ends.
- Check the inventory list, if one is being made, matches what you expect.
While loading
Stay reachable but out of the doorway. The crew needs a clear path more than it needs supervision. Check rooms as they are emptied, including balconies, lofts, the back of wardrobes and the meter cupboard.
Before you leave
- Switch off and lock everything
- Take final meter readings
- Do a last empty-room walk, opening every cupboard
- Hand over keys as agreed with your society or landlord
At the destination
- Direct cartons by their room labels as they come off
- Check goods against the inventory before the crew leaves
- Have furniture reassembled while the crew is still there, if that is in scope
- Unpack fragile items early enough to raise anything damaged straight away
- Leave the refrigerator standing for the recommended period before switching it on
Printable summary
The short version, if you want one list to work from.
| When | Do |
|---|---|
| 3-4 weeks | Declutter, collect quotes, start society permissions |
| 2 weeks | Confirm booking in writing, book lifts, start utility transfers |
| 1 week | Pack non-essentials, label by destination room, photograph valuables |
| 1 day | Pack the essentials bag, defrost the fridge, confirm the window |
| Moving day | Brief the crew, check every room, verify against inventory |
If any of this is unfamiliar, house shifting sets out what we handle, and you can get a quote with the details above.
Common questions
How far ahead should I start planning a house move?
Three to four weeks gives you time to declutter before quoting, which lowers the cost, and to get society permissions and lift bookings arranged. Those permissions are usually the bottleneck rather than the mover.
Do I need permission from my society to shift?
Often yes, but the requirement varies from building to building. Some ask for written intimation, some for a deposit or a no-dues certificate, and many restrict shifting hours. Confirm the rules with your own committee at both addresses rather than assuming.
Should I label cartons with the old room or the new one?
The new one. The label is instructions for the crew at the destination, so it should say where the carton is going, not where it came from.
What should I keep with me instead of on the vehicle?
Documents, identification, jewellery, cash, medicines, chargers, a change of clothes and anything you will need the same evening. Keep it in a bag that travels with you rather than in the load.
What is most often forgotten on moving day?
Balconies, lofts, the meter cupboard and the back of built-in wardrobes. Walk every room with the cupboards open before the vehicle leaves.