Functional Moving Checklist (By MAS Organization)

The key to a successful move is planning and conscious decluttering. By following this timeline, you reduce stress, avoid unnecessary expenses, and make sure you only take what you truly need.

8 Weeks Before: Decluttering and Planning Phase

This is the moment for big, liberating decisions.
📌 Decluttering and Logistics

• Create a Master File: Set up a physical or digital folder (or both) for all documentation (quotes, contacts, inventory, this checklist).
• Research Moving Companies: Request written quotes from several companies (not only by phone).
• DIY Option: If you are moving on your own, research truck rental prices and reserve early.
• Inventory and Decluttering (The MAS Step): Create an inventory of your belongings. Start decluttering immediately: decide what you will sell, donate, or discard.
• Insurance and Route: Research moving insurance. For long-distance moves, plan the route and book hotels.
• Budget: Create a detailed budget for all move-related expenses, including a buffer for surprises.
  📦 Prep
• Initial Supplies List: Make a list of packing supplies you will need (specialty boxes, mattress bags, etc.).
• Permits: Request any moving or parking permits that apply in your area.

6 Weeks Before: Reduce and Transfer Records

Continue deep cleaning and handling essential documents.
📌 Inventory Reduction

• Use What You Have: Start consuming pantry, freezer, and cabinet items to reduce perishables you will have to move.
• Declutter Actively: Remove anything that will not go to the new home. Host a garage sale or donate usable items.
  🏥 Records and Services
• Records: Transfer children’s school records.
• Health: Find new doctors, dentists, and veterinarians. Transfer medical records to the new offices.
• Supplies: Confirm the final number of boxes and packing supplies you will need (moving kits can be a starting point).

4 Weeks Before: Start Packing

Packing should begin calmly and strategically.
📦 Packing and Organization

• Confirmations: Finalize truck rental or moving service contracts.
• Time Off: Request time off work for moving day if needed.
• Supplies: Purchase all boxes, tape dispensers, and necessary packing supplies.
• Slow Packing: Begin packing non-essential or out-of-season items (clothing, files, décor).
• Labeling System: Set a labeling system (for example, color codes) to identify which room each box belongs in at the new house.
  📬 Notifications and Paperwork
• Change of Address: Complete change-of-address forms at the post office. Notify banks, insurance, friends, family, and subscriptions.
• Valuable Documents: Copy important documents (certificates, passports, health records). Consider a safe location for originals.

3 Weeks Before: Utilities and Setup

Increase packing pace and manage connections.
📦 Packing and Services

• Steady Pace: Pack at least one box daily. Pack by category (all books, all décor), regardless of room.
• Utilities: Schedule disconnecting utilities (electricity, gas, internet) at the current home after the move.
• Connections: Schedule utility connections at the new residence.
• Support Logistics: Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day. Confirm friends or family who will help load.

2 Weeks Before: Final Tasks and Restrictions

Make sure everything is ready for transport.
📦 Final Logistics

• Restricted Items: Dispose of or make special arrangements for prohibited items (gasoline, propane, corrosives, chemicals).
• Services: Cancel recurring services (cleaning, gardening, pest control). Find new services for your new address.
• Appliances: Consider hiring a professional to disconnect large appliances you are moving.
  🚗 Personal Transport
• Pets and Plants: Make safe-transport arrangements for plants and pets.
• Vehicle: Service your car, especially if you are moving to a different climate.

1 Week Before: Closeout and a Survival Kit

Almost everything should be packed, except last-week essentials.
📦 Final Touches

• Final Packing: Finish packing everything except your last-week essentials bag.
• Keys: Gather all keys to the old home.
• Valuables: Make sure you know where valuables are packed so they are easy to find when unpacking.
• Pickups: Pick up any dry cleaning.
• Defrost: Defrost the refrigerator and freezer two days before moving.
  🆘 Survival Kit (Essentials Box)
• First-Hours Kit: Pack a clear plastic bin with essentials you will need upon arrival (toilet paper, soap, basic cleaning supplies, snacks, medications, sheets, phone chargers).

Moving Day

Action day should feel smooth.

• Prep: Check that all boxes are labeled. Confirm mover arrival.
• Clear Paths: Clear the truck parking area and exit/entry routes at both homes.
• Documentation: Take photos of the old home to document its condition when you leave.
• Pets/Children: Place pets in daycare or keep them safely confined.

After the Move

Relax, then organize.

• Priority: Unpack your Survival Kit essentials first.
• Slow Pace: Unpack calmly, room by room. Use this moment to create functional systems in your new home with the MAS Method.