Moving Guides
There’s a moment in every move where it stops feeling exciting and starts feeling like a lot — usually somewhere around week three, when you realise you still haven’t sorted the garage. This checklist is built to stop that moment from happening. Work through it in order, starting eight weeks out, and moving day ends up being the easy part.
Quick answer
Start decluttering and getting quotes at 8 weeks out, confirm your removalist and start using up frozen food at 4 weeks, redirect mail and confirm details at 2 weeks, pack a first-night box and defrost the freezer in the final week, and on moving day itself, your only job is to walk the empty house one last time and hand over the keys. Full breakdown below.
8 weeks before moving day
This is the least stressful stage to do the most boring work — take advantage of it.
- Declutter room by room. Every box you don’t pack is one your removalist doesn’t have to carry — and one you don’t have to unpack. Sell, donate, or bin as you go rather than “deciding later.”
- Get removalist quotes. Book a fixed, written quote rather than guessing off an hourly average — see our Victoria moving cost guide for what to expect.
- Check your lease or settlement dates. Confirm the exact date you can access the new place and the date you must be out of the old one — this decides your whole timeline.
- Start a “moving folder.” One physical or digital folder for quotes, lease documents, and receipts. You’ll thank yourself in week 7.
4 weeks before moving day
- Confirm your removalist booking in writing, including the date, time window, and what’s included.
- Start packing non-essentials. Out-of-season clothes, books, decorations — anything you won’t touch before moving day.
- Source boxes and packing materials. Ask your removalist what they supply — MS Express can point you in the right direction when you book.
- Use up what’s in the freezer. Four weeks gives you time to actually eat it instead of binning it moving week.
- Arrange school or childcare changes if you’re moving catchment areas — enrolment processes often take longer than people expect.
Booked your removalist yet?
2 weeks before moving day
- Redirect your mail through Australia Post so nothing important goes to the old address after you’ve left.
- Update your address with your bank, employer, Medicare, myGov, and your insurer.
- Update your driver’s licence address. In Victoria you’re required to tell VicRoads within 14 days of moving.
- Transfer or connect utilities — power, gas, internet — for your move-out and move-in dates.
- Confirm parking access at both ends for moving day, especially in tighter inner-suburban streets. Tell your removalist about any stairs, permits, or long carries when you confirm your booking.
Moving week
- Pack a first-night box — toiletries, phone chargers, a change of clothes, basic kitchen items, any medication. Keep it out of the truck, not buried in a box marked “misc.”
- Defrost and clean the freezer the day before, once it’s empty.
- Finish packing everything except what you need for the next 24 hours.
- Label every box with the room it’s going to, not just its contents — it’s what actually speeds up unloading.
- Charge your phone and keep chargers accessible — you’ll be using it all day for directions, calls, and photos of meter readings.
Moving day
- Do a final walkthrough of every room, cupboard, and drawer before the truck leaves — check the garage and shed too, not just the house.
- Photograph meter readings at both properties.
- Keep the first-night box, keys, and important documents with you, not on the truck.
- Do a walkthrough of the new place as things come off the truck, so you can direct boxes to the right room instead of re-carrying them later.
After you’ve moved
- Unpack the kitchen and bathroom first — the rooms you’ll miss most if they’re still in boxes on night two.
- Register with a local GP and check which schools, vets, or services are nearest if you’ve moved to a new area.
- Break down boxes as you empty them so the place doesn’t stay a maze for a month.
Ready to lock in your moving date?
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book removalists?
4-8 weeks out is ideal, especially for weekend or end-of-month dates, which book out fastest. You can leave it later for a mid-week move if needed, but earlier always gives you more choice on timing.
What should I pack last?
Anything you’ll need in the final 24 hours before the move: toiletries, chargers, medication, a kettle, and a change of clothes. Pack these separately as your first-night box, not with everything else.
Do I need to clean the old place before I leave?
If you’re renting, check your lease — most require the property left clean, and a bond clean is often a condition of getting your deposit back. If you own it, it’s just a courtesy to the next occupants, but not a requirement.
What shouldn’t go in a moving box?
Anything flammable or hazardous (gas bottles, paint, aerosols), valuables and important documents (keep these with you), and perishable food. Ask your removalist if you’re unsure about a specific item.
How do I choose what to declutter first?
Start with anything you haven’t used in the last 12 months and rooms you use least — the garage, spare room, or top shelves of wardrobes. It’s the fastest way to see real progress early, which makes the rest of the checklist easier to stick to.
Founder, MS Express Services — moving Victorian homes and businesses since 2021
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