Moving house runs on lead time. Give yourself eight weeks and almost everything on this list becomes a ten-minute job. Leave it all to the last weekend and those same jobs stack into an all-nighter.
This is the checklist we send our own customers before every move. Work through it week by week and you’ll arrive at moving day with nothing left to panic about.
8 weeks out: lock in the big stuff
The early jobs are the ones that punish you for waiting. Good moving dates go first, and rental notice periods don’t care how busy your month was.
- Lock in your moving date, plus settlement or end-of-tenancy dates if they apply.
- Book your movers. End of month and weekends fill up first, so early birds get the good time slots.
- Give notice to your landlord or property manager if you’re renting.
- Start a moving folder for quotes, receipts and contracts.
- Measure large furniture and check it fits the new place, including through its doors.
6 weeks out: declutter and notify
Every box you don’t pack is money saved on the truck. This is the fortnight to be ruthless.
- Declutter room by room using the sell, donate, dump method.
- Book a skip or plan tip runs for whatever doesn’t sell.
- Tell schools and daycares. Ask about zones and enrolment for the new area.
- Start eating down the freezer and pantry.
- Order packing supplies: boxes, tape, bubble wrap and marker pens.
4 weeks out: paperwork and first boxes
- Redirect your mail with NZ Post.
- Sort power, gas, internet and water. Book disconnection and reconnection dates now.
- Update your address with the bank, IRD, insurers, doctor, vet and subscriptions.
- Pack the rooms you rarely use first: garage, spare room, bookshelves.
- Label every box with its destination room, not its contents.
- Arrange care for kids and pets on moving day.
2 weeks out: confirm everything
- Confirm times, both addresses and parking with your moving company.
- Check your contents insurance covers the move.
- Dismantle furniture you can live without. Bag the screws and tape them to the frame.
- Return borrowed things: library books, the neighbour’s ladder, all of it.
Pro tip from our crews: keep one wardrobe’s worth of clothes out and pack the rest. Nobody needs seven outfits during moving week.
Moving week
- Pack a first-night box: kettle, chargers, meds, toilet paper, PJs and tomorrow’s school gear.
- Defrost the fridge and freezer at least 24 hours before the truck arrives.
- Empty, disconnect and drain the washing machine.
- Charge your phone, get some cash out and plan easy dinners.
- Do a final sweep: attic, under beds, behind doors, the back of the hot water cupboard.
Moving day, step by step
- Be ready before the crew arrives: boxes sealed, paths clear, kids and pets sorted.
- Walk the crew through the house and point out fragile or priority items.
- Keep valuables, documents and the first-night box in your own car.
- Do a last check of every room, cupboard and the letterbox before locking up.
- At the new place, direct boxes by room label and tick items off as they come in.
What it’ll cost
With two movers and a truck at $110/hr plus the $50 flat callout, most Auckland moves land in these ranges:
| Home size | Typical time | Ballpark cost |
|---|---|---|
| 1 – 2 bedroom | 3 – 4 hours | $380 – $490 |
| 3 bedroom | 5 – 6 hours | $600 – $710 |
| 4+ bedroom | 7 – 9 hours | $820 – $1,040 |
Typical ranges, not quotes. Access, stairs and distance all shift the number, so grab a fixed quote and know for sure.
Money tight? Work and Income can help with moving costs if you qualify. We’re WINZ-friendly and supply the quotes free. Start with our WINZ movers page.
Key takeaways: book your movers at the 8-week mark, declutter before you pack a single box, and label everything by room.
Confirm times and parking two weeks out, then pack a first-night box so your first evening is about fish and chips, not hunting for the kettle.
