Nobody talks about how genuinely exhausting moving house is until you’re in the middle of it. You think you’ve got it handled, then suddenly it’s 10pm the night before the truck arrives along with you’re still wrapping plates in old t-shirts because you ran out of packing paper three hours ago.
Been there? Most people have. The difference between a move that goes smoothly and one that completely falls apart usually comes down to one thing, whether you had a proper moving house checklist or you were just winging it and hoping for the best.
Two Months Out, Yes, Really
Eight weeks sounds excessive. It isn’t. If you wait until a month out to start thinking about this stuff, you’ll be playing catch-up the entire time.
First thing, get your budget sorted before anything else. Not a rough mental estimate. Actual numbers. Removalists, boxes and packaging supplies, bond payments, utility connection fees, any gap in rent if your dates overlap. Things always cost more than you expect. Add a buffer of around fifteen percent and assume you’ll need it.
Then book your removalists. In Perth especially, weekends fill up fast. Don’t assume you’ll find someone good at short notice, you might, but you also might end up with whoever was still available, and that’s a gamble not worth taking. Get a few quotes, read the reviews properly, and confirm exactly what’s included before you commit.
One more thing for this stage that almost everyone skips, is to start a folder. Digital, physical, whatever works for you. Every document related to the move goes in it. Lease papers, insurance, account numbers, removalist contact details. You’ll be glad it exists at 7am on a moving day when you can’t remember who you called about the electricity.
Six Weeks Out, Go Through Everything Before You Pack a Single Box
One of the greatest errors that individuals commit when moving house is packing without first decluttering. You wind up packing up stuff you never remembered you possessed, and taking it across the city, and unpacking it in a new house, where it will never have any use.
Go room by room. Be honest with yourself. If something has sat in a cupboard untouched for a year, it’ll probably sit in a cupboard untouched in the new place too. Sell it, donate it, or get rid of it altogether.
This is also the right time, as part of any solid moving house checklist Australia, to:
Start collecting your boxes and packaging supplies now, not the week before. Purpose-built moving boxes are worth buying over old grocery store cartons that collapse under any real weight.
Measure the large furniture pieces against doorways and corridors at the new property. Do this before moving day, not during it. Finding out a couch won’t fit through a door while four people are standing around holding it is a stressful way to learn that lesson.
Let your employer know your address is changing. Simple, quick, often forgotten until the first payslip goes to the wrong place.
Four Weeks Out: The Admin Nobody Enjoys But Everyone Needs to Do
This is the part of the house move to do list that isn’t fun but causes the most problems when it gets ignored. Change your address with everyone who needs to know. Not just the obvious ones.
Work through this list properly:
Your bank. Every financial institution you deal with. Medicare. Centrelink if that applies to you. The Australian Electoral Commission, this one disappears off everyone’s radar and then election time comes around and nothing arrives. Your super fund. Health insurer. Car and home insurance. GP and any specialists. Every subscription or regular delivery you have.
Then sort the utilities. Book disconnection at your current place and connection at the new one. Try to get a day or two of overlap if your dates allow it, cleaning an empty house is a lot easier with hot water and lights still running. Anyone going through a moving house checklist Perth should contact Synergy well ahead of time, particularly if the new property has been sitting vacant.
Confirm your removalists again. If you booked them weeks ago, a quick confirmation email now is worth it. Include the full address, any access details, and flag anything tricky, stairs, narrow driveways, large or heavy items that need special handling.
Two Weeks Out, Start Packing, But Start Smart
Never pack it all at once. Begin with the areas of your house that you hardly utilize, extra rooms, books, out-of-season clothing, garage equipment, decorations. Move out of the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom until the very end since you are still living out of those areas.
Label every box. Write what’s in it and which room it belongs to. It takes an extra thirty seconds per box and saves enormous confusion at the other end. Colour coding by room with different coloured tape is even better, your removalists can carry boxes straight to the right room without asking you anything.
Pack an essentials bag and keep it with you, not in the truck. First night in a new house, you don’t want to be opening twenty boxes looking for your phone charger or your toothbrush. Put in it everything you’ll genuinely need in the first twelve hours:
Chargers. Toiletries. Change of clothes. Any medications. Something to eat and drink. Kids’ stuff or pet supplies if relevant. Toilet paper, do not laugh, this gets forgotten more than you’d think. And your important documents.
The Final Week: Small Things That Matter
Things to do when moving house in this last stretch:
Defrost the fridge. Do it at least a full day before moving. A fridge that hasn’t been defrosted leaks water in the truck and it’s miserable for everyone involved. Same goes for the washing machine, run a quick empty cycle and leave the door open.
