New Home Checklist Printable (8 Weeks to Move Day)
Move chaos comes from one thing: the tasks that only work 6 weeks out, discovered 2 days out. This checklist runs the other way. It is a countdown from 8 weeks out to move day, 41 items grouped by stage, followed by the top 15 address changes, a utility setup grid, and a first-week essentials box. Print it, stick it on the fridge, work top to bottom. The full 30-page New Home Binder keeps going after move day, linked at the bottom.
How to use this page: hit print, write your move date at the top, and start at 8 weeks out. Each stage is a gate: finish it before the next one starts, because the expensive tasks (movers, insurance, internet install) all have lead times. Skipping to the bottom is how people end up moving without locks changed or power on.
The move countdown, 8 weeks to move day
8 weeks out
Set the move budget: deposits, movers or truck rental, time off work, overlap on rent or mortgage (the moving budget template prices all of it line by line)
Book movers or reserve the truck (end-of-month slots go first)
Start the sell-or-give-away pile; whatever has not sold by move week gets donated
Order packing supplies: boxes, tape, markers, packing paper
Start the address change list (the 15 below)
6 weeks out
Book home or renters insurance for the new address, effective move-in day
Schedule utility turn-on and pay deposits (grid below)
Collect records: school, medical, dental, vet
Plan meals around freezer and pantry food; use it up instead of moving it
Renting? Give written notice and schedule the walkthrough
4 weeks out
Book move day and the day after off work
File the USPS mail forward, start date = move day
Pack the rooms you use least; label every box with room + contents
Arrange kids and pets care for move day
Measure the new place: door widths, hallway turns, big-furniture paths
Get utility turn-on dates confirmed in writing
2 weeks out
Reconfirm the movers; save a direct phone number for the crew
Book the internet install (2-week lead is normal; do it now)
Back up computers; bag and label cables
Confirm truck parking at both addresses
Return borrowed items, library books; cancel local memberships
Keep one cleaning kit out of the boxes on purpose
1 week out
Pack everything except the essentials box (below)
Defrost the freezer; disconnect the washer or book whoever does
Confirm keys: when, where, and from whom
Reserve the elevator or loading dock (apartments)
Set aside cleaning supplies, tools, lightbulbs, and toilet paper to ride in your car
Clean each room as its boxes leave; the final clean is half done
2 days out
Seal and stack boxes by the door, labeled side out
Load the essentials box last, into your car, not the truck
Confirm the arrival window with the movers
Photograph the back of the TV and router before unplugging anything
Move day
Final walk of the old place: closets, dishwasher, attic, behind every door
Photograph meters at both places, same day
Direct boxes room by room; tick each label off as it lands
Make the beds first, before the rest of the unpacking
Test smoke and CO alarms tonight
Re-key or change the locks; note where the water and gas shutoffs are
Find the breaker panel; relabel whatever the last owner guessed at
Hand over old keys per your agreement, then photograph them gone
Note damage or missing boxes before signing the mover's paperwork
41 items. Renting or buying, both work: renting skips the insurance-for-closing line, buying adds a closing-docs folder to the essentials box.
Top 15 address changes
Miss these and mail, paychecks, and insurance cards go to strangers. The USPS forward catches some of it for a year; the list below is the permanent fix:
USPS mail forward (start date = move day; lasts 12 months for first-class)
Employer and payroll, plus HR for insurance mailing addresses
Bank and credit cards (statements, new-card mailings, fraud letters)
Insurance policies: health, auto, home or renters, life
Phone carrier
DMV: license and vehicle registration (states set their own deadline)
Voter registration
Doctors, dentist, vet, pharmacy
Kids' school and activity programs
Tax agencies: IRS change of address (Form 8822) plus your state
Subscriptions and delivery services
Online shopping default addresses (remove the old one, don't only add the new)
Investment, retirement, and benefits accounts
Family and friends (one group text beats a year of "did you get my card?")
Gym and local memberships (cancel or transfer; some contracts want notice in writing)
Utility setup grid
Fill this in at 6 weeks, confirm in writing at 4. Deposits are often refundable after 12 on-time months, so write the account numbers down:
Utility
Provider + phone
Turn-on date
Deposit paid
Account #
Electric
Gas
Water & sewer
Trash & recycling
Internet
Some towns bill water through the city, some through a private company. The seller, landlord, or previous tenant's mail will tell you which.
First-week essentials box
Everything here rides in your car, never the truck. One box per person plus one shared box, or one big one for a small household:
Toiletries, shower curtain, towels
Toilet paper (every toilet in the new place, day one)
Sheets for every bed, one set each
Chargers, power strip, phone cables
Medications, glasses, first-aid basics
Box cutter, scissors, trash bags
Basic tools, lightbulbs, batteries
Paper towels and all-purpose cleaner
Coffee setup, snacks, water bottles
One pot, one pan, plates and forks for the crew
Documents folder: lease or closing papers, IDs, insurance cards
Kids' and pets' comfort items (the thing that makes the first night normal)
Nightlight for unfamiliar hallways
Common questions
What if I have 2 weeks instead of 8?
Run the same stages as days: budget and movers on day 1, insurance and utilities on day 2, packing starts day 3. Two compressions matter: book movers before anything else (availability, not price, is the constraint in a short window), and cut possessions harder, because packing labor is what runs out first. The countdown order stays the same; only the calendar shrinks.
When should I turn utilities on if closing and move-in are the same weekend?
Set turn-on for the morning of closing day, and keep the old place on through the day after move-out. Utilities overlap costs less than a weekend without water or power, and buyers doing their own walk-through will want the power on for inspections anyway.
How early can I file the address change with USPS?
Up to 3 months before the start date, and you can edit or cancel the request online with the confirmation code. Filing early at 4 weeks out removes one whole errand from move week.
What the full 30-page New Home Binder adds
Deposit and cost trackers - every dollar out at closing and move-in, in one place.
Address change master list - the full version of the 15 above, with dates-done columns.
Utility logs - account numbers, deposits, and monthly amounts to compare next year's bills.
Room project pages - priorities, budget, and paint or flooring log per room, so the project list stops living in your head.
Maintenance calendar - monthly and seasonal write-in schedules, starting whenever you move in, no dates preprinted.
Shutoff map and breaker schedule - gas, water, and which breaker is which, before you need them in the dark.
Home inventory, warranty log, measurement grids, first-week meals - the paperwork side of a new house, on paper.
Write-in by design: no app, no login, nothing to install. A4 and US Letter PDFs, prints fine in grayscale.