Moving Inventory and Box Log
Know what is in every box and where it is meant to end up, so you can find the kettle on the first night and tell on the day whether anything is missing.
MB-02 1 page
Moving and buying · MB-01
Moving House Checklist
A free printable moving house checklist, laid out as a countdown from six weeks out to the first week in, with a column to date each job.
Download Free · no sign-up
2 pages. Choose your paper size — both versions are laid out identically, so neither one gets shrunk to fit.
Print it and write on it
Fill it in type and save
The fillable versions have real form fields — open them in any PDF reader, type into them and save. Printing help.
What this sheet is for
Work backwards from the moving date instead of remembering things in the wrong order, and see at a glance what has actually been done rather than what has been worried about.
Who it is for
Anyone moving, buying or renting — and particularly anyone moving with children, pets or a job to keep going at the same time.
How to use it
- Print it as soon as a date is agreed, and write the date at the top.
- Cross out what does not apply to your move and write in what does.
- Date each line as it is done — the date column is what stops a job being done twice or not at all.
- Keep the moving day and first week sections with you, not in the van.
What is on the sheet
2 pages, in this order:
Page 1
Printed under the title: Everything that has to happen before, during and after a move, grouped by how long is left. Print it as soon as a date is agreed and work down from the top.
Timings differ — adjust them. The countdown is a working order, not a rule. How much notice suppliers, schools and local registers need differs by country, and a rented move runs to a completely different clock from a purchase. Move the lines around to suit yours, and cross out what does not apply.
Write-on lines: Moving from · Moving to · Moving date · Removal firm · Contact
About six weeks out — write the date as each one is done
- Confirm the date in writing with everyone involved
- Get quotes from removal firms and book one
- Check what your insurance covers while in transit
- Book time off for the move and the day after
- Tell schools and clubs, and ask for records
- Book storage if there is a gap between the dates
About two weeks out — write the date as each one is done
- Give notice to every utility and agree a final date
- Arrange broadband and phone at the new address
- Redirect post and list who else needs the address
- Update the address on insurance and banking
- Confirm parking, lift or access at both ends
- Order boxes, tape, labels and wrapping
Page 2
The week of the move — write the date as each one is done
- Pack a first-night box and keep it out of the van
- Label every box with the room it is going to
- Defrost the freezer and drain the washing machine
- Dismantle whatever has to come apart
- Confirm the arrival time with the removal firm
- Set aside keys, documents and valuables to carry
Moving day — write the date as each one is done
- Read and photograph every meter before you leave
- Walk every room, cupboard and the loft before locking up
- Hand over keys and note who took them and when
- Check the van is empty before it leaves
- Read the meters at the new property on arrival
- Find the stopcock, consumer unit and gas valve
The first week in — write the date as each one is done
- Check heating, hot water and every drain runs
- Test every smoke and carbon monoxide alarm
- Confirm the opening readings with the new suppliers
- Register with local services and update the address
- Change the locks if you do not know who holds keys
- Photograph and report anything damaged in transit
Ruled lines: Notes and anything specific to yours
Questions
Are these timings right for where I live?
They are a working order, not a rule. How much notice utilities, schools and local registers need differs by country and sometimes by region, and a rented move runs to a different clock from a purchase. Move the lines to fit yours.
Why is reading the meters on the moving day list?
Because it is the one job on the day that nobody can go back and do afterwards. A photographed final reading at the old address and an opening reading at the new one prevent most change-over disputes.
Related sheets
Utility Change-Over Record
Close the old accounts and open the new ones with the readings and balances written down on the day, so a change-over dispute has a sheet of paper behind it.
MB-07 1 page
New Home Record Sheet
Capture the things you need to know about a new property while you are still paying attention, rather than at two in the morning during a leak.
PR-06 2 pages
Emergency Shut-Off Locations Sheet
Make sure anyone in the household can turn off the water, gas or electricity quickly, including people who did not move in with the property.
PR-10 2 pages
Also in the resources library
The same subject, with a version you can fill in on screen.
Completion Day Checklist
Solicitor, agent and removals contacts where you can reach them.
PB-561 Checklist PDF Online
Graduation and Next Steps Planner
Ceremony tasks such as registering, gown hire and guest tickets, with deadlines.
US-968 Planner PDF Online
House Move Countdown Planner
Every job of the move on one list rather than in several notebooks.
PL-484 Planner PDF Online
