Moving Day Preparation Checklist
Moving can feel overwhelming, but proper planning makes all the difference. This step-by-step moving checklist from Paradise Moving & Storage will help you stay organized and ensure a smooth, stress-free relocation.
8 Weeks Before Moving Day
Start planning as early as possible.
✓ Schedule your move date
✓ Request a professional moving estimate
✓ Create a moving budget
✓ Begin decluttering your home
✓ Donate, sell, or dispose of unwanted items
✓ Create a dedicated folder for moving documents and receipts ✓ Research schools, services, and local amenities if relocating
6 Weeks Before Moving Day
Start preparing the logistics.
✓ Notify your landlord if applicable
✓ Reserve elevators for apartment buildings
✓ Arrange parking permits if required
✓ Begin collecting packing supplies
✓ Create an inventory of valuable or specialty items
✓ Decide which items will require professional packing
✓ Schedule storage services if needed
4 Weeks Before Moving Day
Time to start packing.
✓ Pack seasonal and non-essential items
✓ Label every box with the destination room and a brief description of contents ✓ Schedule utility transfers
✓ Submit a USPS Change of Address request
✓ Notify banks, insurance companies, employers, and subscription services ✓ Arrange school and medical record transfers if necessary
✓ Confirm moving details with your moving coordinator
2 Weeks Before Moving Day
Finalize the majority of your preparations.
✓ Continue packing room by room
✓ Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day
✓ Refill prescriptions
✓ Confirm elevator reservations and parking permits
✓ Schedule utility disconnections at your current residence
✓ Dispose of prohibited moving items
Important Items to Transport Yourself
For security reasons, we strongly recommend personally transporting any items that are valuable, irreplaceable, or contain sensitive information.
These items include:
✓ Cash and currency
✓ Jewelry and watches
✓ Passports
✓ Birth certificates
✓ Social Security cards
✓ Driver’s licenses and identification documents
✓ Tax records
✓ Legal documents
✓ Financial records
✓ Prescription medications
✓ Checkbooks
✓ Family heirlooms
✓ Sentimental keepsakes
✓ Fireproof safes containing valuables
✓ Laptops and devices containing important data
✓ External hard drives and digital backups
While our team handles every move with care, these items are best kept with you throughout the moving process.
Items Movers Cannot Transport
For safety and legal reasons, moving companies cannot transport certain hazardous or prohibited materials.
These items include:
✗ Gasoline
✗ Propane tanks
✗ Fireworks
✗ Ammunition
✗ Explosives
✗ Paints and paint thinners
✗ Solvents
✗ Aerosol cans
✗ Pool chemicals
✗ Fertilizers
✗ Kerosene
✗ Charcoal lighter fluid
✗ Hazardous cleaning chemicals
✗ Corrosive substances
✗ Compressed gas cylinders
If you are unsure whether an item can be transported, please contact Paradise Moving & Storage before your moving day.
1 Week Before Moving Day
Prepare for the final countdown.
✓ Finish packing all non-essential items
✓ Confirm your arrival window with our office
✓ Prepare appliance manuals and spare keys
✓ Defrost and clean refrigerator and freezer (if applicable)
✓ Back up important computer files
✓ Set aside cleaning supplies
✓ Prepare payment method and moving paperwork
✓ Confirm utility activation at your new residence
Pack an Essentials Box
Keep one box easily accessible on moving day and during the first night in your new home. We recommend including:
✓ Toiletries
✓ Medications
✓ Phone chargers
✓ Laptop chargers
✓ Paper towels
✓ Snacks and bottled water
✓ Basic tools
✓ Change of clothes
✓ Bedding and pillows
✓ Pet food and supplies
✓ Children’s essentials
✓ Important documents
Moving Day Checklist
Help your move go as efficiently as possible.
✓ Clear walkways and entrances
✓ Keep children and pets in a safe area
✓ Ensure movers have access to parking
✓ Perform a final walkthrough of your home
✓ Check closets, cabinets, drawers, attic, basement, garage, and storage areas ✓ Keep valuables and important documents with you
✓ Review inventory and paperwork
✓ Communicate any special instructions to your moving crew ✓ Verify furniture placement at your destination
After Delivery
Get settled into your new home.
✓ Inspect delivered items
✓ Confirm all inventory has arrived
✓ Unpack your essentials box
✓ Test utilities and internet service
✓ Update driver’s license and vehicle registration if required
✓ Enjoy your new home
Why Choose Paradise Moving & Storage?
Founded by professional movers, Paradise Moving & Storage has grown from a single truck into one of Massachusetts’ trusted moving and storage providers.
✓ Local & Interstate Moving Services
✓ Professional Packing & Unpacking
✓ Climate-Controlled Storage Facility
✓ Headquarters in Ashland, MA
✓ Convenient Locations in Boston and Concord, MA
✓ Fully Licensed & Insured
✓ Hundreds of Five-Star Google Reviews
✓ Thousands of Successful Moves Completed
Whether you’re moving across town or across the country, our experienced team is committed to making your move simple, efficient, and stress-free.
Contact Paradise Moving & Storage today for a free estimate.