The Moving House Checklist: 8 Weeks to Handover

Moving goes badly when everything happens in the last four days. Spread across eight weeks it is a series of small, boring tasks, which is exactly what you want.

Adjust the timeline to your notice period and settlement date, but keep the order.

Eight weeks out

• Check your lease for the notice period and how notice must be given, in writing in most states.
• Give notice, or confirm your settlement date.
• Set a moving budget: removalists, bond clean, packing materials, mail redirection, possible storage.
• Start decluttering. Everything you throw out now is something you do not pay to move.

Six weeks out

• Get removalist quotes. See how to choose a removalist.
• Get bond cleaning quotes and check whether your lease requires professional carpet cleaning.
• Book both, especially if you are moving at the end of the month.
• If dates do not line up, price storage now rather than in a panic later.

Four weeks out

• Start packing anything you do not use weekly: books, out of season clothes, spare linen, decorations.
• Label boxes by room and contents, not just "kitchen". Your future self will thank you.
• Take photos of electronics and their cabling before you unplug anything.
• Organise mail redirection with Australia Post.
• Book the lift and loading dock at both ends if you are in an apartment.

Two weeks out

• Notify the essentials: electricity, gas, water, internet, insurance, bank, Medicare, super, licence and registration, school and childcare.
• Book internet connection at the new place. This is the one that routinely takes longest.
• Arrange final meter readings.
• Confirm the removalist and cleaner in writing, including times and addresses.
• Run down the freezer and pantry.

The final week

• Pack everything except a small essentials box.
• Defrost the fridge at least 24 hours out, and leave the door ajar to dry.
• Confirm key handover times with both agents.
• Charge every device and have cash or a card ready for the crew.
• Take a full set of photos of the empty property, dated, after the clean.

Moving day

• Be there when the crew arrives, walk them through, flag the fragile items.
• Keep the essentials box, valuables and documents with you, not on the truck.
• Do a final walkthrough: every cupboard, the roof cavity access, the letterbox, the garage.
• Read the meters and photograph them.
• Hand over every key, remote and swipe card, and count them.

The essentials box

Pack one box you keep with you: phone chargers, a change of clothes, toiletries, medication, toilet paper, hand soap, tea and coffee, a kettle, basic tools, scissors, a torch, and the paperwork for the move.

After handover

• Attend the final inspection if you can, or ask for the report.
• If the agent raises cleaning items, get them in writing and go straight back to your cleaner while any re-clean window is still open.
• Lodge your bond claim promptly through your state's bond authority.

Frequently asked questions

When should I book the bond clean?

After the property is empty, ideally the day before the final inspection. Cleaning around furniture wastes the job.

How much notice do I have to give?

It depends on your state and your lease type. Check your agreement and your state's tenancy authority, and give notice in writing.

What if settlement is delayed?

Tell your removalist as early as possible and ask about their rescheduling terms. This is a good reason to ask about storage when you first get quotes.

Line up the two bookings that matter most: a removalist and an end-of-lease cleaner.