Packing and moving day, box by box.
From the first box to the last signature: clearing out, packing room by room, booking movers or a courier, and the day itself, with what to check before you sign.
Three to six months before
Decide what ships, how and how fast
about 4 months before you leaveA container, shared load, air freight or courier differ in price and in weeks on the way.
- List large items and their value
- Compare shipping against selling and buying again
Get 3 quotes from movers
about 3 months before you leavePrices for the same move vary 2 to 3 times. Hidden port and destination fees are a common trap.
- Ask for a survey at home or by video
- Ask for written, all-inclusive quotes
- Ask what is not included: port, customs, stairs, parking, storage
Tip: A quote that leaves out destination fees is not comparable.
Check the mover is licensed and well reviewed
about 3 months before you leaveUnlicensed movers can hold goods for extra payment.
- Look the mover up in the official register
- Read recent reviews
- Check their insurance
One to three months before
- Contract
Book movers
about 2 months before you leaveGood movers book out weeks ahead, especially at month ends and in summer.
- Get a written contract with dates and total price
- Note the claims deadline
Sell, donate or give away what you will not take
about 2 months before you leaveEvery box costs money to move.
- Go room by room
- For a move abroad, check voltage and plug types
- Book collections for large items
- When you move to a new town
Book flights or transport
about 9 weeks before you leavePrices rise close to the date, but dates may still move.
- Choose flexible tickets until your dates are certain
- Avoid arriving late at night
- When you move to a new town
Book the nights on the way and the first nights
about 6 weeks before you leaveArriving tired with children or pets is easier with every night booked.
- Book the first nights near your first home
- Book a transfer big enough for your luggage
- Contract
Insure your goods in transit
about 6 weeks before you leaveBasic mover liability is often a small amount per kilo.
- Ask for full-value cover
- Base the value on your inventory
Make a photo inventory of what you take
about 6 weeks before you leaveInsurers and customs ask for a list with values.
- Use Boxes to list items with photos and values
- Export the inventory as a PDF
Arrange storage if you need it
about 4 weeks before you leaveGoods often arrive before you have a long-term home.
- Ask the mover about storage at the destination
- Check insurance while in storage
- ContractIf you use a courier
Book the courier or excess baggage
about 4 weeks before you leaveCourier and airline baggage prices rise close to the date.
- Weigh and measure boxes
- Book collection and keep the tracking numbers
Pack room by room and label boxes
about 4 weeks before you leaveLabelled boxes with contents lists make unpacking and claims easier.
- Create a box in Boxes for each box you pack
- Print the QR labels
- Official stepWhen you move abroad
Prepare the customs file for your household goods
Plan for: about 4 weeks before you leaveMany countries let you import used household goods without duty, but only with the right papers and on time.
- Check the duty-free rules and banned items
- Give the mover the valued inventory and your proof of moving
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
The last month
Book parking or the lift for moving day at both addresses
about 3 weeks before you leaveWithout a reserved space, movers charge for waiting or long carries.
- Ask the building about lift booking
- Apply for a parking permit if needed
- When you move abroad
Buy things that are hard to get at the destination
about 3 weeks before you leaveSome medicines, sizes or favourite foods are hard to find at first.
- Ask people who live there
- Pack them in your luggage
Make the moving-day plan
7 days before you leaveMoving day goes better when everyone knows who does what.
- Decide who minds the children and pets
- Plan the final walk-through and keys
- Share the plan with Family
- If you use movers or a courier
Use up food and dispose of items movers will not take
7 days before you leaveMovers refuse paint, gas, batteries and food.
- Ask the mover for the list
- Take items to a recycling centre
Pack a suitcase and first-night box
3 days before you leaveShipped goods can take weeks or months.
- Pack bedding, chargers, basic kitchen items and medicines
- Add children's favourite things
- When you move to a new town
Pack the hand-luggage document folder
3 days before you leaveFirst appointments, and border officers on a move abroad, need originals that must not go in a shipped box.
- Use the Documents checklist for the hand-luggage folder
- Keep digital copies on your phone
Moving day
- Official stepWhen you move abroad
At the border: declare cash and goods and check your entry stamp
Plan for: The day you arriveCash above a limit and some goods must be declared. Your entry date can start permit deadlines.
- Declare cash above the limit
- Declare goods that arrive later if required
- Check the entry stamp
The deadline is set by local rules. Read it on the official page and set the date yourself; Rootstep links that page where it has one.
- Appointment
Moving day: check the inventory before you sign
The day you leaveWhat you sign at loading is what you can claim for later.
- Check the inventory numbers against Boxes
- Take photos of valuable items
- Keep the bill of lading
The first month after you arrive
- Appointment
Receive the delivery and note damage before you sign
about 4 weeks after you arriveDamage noted on the delivery papers is far easier to claim.
- Check box numbers against Boxes
- Write damage on the delivery receipt
Unpack and check everything arrived
about 4 weeks after you arriveMissing items must be reported within the claims deadline.
- Mark boxes unpacked in Boxes
- Recycle the boxes
Later, once you've settled
- Contract
File damage claims before the deadline
about 4 weeks after “Receive the delivery and note damage before you sign”Claims after the contract's deadline are refused.
- Send photos and the inventory
- Keep copies of all messages
Let the dates take care of themselves.
Rootstep numbers your boxes, lists what is in each one and prints labels with a QR code, and on moving day it shows the next thing to do on your Lock Screen. Try everything free for 9 days; your plan stays free to follow, and one payment keeps you planning.