Moving house: the 24 items
For about eight weeks, everyone — the landlord, the utility company, the DMV, the kids’ school — wants proof of something. The paperwork side of a move, in one list.
Scope: United States. Deadlines vary by state, employer and plan — confirm the ones that matter.
| Document or task | Why, where, how urgent |
|---|---|
| The document that starts everything | |
| ☐ Signed lease — or, if you bought, the closing packet: deed, settlement statement, inspection reports | Proves the new address before you have a single bill; photograph or scan the signed version the day you get it |
| Utilities and address changes | |
| ☐ Electric, gas, water: close old accounts, open new ones | Keep final bills and new account confirmations |
| ☐ Internet/cable: schedule install, return old equipment | Keep the return receipts — disputes here are common |
| ☐ USPS: file mail forwarding | Keep the confirmation number |
| ☐ Bank and credit cards: update address | Do it before cards get reissued |
| ☐ DMV: update license and registration | Keep the new documents; deadlines are often 10–30 days |
| ☐ Insurance (auto, health, renters/home): update address, adjust coverage | Keep the new policy documents |
| ☐ Employer/payroll and IRS: update address | Keep the confirmation, so your W-2 doesn’t chase you |
| If kids are moving too: school transfers | |
| ☐ Proof of the new address (the lease again) | |
| ☐ Birth certificate | |
| ☐ Immunization records | |
| ☐ Transcripts or records from the old school | Request them before the move — routine while enrolled, slow after you’ve left |
| Movers | |
| ☐ The contract or estimate | Know whether it is binding or non-binding before moving day |
| ☐ The inventory list (bill of lading) | The official record of what went on the truck and its condition — read it before signing at both ends |
| ☐ Damage claim paperwork | Claim windows are short; check the contract for the deadline and photograph damage the day you find it |
| ☐ Rental truck agreement, with photos of the truck before and after | If you move yourself |
| Deposit photos | |
| ☐ Old place, after it is empty: every room, every wall, inside the oven, under the sinks, plus the meter readings | |
| ☐ New place, before the boxes arrive: every existing scratch, stain and wobbly cabinet, with a timestamp | |
| ☐ Move-in/move-out condition report, filled in honestly, with a copy kept | |
| Keep the old place’s papers | |
| ☐ Old lease | |
| ☐ Move-out condition report and photos | |
| ☐ All deposit correspondence | |
| ☐ Final utility bills | |
| ☐ Movers’ inventory | Hold everything until the deposit is back and every account shows a zero balance — and a year or two beyond |
Copied from the scenario page: Moving house
How to use this list
Tick each box as you find or file the document; the count at the top of the widget updates and the ticks are kept in this browser’s local storage, so the list is where you left it next time on the same device. Print gives a clean page with boxes; the .txt download gives the same 24 items with [x] marks to paste into a note or send to family.
For the reasoning behind each item — why it matters and what to keep afterwards — read the full Moving house scenario page. The other four lists are on the document checklist page.
How to use the document checklist
- Pick the moment. Choose moving, new baby, death in the family, new job or travel from the menu. The list loads with its groups in the order the paperwork arrives.
- Tick what you have. Tap a box as you find or file each document. The count at the top updates; ticks are saved in this browser so the list is where you left it next time.
- Print or download. Print gives you a clean paper checklist with boxes. Download .txt gives you the same list as text, with [x] for ticked items.
- Read the full scenario when something is unclear. Every list links the page it was copied from, which explains why each document matters and what to keep afterwards.