The Buyer’s Moving Checklist

• Book your movers or reserve a truck. The best companies fill up fast — get two or three quotes, and ask what’s included (mileage, stairs, heavy items).
• Start a moving folder. One binder or phone folder for your purchase agreement, closing documents, mover contract, and receipts. Future you says thanks.
• Measure the new home. Room sizes, doorways, and stair turns — confirm your biggest furniture actually fits before moving day.
• Sort room by room. Donate, sell, recycle, or toss anything you don’t want to pay to move. Moving is the best excuse to lighten the load.
• Eat down the freezer and pantry. Plan meals around what you already have so less food gets thrown out (or hauled).
• Gather packing supplies. Boxes, tape, markers, bubble wrap, and a few wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes.
• If you’re renting now, give notice. Check your lease for the required notice period and any move-out cleaning expectations so you get your full deposit back.
• Line up internet for the new address. Check which providers serve the home and what installation lead times look like.

Allison’s tip — take photos of your current rooms before you pack a thing. They’re a lifesaver if you ever need to document what you own for insurance.

• Start packing what you don’t use daily. Out-of-season clothes, books, décor, the good dishes. One room at a time.
• Label every box twice — the room it’s going to and a quick list of what’s inside. Number the boxes if you want a simple inventory.
• Photograph electronics setups before unplugging, so reconnecting the TV and Wi-Fi is painless.
• File your USPS change of address at usps.com/move, set to start on your moving date. Do it directly with USPS — third-party sites charge unnecessary fees.
• Notify the important people. Bank, credit cards, loan servicers, insurance, subscriptions, and your employer’s payroll department.
• Request time off for closing day and moving day — and the day after, if you can swing it.
• Arrange moving-day help for kids and pets. A sitter, a grandparent, or a trusted friend keeps the day safer and calmer for everyone.
• Use up or safely dispose of paint, chemicals, and cleaning products — movers won’t transport most hazardous items.

• Schedule utilities at the new home in your name, starting on closing day: electric, natural gas, water and sewer, and trash/recycling. In the Twin Cities that usually means Xcel Energy or your city utility, plus CenterPoint Energy for gas in many areas.
• Schedule shutoff or transfer at your current home for the day after you move out — never the day of.
• Book your internet installation appointment at the new home.
• Confirm your closing — date, time, and location — with Allison and your lender.
• Review your Closing Disclosure. It arrives at least three business days before closing. Compare it to your Loan Estimate and ask about anything that changed.
• Plan your closing funds. Ask the title company exactly how they want the money delivered — cashier’s check or wire — and for what amount.
• Confirm the movers: date, arrival window, both addresses, parking, and a phone number where you’ll answer on the day.
• Start your first-night box (see the list below) and keep it out of the packing flow.

• Do your final walk-through of the new home with Allison — confirm agreed repairs are done and everything works as expected.
• Finish packing everything except daily essentials. If a box isn’t sealed by now, today’s the day.
• Pack a personal bag for each person: medications, chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, and important documents and IDs.
• Empty and clean the refrigerator you’re leaving; plan simple meals (and paper plates) for the final days.
• Back up computers and phones.
• Get some cash on hand for mover tips and moving-day odds and ends.
• Sleep matters. Protect one normal evening this week — you’ll be glad you did.

• Bring your photo ID and anything else your closer asked for to the closing appointment.
• Sign your closing documents and keep a copy of everything — this packet stays with your moving folder.
• Collect everything that comes with the home: all keys, garage door openers, mailbox keys, and alarm or smart-lock codes.
• Walk the new home before the truck is unloaded. Confirm utilities are on, take a few condition photos, and check that nothing was left behind that shouldn’t be.
• Direct the movers room by room using your box labels — it makes unpacking dramatically easier.
• Check items off as they come in, and note any damage before the movers leave.
• Unpack in this order: first-night box, beds, bathroom, kitchen basics. Everything else can wait for tomorrow.
• Take the front-step photo. First day, new home — you’ll treasure it.

Allison’s tip — make the beds before you’re exhausted. A made bed turns a house full of boxes into a home you can sleep in.

• Change the locks or rekey, and reset garage, alarm, and smart-lock codes. You never know how many copies of the old key are out there.
• Find the shut-offs: main water valve, gas shut-off, and the breaker panel. Show everyone in the house where they are.
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and replace the batteries. Note the furnace filter size and put in a fresh filter.
• Apply for Minnesota homestead classification with your county assessor’s office — if the home is your primary residence, it can reduce your property taxes. You generally must occupy the home and apply by December 31.
• Update your Minnesota driver’s license or state ID with your new address — state law asks for it within 30 days of moving.
• Register to vote at your new address (you can register online or at the polls in Minnesota).
• Confirm your mail is flowing: watch for forwarded mail arriving, and sign up for USPS Informed Delivery to preview what’s coming.
• File your closing packet somewhere safe — you’ll want it at tax time and whenever questions come up.
• Beat the Minnesota winter: if cold weather is anywhere on the horizon, stock ice melt and a good shovel, and know who you’ll call for snow removal if you need one.
• Celebrate. Order from the neighborhood spot you’ve been eyeing, eat among the boxes, and enjoy night one. You did it.