2 Weeks Before Moving Day

In this section we are discussing some of the last steps for you to take prior to a move. Ensuring your mail is scheduled to be forwarded to your new address, necessary repairs are made and you have clothing options for the move. There are only a couple of weeks before you move, and the stress from the move might be getting a bit more real.

2 Weeks Before Your Move

1 Week Before Your Move

2 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

Start Transferring Utilities

Make sure that you have contacted local utility companies of both where you live and where you are moving to. For things like cable and internet, you will likely need to find a new service provider.

Forward the Mail

We might live in a primarily digital age, but some bills are still sent in the regular mail. Don’t want that information going to the next resident of your old home? You should contact your bank, Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon to ensure that everything that matters to you is sent exactly where it belongs.

Plan Your Upcoming Meals

You are packing! You need to get perishable goods out of the house. If you don’t know the food will be eaten before moving day, don’t buy it. That lasagna might keep just fine in a fridge, but it might spoil if you try to bring it on a move.

Right now, it might make more sense to have some quick and easy meals ready to go until moving day. This doesn’t mean eating only carry out, but having meals planned for the next few weeks makes sense. Having some pre-made freezer meals that only need warming up is an excellent solution.

Pack Up the Kitchen

Time to start packing up dishes, pans, crockpots and, if you need to, the fridge itself. This means that your dinner from here on is likely going to consist of take out from up the road, unless you are willing to start meal planning. Might be worthwhile to buy a small number of disposable plates and flatware.

Taking these steps now will allow you to most easily ensure all your kitchen goods are well secured and well packed for your new home.

Plan a Small Versatile Wardrobe

This is self-explanatory, but with 14 days to go, you want to make sure you have enough clothing options to get you through the remainder of the time you will be moving. It is critical that most of your clothing has been washed and packed away.

The easiest method is having a few pairs of work pants, a pair or two of jeans and several shirts. This simple wardrobe will be enough to get you through the final countdown of your move. While it might be tempting to hold off packing clothing, it’s always better to be as proactive as possible.

Begin the Scrub Down

You’ll be moving out shortly, and if you want that deposit back, it is time to start the scrub down. That means: 

• Scrubbing toilets 
• Washing baseboards 
• Scour grout in the bathroom 
• Wipe ceiling fans for dust 
• Pull any weeds that you haven’t touched 
• Wipe down windows 
• Mop and vacuum

Be sure to start with the things you normally overlook in your cleaning to ensure that everything is handled appropriately. 

1 WEEK BEFORE YOUR MOVE

The Final Scrub Down 

This means get everything, pull out the big guns. The heavy-duty cleaners, because now we need to make sure that the following things are done. 

• Inside the fridge. If you are leaving it, not cleaning it will come out of your security deposit. If you are taking it with you, not cleaning it now is an invitation to all manner of bacteria to take up residence in your fridge. No one wants that. 
• Toilets, tubs and showers. This step will help you to reclaim a portion of your security deposit, or at least lessen the amount that you will be charged later. Scrub inside and out to make them as pristine as possible. 
• Focus on the fine details. You may have hit every major cleaning location last week, and that’s great, now is the time for the minor details. Get rid of marks on linoleum or hardwood floors, remove the mystery stain as best as possible from the carpet. 

Fix the Ignored Problems

Those scuffs in the floor were just the start, but any holes in the wall or squeaky doors should be returned as best as possible to how they were when you first moved. That might mean doing some work that you may have needed to do weeks ago. It might also be time to address the giant hole in the wall, time is ticking away after all.

Finalize and Confirm Plans

If you arranged for movers to arrive at your home, call to confirm that they have the correct date, time, and address. Be sure that your utilities have been transferred to your new home. Billing addresses should be updated at all banks, subscription services, and pretty much everything else. If it is a local move, now is also a great time to start looking at restaurants, grocery stores, and other important landmarks around your new home -- nothing quite so bad as not knowing the layout of a grocery store before shopping there.