Week by Week
Your Week-by-Week Moving Timeline
Break the move into phases and it stops feeling like a mountain. Here's the countdown, step by step.
Bottom line: spread the work across the weeks and moving day takes care of itself. Here's a realistic countdown you can adjust to fit your move.
8 weeks out: set the plan
Bottom line: lock the date and start letting go of stuff.
- Pick a moving date, checking for local holidays or festivals that affect traffic
- Start sorting non-essentials and clearing out rarely used storage
- Notify your landlord, or coordinate with your agent if you're buying or selling
6–4 weeks out: line things up
Bottom line: firm up housing, supplies, and utilities.
- Finalize your housing arrangements
- Notify schools if the kids are changing districts — watch local calendar deadlines
- Gather sturdy packing supplies (our humidity is rough on flimsy boxes)
- Schedule utility transfers or disconnections
3–2 weeks out: pack and confirm
Bottom line: get packing in earnest and update your address.
- Pack steadily, labeling boxes by room
- Arrange child or pet care for moving day
- Reserve elevators or parking if you're in a condo, and check local moving rules
- Update your address with banks, subscriptions, and state agencies
- Confirm utility transfer dates — no gap in electricity, since AC is a must here
1 week out to moving day
Bottom line: pack the bulk, then set aside what you'll need first.
Pack most of the kitchen, off-season clothes, and decor, but keep out the essentials — medications, documents, everyday dishes — and pack those last. Reconfirm details with your movers or helpers. In the final days, defrost and clean the fridge, do a walkthrough for anything forgotten, and pack a first-night bag.
Countdown at a glance
- 8 weeks: date, declutter, notify
- 6–4 weeks: housing, schools, supplies, utilities
- 3–2 weeks: pack, address updates, confirm utilities
- 1 week: pack the bulk, set aside essentials
- Final days: fridge, walkthrough, first-night bag
This is part of our bigger guide, How to Plan a Realistic Moving Timeline in Summerville.
Timing a move with a home sale?
We'll help you sync your moving timeline with your closing date so the two don't collide.
Let's coordinate