Moving guide

The Ultimate Moving Checklist

A week-by-week moving checklist that takes you from 8 weeks out to move-in day — and the one step most renters skip that costs them their security deposit.

Apartment move-in checklist? Jump to Move-in day for the room-by-room inventory step that protects your deposit.

8 weeks out — plan the move

Set the budget, lock in dates, and decide DIY vs. movers.

  • Set a moving budget (movers, supplies, deposits, first month's rent, utility setup).
  • Decide DIY truck rental vs. full-service movers and get 3+ quotes.
  • Create a moving folder (digital or paper) for leases, quotes, receipts, and contracts.
  • If renting, start your apartment search and read leases carefully before signing.
  • Request time off work for moving day.

6 weeks out — declutter

Every box you don't pack saves money and time.

  • Go room by room and sort into keep, donate, sell, and toss piles.
  • List valuable items on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or eBay.
  • Schedule a donation pickup with Goodwill, Salvation Army, or a local charity.
  • Inventory anything valuable or fragile that needs special handling.
  • Start using up frozen food, pantry items, and cleaning supplies.

4 weeks out — book and notify

Lock the movers and put your address change in motion.

  • Book your movers or reserve the truck — popular dates fill up fast.
  • File a change of address with USPS (usps.com/move).
  • Update your address with banks, credit cards, insurance, employer, and subscriptions.
  • Notify your current landlord in writing per the lease (usually 30–60 days).
  • Schedule utility shutoff at the old place and setup at the new one (electric, gas, water, internet).
  • Order moving supplies: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, labels, markers.

2 weeks out — pack non-essentials

Start with what you won't need for the next 14 days.

  • Pack out-of-season clothes, books, decor, and rarely-used kitchen items.
  • Label every box with room + contents + a number; keep a master list.
  • Confirm your moving date, time, and address with the movers in writing.
  • Refill prescriptions so you have a 30-day supply on hand.
  • Transfer or cancel gym memberships, local services, and lawn care.
  • Back up your computer and important files.

1 week out — pack the rest

Almost everything goes in a box this week.

  • Pack the kitchen except a few plates, cups, and utensils.
  • Pack a clearly-labeled essentials box: toiletries, phone chargers, meds, a change of clothes, basic tools, paper towels, snacks.
  • Disassemble furniture and bag the screws (tape the bag to the furniture).
  • Drain gas from lawn equipment; movers won't transport flammables.
  • Withdraw cash to tip the movers ($20–$40 per mover is typical).
  • Confirm utility activation dates at the new place.

Moving day — load and go

Stay organized, stay hydrated.

  • Do a final walkthrough of the old place — closets, cabinets, attic, basement, behind doors.
  • Take photos of the empty old apartment for your deposit return claim.
  • Read the meters (or take photos) on move-out.
  • Keep your essentials box, important documents, and valuables with you — not on the truck.
  • Hand over keys and get written confirmation from your old landlord.

The step most renters skip

Move-in day — document the condition of your new place

Before you unpack a single box, walk through your new apartment and document every existing scratch, stain, ding, and defect. This is the single biggest factor in whether you get your security deposit back when you move out — typically one to two months of rent.

Landlords are allowed to deduct for damage you caused — but not for issues that were already there. Without dated proof of pre-existing condition, it's your word against theirs.

The apartment move-in checklist

  • Walls and ceilings — scratches, nail holes, scuffs, water stains.
  • Floors — stains, scratches, warping, missing tiles, carpet wear.
  • Doors and windows — locks, latches, screens, weatherstripping, broken blinds.
  • Kitchen — appliances (test each one), cabinets, drawers, countertop chips, faucet leaks.
  • Bathrooms — caulking, grout, toilet stability, drain speed, exhaust fans.
  • Outlets, switches, and light fixtures in every room.
  • Smoke and CO detectors — test them, note install dates.
  • HVAC — run heat and AC, note the temperature it actually reaches.
  • Anything outdoors that's yours — patio, balcony, parking spot, storage unit.

Do it digitally in under 30 minutes

Moov In Checklist walks you room by room, lets you snap photos against each item, and generates a timestamped, landlord-ready PDF inventory you can email and store. It's the same evidence package property managers use — built for renters.

Start your move-in inventory

First week in the new place

  • Submit your signed move-in inventory to the landlord within the window your lease specifies (usually 3–7 days).
  • Locate the breaker box, water shutoff, and HVAC filter.
  • Change the locks or request a re-key if your lease allows.
  • Update your driver's license and voter registration.
  • Find the nearest grocery store, pharmacy, urgent care, and post office.
  • Meet the neighbors. Save the building manager's number.