Your moving timeline, from eight weeks out

Most moves that go badly were decided a month earlier, by something nobody booked in time. This is the order we would work through it, starting eight weeks out and counting down to the day, so the last fortnight is for packing rather than chasing.

Eight weeks out: pin down the fixed points

Start with the dates you cannot move. Settlement or lease end, the day you get the keys, school terms if you have children, and any leave you need to book from work. Everything else fits around those.

• Confirm your settlement or lease end date in writing.
• Check whether the old and new dates overlap, or leave a gap you will need storage for.
• Book leave for moving day and the day after. You will want the second one.
• If you rent, read your lease for notice periods and any requirement for professional cleaning.

This is also the time to get quotes. Removalists book out at the end of the month and through school holidays, and the good dates go first. A quote built on a proper inventory is worth more than a quick figure over the phone, so be ready to walk someone through what is coming. You can start a quote online and fill in what you know.

Six weeks out: book the move and start clearing

Once you have compared quotes, book. Get the quote in writing, and check it names the date, both addresses, what is included and what would change the price.

Then start getting rid of things. Every item you do not move is one you do not pack, carry or pay to transport. Work room by room, and be honest about the spare room and the garage.

• Sell or donate furniture that will not suit the new place.
• Book a council bulky waste collection if your area offers one. There is often a waiting list.
• Use up frozen food and pantry stock rather than moving it.
• Return anything borrowed, and collect anything you have lent.

Four weeks out: access, permits and paperwork

This is the week that decides how moving day actually runs. Look at both addresses the way a crew will see them.

• If either property is an apartment, contact the building manager or strata about booking the service lift and a loading dock time. Ask for their move-in rules in writing.
• Check whether a truck needs a council parking permit on your street. Many inner-city councils require one, and it can take a while to come through.
• Measure large furniture and the tightest doorway or stairwell it has to pass.
• Tell your removalist about stairs, long carries, steep driveways and anything heavy, such as a piano, safe or pool table.

Start the paperwork too. Set up Australia Post mail redirection, then list everyone who has your address: your bank, employer, insurer, Medicare, the Australian Taxation Office, your vehicle registration and licence, and the Australian Electoral Commission.

Two to three weeks out: pack what you will not miss

Begin with the rooms and cupboards you use least. Books, spare linen, off-season clothes, framed pictures and the shelf of things nobody has touched since the last move.

• Label every carton with the room it goes to and a short note of what is inside.
• Keep cartons to a weight you can lift comfortably. Books go in small boxes.
• Arrange connection of electricity, gas and internet at the new address, and disconnection at the old one. Internet in particular can take longer than people expect.
• Organise the transfer of school, childcare and medical records if you are changing providers.

The final week

• Pack everything except what you need day to day.
• Defrost and clean the fridge and freezer at least a day before the move.
• Confirm the arrival time, both addresses and any lift booking with your removalist.
• Pack an essentials box: kettle, mugs, phone chargers, toiletries, medications, toilet paper, a change of clothes, bedding, basic tools and snacks. It travels with you, not in the truck.
• Set aside keys, remotes, important documents and valuables to move yourself.

Moving day and the day after

Be at the old place when the crew arrives, or have someone there who can make decisions about what goes and what stays. Walk the crew through the house, point out anything fragile, and do a last check of cupboards, the shed and the meter box before the truck leaves.

At the new place, stand at the door and direct cartons to rooms. Make the beds before you do anything else. If you are renting, take the photos of the old property you will want for the final inspection, and read the meters at both homes.

The rest can wait until tomorrow. That is what the second day of leave is for.