Moving checklist: 8 weeks out to move day

A move feels overwhelming when it's one giant task. Broken into weeks, it's a list of small, ordinary jobs. This checklist starts eight weeks out and runs through the first week in your new place. Print it, stick it on the fridge and cross things off. If you're starting later, jump in at the week that matches your calendar and double up on the earlier items.

8 weeks out: decide and set the date

Pick your move date. If you can avoid the last weekend of the month, you'll usually have more choice of trucks, helpers and elevator times.
Decide how you'll move: rent a truck and recruit friends, or hire a moving company. Get written quotes if you hire help.
Start a moving folder (paper or digital) for leases, quotes, receipts and confirmation numbers.
Walk every room and closet. Note what you'll keep, sell, donate or toss.
If you rent, check your lease for notice requirements and move-out cleaning rules.

7–6 weeks out: lighten the load

List furniture and big items you're selling. Schedule donation pickups.
Use up pantry and freezer food instead of buying more.
Measure doorways and rooms in the new home so you know which furniture fits.
Request school or medical records you'll need to transfer.
Estimate how many boxes or totes you need with the tote calculator.

5 weeks out: book the logistics

Reserve your truck or confirm your movers.
Reserve packing equipment. With STORVA, choose a drop-off date about a week before you start packing seriously and a pickup date after you expect to finish unpacking.
Ask both buildings or HOAs about move rules: elevator reservations, loading zones, allowed hours and any deposit or insurance certificate.
Arrange childcare or pet care for move day.

4 weeks out: start packing what you don't use

Pack off-season clothes, holiday decor, extra linens, books and guest-room items.
Label every container with the destination room and a priority number.
Submit your change of address with USPS and start updating banks, employers and subscriptions.
Schedule utility and internet shutoff at the old place and setup at the new place.

3 weeks out: work room by room

Pack one room at a time, finishing each before moving on.
Photograph electronics wiring and furniture before you take anything apart.
Keep screws and hardware in labeled zip bags taped to the furniture.
Confirm move-day helpers and send them the time and address.

2 weeks out: confirm everything

Reconfirm the truck, movers, elevator reservation and parking.
Refill prescriptions and set aside important documents to carry yourself.
Pack most of the kitchen, leaving a basic set of dishes and a pan.
Plan meals for the final week that use up what's left.

Move week

Pack a first-night tote: sheets, towels, toiletries, chargers, medications, a change of clothes, basic tools, snacks and coffee.
Defrost and clean the refrigerator if it's moving with you.
Stage packed containers near the door, heaviest on the bottom of each stack.
Charge your phone and keep keys, documents and valuables with you.

Move day

Do a final walk-through: closets, cabinets, attic, garage, under sinks.
Load the first-night tote last so it comes off first.
Take photos of the empty old home for your deposit records.
At the new home, place containers in the labeled rooms, not all in the living room.

First week in the new home

Unpack priority-1 containers first: kitchen basics, bathroom, bedding.
Test smoke detectors and locate the breaker panel and water shutoff.
Finish updating your address with remaining accounts.
If you rented totes, stack the empties by the door before your pickup date.

How STORVA tote rental works

STORVA rents reusable 27-gallon black totes with yellow snap-on lids across Dallas–Fort Worth. We drop the empty totes off at your door, you pack, move and unpack your own belongings, and we pick the empty totes back up on the date you chose. We don't move, pack or haul anything for you — we supply the equipment.

Packages start at $79. The 1 Bedroom package and larger include black 4-wheel dollies; extra dollies are $9 each. Next-day drop-off is available across DFW; for weekends and the end of the month, book 2–3 days ahead.

Dorm / Studio: 10 totes, 1 week included, $79.
1 Bedroom: 20 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $109.
2–3 Bedrooms: 40 totes + 1 dolly, 2 weeks included, $189.
4+ Bedrooms: 60 totes + 2 dollies, 2 weeks included, $239.

Rent totes · Use the tote calculator

Frequently asked questions

When should I start packing for a move?

Start packing items you rarely use about four weeks before the move, then work room by room over the following weeks, leaving daily essentials for move week.

When should I schedule tote drop-off?

Choose a drop-off date shortly before you start packing in earnest and a pickup date after you expect to finish unpacking. You pick both dates when you book.

Is there a shorter checklist?

Yes. Our moving tips page has a 4-week checklist for moves on a tighter timeline.