When to Start Planning a Move (It’s Earlier Than You Think)

Moving is one of those projects where everyone agrees it’s stressful, and almost nobody starts planning early enough. You know the move is coming. You think about it constantly. But “thinking about it” and “actually planning it” are very different things.

The result? A chaotic last two weeks of throwing things in boxes, discovering you should have called utility companies a month ago, and paying $200 extra for a last-minute moving truck.

Here’s when to actually start, and what to do each week.

8 Weeks Before: The Decisions Phase

This is when most people are still in “I’ll deal with it later” mode. Don’t be most people.

• Set your move date. Even a rough target helps. Everything downstream depends on this.
• Decide: hiring movers or DIY. Get quotes now. Good movers book up 4-6 weeks in advance, especially on weekends and at the end of the month.
• Start decluttering. You don’t want to pack things you’re going to throw away. Donate, sell, or trash one room per week.

6 Weeks Before: The Booking Phase

• Book your movers or reserve a truck. If you’re doing it yourself, reserve early. Weekend slots go fast.
• Start collecting boxes and supplies. Buy some, but also check local buy-nothing groups and liquor stores for free boxes.
• Notify your landlord if you’re renting. Most leases require 30-60 days notice.

4 Weeks Before: The Admin Phase

This is the boring but critical stuff that people always forget.

• Forward your mail with USPS. Do this online, takes 5 minutes.
• Transfer or set up utilities. Electric, gas, water, internet. Some providers need 2+ weeks notice for installation.
• Update your address with your bank, insurance, employer, subscriptions.
• Schedule any repairs or cleaning required by your current lease.

2 Weeks Before: The Packing Phase

• Pack room by room. Label every box with the room it goes to and a rough description of contents. Your future self will thank you.
• Pack a “first night” box with essentials: toilet paper, towels, phone charger, basic kitchen stuff, sheets, medications. This is the box you open first.
• Confirm everything. Call your movers. Confirm your utility setup dates. Double-check your truck reservation.

1 Week Before: Final Stretch

• Deep clean your current place (or schedule cleaners).
• Defrost the freezer if you’re taking your fridge.
• Take photos of your current place for your security deposit.
• Pack the last of the everyday items you’ve been living out of.

Why People Start Too Late

Moving doesn’t feel urgent until it is. The move date is weeks away, and today there’s nothing that absolutely must happen. So it waits.

But here’s what’s actually happening: every day you don’t start, you lose a cheap mover slot, a decluttering opportunity, or a utility transfer window. By the time it feels urgent, your only options are expensive and stressful.

Let Steadily Map It Out

Tell Steadily your move date and what you know so far. It’ll build a timeline working backward from your move date, putting each task on the right week so nothing piles up at the end.

“I’m moving from Austin to Denver on April 15th. Renting a truck, not hiring movers. I have a two-bedroom apartment and need to give 30 days notice to my landlord.”

That’s all it needs. You get a sequenced plan with start-by dates for everything.

Start your move plan.

Related reading: - How to Plan a Move Across the Country - The Planning Fallacy: Why Everything Takes Longer Than You Think - The Real Cost of “I’ll Figure It Out Later”