The moving process can be overwhelming, especially when it means moving to a new state. However, with a bit of preparation and help from the moving experts at Bekins Van Lines, you and your family can have a safe and successful move… and even have a little fun along the way!
To help you get started with your move, we’ve put together a printable 4-week moving checklist. This comprehensive moving checklist will be especially helpful if you’ve hired a professional moving company. Below, you’ll find an expanded version to help with early preparation, as well as a long distance moving checklist with additional to-dos when moving across the country.
Your 4-Week Moving Checklist
This household moving guide contains smart and simple tips to prepare you for moving day. It will also help you stay calm throughout the process. With help from Bekins, you can focus on what’s really important: making your new house a home and enjoying the adventure ahead.
Bekins Van Lines’s moving checklist can ease the moving process by helping you to accomplish each task one piece at a time.
The Ultimate Moving Timeline: An In-Depth Look at Your Moving To-Dos
Looking for more information than what’s provided in the 4-week moving checklist? We’ve got you covered! This comprehensive moving checklist walks through a full moving checklist timeline, starting 12 weeks prior to your move:
- Contact your real estate agent to begin the selling process (if you own your home)
- Establish your preferred moving dates
- Research your new community
- Compare school districts (if applicable)
- Obtain free city reports
- Find out if your employer will pay for the move or provide you with a lump sum or a direct reimbursement
- Have a garage sale or donate goods you don’t want to move with. This will help you save on your moving costs.
- Request a free moving estimate from Bekins
- Make a list of everyone you need to notify of your move, including friends and family members
- Obtain a change of address from your local post office
- Research driver’s license and vehicle registration requirements for the state you are moving to
- Check with your current school district about transferring your children’s school records (if applicable)
- Find out from the IRS or your accountant if moving expenses are tax deductible
- Contact your insurance agent to discuss your insurance needs for your new home
- Begin to organize your medical records and dental records
- Make a decision on whether you will manage the packing process for your belongings or if you’d like to utilize Bekins’ professional packing services
- Gather packing supplies like moving boxes, protective packing materials, and tape, then start packing and label boxes as you go (if applicable)
- Notify credit card companies and magazine subscriptions of your address change
- Arrange to have your utilities disconnected after you move out
- Contact your new electric, gas, and internet providers to connect your utilities the day before your scheduled move-in day
- Make plans for your children and pets on moving day so they don’t get in the way of the movers
- Plan to use all the food in your refrigerator and freezer
- Clean your home and clear basement and attics
- Be sure that you have everything packed
- Drain the oil and gas from your lawn mower and other power tools if they are to be moved
- Confirm travel arrangements for you and your family
- Provide contact phone numbers for your Bekins agent so you are accessible during your move
- Empty and clean your refrigerator and freezer, and clean your stove and other appliances
- Put any nonperishable items you aren’t moving in boxes for your Bekins agent to donate through Move For Hunger
- Only keep handy household items you need, such as sheets, towels, a few pans, and dishes
- Keep important documents accessible, like birth certificates and vehicle registrations
- Review all important documents with your Bekins driver
- Be available to check off the inventory of all items that are being moved
- Once the moving van is loaded, do a final walkthrough to double-check that nothing was left behind
- Inspect your items as the movers unload the truck by checking them off your inventory form
- Indicate any damages on the form
- Finally, begin the unpacking process and get settled into your new home
Long Distance Moving Checklist: Additional Considerations
Long distance moving introduces more variables, longer timelines, and less flexibility for last-minute changes. Your plan needs to account for transit time, tracking, and clearly documented expectations from start to finish, or it could impact your moving budget.
Distance brings up additional needs that may not occur when moving to a neighboring state or just a few states away. Pay special attention to the following, so your long distance moving checklist keeps everything aligned and predictable.
For a long distance move, giving yourself extra runway upfront makes a noticeable difference. With a cross country move, you’re reserving space on a professional mover’s schedule that’s built around routes, timing, and capacity.
Most moving companies plan these moves weeks in advance, often grouping moves going in the same direction to keep timing and costs predictable. Waiting too long can limit your options or force you into less ideal pickup and delivery windows.
Researching moving companies early also gives you time to go through a proper survey process. An accurate in-home estimate or virtual assessment of what you’re moving is what determines how much space is reserved, how your belongings are loaded, and how smoothly everything flows on moving day. Rushing that step increases the likelihood of last-minute adjustments, which is where delays and cost changes tend to show up.
There’s also more to coordinate on your end. Travel plans, potential housing gaps, vehicle transport, and delivery timing all hinge on the decisions you make here. Beginning your search at the 8–12 week mark gives you the time to align those pieces instead of reacting to them later.
Once you have a clearer picture of your moving timeline, you can start coordinating the moving pieces around it. Transit time becomes important here; not just how long your belongings will be on the road, but how that timing lines up with your own arrival. Many people find there’s a gap, which is why it’s worth exploring storage options now instead of trying to solve it at the last minute.
Car shipping also comes into play during this window. If you’re not driving, auto transport needs to be scheduled early enough to align with your move. Professional moving company availability can vary depending on your route and time of year, so waiting too long can limit your options or create timing conflicts.
At the same time, your personal travel plans should be locked in with the same level of clarity as your move. Whether you’re flying or driving, your schedule should account for your delivery window, not just your move-out date. That alignment is what keeps you from arriving too early without your belongings, or too late and missing your delivery altogether.
Auto Transport Checklist
If your long distance move includes shipping a vehicle, the prep work runs parallel to your household move and deserves its own checklist.
Here are the key to-dos when arranging auto transport with Bekins:
- Research and book a reputable, insured auto transport company
- Choose between open or enclosed transport based on your vehicle and budget
- Schedule pickup and delivery dates that align with your moving timeline
- Wash your vehicle and document its condition with photos from all angles
- Remove all personal items from the car, since most carriers won’t allow them
- Check for leaks and mechanical issues, and make sure the battery is charged
- Keep the gas tank about ¼ full to reduce weight while still allowing loading and unloading
- Disable alarms and provide any necessary instructions to the driver
- Have a spare key ready for the transport company
- Review valuation coverage with Bekins and insurance coverage with your third-party insurer to understand what is and isn’t protected
- Be present, or assign someone to be present, for both pickup and delivery inspections
- Confirm contact information and delivery details with the carrier ahead of time
Tackle Your To-Dos With Bekins Van Lines
You don’t have to complete your move alone. At Bekins, we’re dedicated to making your moving timeline as simple and stress-free as possible. Request a moving estimate today to start your move!
For more information to help you plan your move, check out our FAQs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start planning eight to twelve weeks before your move date for a local or regional move, and a full twelve weeks ahead for a long distance or cross country move. That window gives you time to research moving companies, request an in-home estimate, declutter, and book your preferred date before peak season capacity fills.
Book your long distance move four to eight weeks in advance. Long distance carriers schedule routes by grouping moves heading in the same direction, so earlier booking means more flexibility on pickup and delivery windows. Summer moves between June and August fill capacity first and benefit from even longer lead times.
Schedule auto transport at the same time you book your household move, typically four to eight weeks ahead. Coordinating both at once helps align pickup and delivery windows so you’re not stuck without a vehicle at your destination or paying for extended rental coverage.
Pack a moving day essentials box with anything you’ll need in the first 24 to 48 hours: medications, chargers, a few changes of clothes, toiletries, basic tools, important documents, snacks, and bedding for the first night. Keep this box with you rather than on the truck.