Eat through your pantry as much as you can. Most dry goods are worth packing but be realistic about what you’ll actually use. Half a bottle of fish sauce and three-year-old spices probably aren’t coming with you.
Take apart any flat-pack furniture that needs disassembling. Bag the screws and bolts and tape that bag directly to the piece they came from. In the future you will be very glad you did this.
Photograph every room of the property you’re leaving. Every wall, every floor, inside every cupboard. If you’re renting, these photos are what protect your bond if there’s any dispute later. Take them before you start moving things out.
Check parking for the truck. In some Perth suburbs and apartments you’ll need to arrange a temporary parking permit with council, this usually needs a few days’ notice so don’t leave it to the last minute.
Moving Day
By this point the planning is done. Moving day is just execution.
Wake up early before the removalists get there. Have everything boxed and nothing still loose around the house when they arrive. Walk through every single room one more time before loading starts. Check inside wardrobes, under beds, the laundry, the garage, the shed. You will find something you almost left behind.
Take a meter reading at your old address and photograph it. Keep your essentials bag with you in your car, not in the truck. Don’t hand back keys until you have personally confirmed that every single thing is out.
When you get to the new property, do a walk-through before the truck is unloaded. Check the condition of everything. Note anything that looks wrong and photograph it immediately. Then let the removalists do their job with your boxes clearly labelled, they can work through it efficiently without constantly stopping to ask you where things go.
First Week in the New Place
The move house list doesn’t end when the truck leaves. First week in a new home, work through this:
Test every power point and light switch. Check all the locks on doors and windows actually work. Find the fuse box and the water shut-off valve know where they are before you need them in an emergency. Book internet connection if you haven’t already, it usually takes a few days to activate.
Update your driver’s licence address. In WA this goes through the Department of Transport. It’s one of those tasks that’s easy to keep putting off and then suddenly it’s six months later and you still haven’t done it.
Register with a local GP if you’ve moved far enough that your old one isn’t practical anymore. Better to do it before you actually need one.
Perth-Specific Things Worth Knowing
The distances in Perth catch people out. Suburbs that look close on a map can take a surprising amount of time when you factor in actual roads and traffic. If your move involves crossing the river or going anywhere near the freeway during peak hours, build in extra time.
For anyone using a moving house checklist Perth style, book your removalists to start early at 7 or 8am at the latest, so the heavy lifting is done before the summer heat becomes unbearable. Between December and March, trying to move furniture in 38 degree heat from midday onwards is genuinely unpleasant for everyone involved. Keep water available and plan your day around it.
Quick Load Movers cover more than 100 Perth suburbs, work weekends, in addition to handling everything from studio apartments to full family homes. Worth calling if you want a team that actually knows the city.
The Quick Version: Whole Checklist at a Glance
- 8 weeks set your budget, book removalists, create your folder
- 6 weeks declutter everything, get boxes as well as supplies, measure furniture, notify employer
- 4 weeks update address with all organisations, book utilities, reconfirm removalists
- 2 weeks pack non-essential rooms, label every box, pack your essentials bag
- 1 week defrost fridge, disassemble furniture, photograph the property, sort truck parking
- Moving day final room walk-through, meter reading, keys last
- First week test appliances and locks, update licence, book internet, find fuse box
Moving doesn’t have to be the disaster everyone warns you about. Get your moving house checklist Australia sorted early, work through it steadily, and you’ll arrive at the new place feeling like a person who had a plan not someone who survived a small emergency.
Start now. Even just the budget part. Everything else follows from there.
Quick Load Movers are trusted removalists across Perth and surrounds. Call for a free quote.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How far in advance should I start my moving house checklist?
Ideally eight weeks out, but six weeks minimum. The earlier you start, the less you’re scrambling at the end. Most people leave it too late and pay for it on moving day.
What should be on a basic house move to do list?
Update your address with your bank, Medicare, and utilities. Book removalists early. Defrost the fridge. Label every box. And pack an essentials bag you keep with you not in the truck.
Is there anything specific to a moving house checklist in Perth?
Book removalists early weekends fill up fast in Perth. If you’re moving in summer, get the heavy lifting done before midday. Sort your Synergy connection well in advance, especially if the new property has been vacant.
What are the most important things to do when moving house that people forget?
Photographing the old property before you leave, updating your address with the Electoral Commission, defrosting the fridge, and checking all locks and power points actually work at the new place. Small things that cause big headaches later.
Do I need a removalist or can I manage the move myself?
Depends on how much you have and how far you’re going. For a full house, a professional removalist saves time, protects your furniture, and is usually worth the cost.