Most of the stress in a move does not come from the lifting, but from everything you have to arrange around it. With this checklist you can work through it calmly, week by week.
Eight weeks before
- Fix your moving date and request a moving check. Popular dates, such as the end of the month, fill up quickly.
- Give notice on your rented home if you rent. Check the notice period in your tenancy agreement.
- Start decluttering. Anything you are not taking with you, you do not have to pack either.
Four weeks before
- Register your move with the municipality (gemeente). You can do this from four weeks before your moving date and must do it no later than five days after.
- Arrange energy, water, internet and TV for your new address, and cancel them for your old one.
- Have your post forwarded, so you do not miss anything in the first few weeks.
Two weeks before
- Start packing: first the things you do not use every day, such as books, decorations and seasonal clothing.
- Give your new address to your employer, bank, insurers, GP and dentist.
- Check whether you can park at your new home and whether a permit is needed for the removal van.
The week of the move
- Defrost the freezer a day or two in advance.
- Pack a box with things for the first evening: chargers, toiletries, a towel, bedding and coffee.
- Take photos of the meter readings in your old home.
After the move
- Also write down the meter readings in your new home and pass them on to your supplier.
- Check that your name is on the letterbox and the doorbell.
- Get to know the neighbours. A quick chat on the first day makes a big difference later.
