Most moving checklists assume three months of lead time and a spare weekend every week. This one assumes you found out about the move a month ago and have a job.
Week 4: lock in logistics
- Confirm move-out and move-in dates in writing with both landlords or the title company
- Book your truck or movers — the first two weeks of August go fast in Madison
- Reserve totes and a dolly for delivery about a week before move day
- Start a donate pile. Everything in it is something you don't have to carry.
Week 3: paperwork and utilities
- Schedule utility transfers: MG&E, internet, water if applicable
- File a change of address with USPS
- Update your address with your bank, employer, insurance, and the DMV
- If you're in a building with an elevator, reserve it now
Week 2: pack the things you don't use
Totes arrive around now. Start with the categories you can live without for two weeks: off-season clothes, books, decor, spare linens, the good dishes.
Label by destination room, not by contents. Where it goes matters more than what's inside when you're unloading.
Week 1: everything but the essentials
- Pack the kitchen except for a few days of dishes
- Set aside an essentials tote: chargers, medication, tools, toilet paper, coffee, a change of clothes
- Defrost the freezer if you're taking it, or eat it down if you're not
- Confirm parking and loading-zone access at both addresses
Move day and after
Load the dolly with stacks, not single containers. Take photos of both units once they're empty. Do the final walkthrough with your phone recording.
After you're in, unpack the essentials tote first, then kitchen, then bedrooms. Tell us when you're ready and we'll pick everything up from the new place.
Start at week four
Pick your dates now and we'll deliver about a week before your move so you can pack at your pace.
