Moving: the complete checklist (and should you pay for extra hands?)

A move is a date, dozens of boxes, and always too few hands. We almost always underestimate the time it takes, and end up packing the kitchen at midnight the night before. The solution comes down to two words: plan ahead and delegate. Here’s the complete checklist, week by week, followed by the real cost comparison between "we’ll do it with friends" and "we’ll pay for help."

The reverse timeline: start with the date and work backward

First, set the moving day. Then work backward. Ideally, a move is prepared over two months. If you have less time, keep the order of the steps and tighten the schedule.

The week-by-week checklist

6 to 8 weeks before

• If you’re a tenant, check the notice period required by your lease and give your notice in writing.
• Choose the method: professional movers, one-off help, friends, or a mix.
• Get several quotes if you’re using professionals.
• Declutter. What you don’t move, you don’t have to carry. Donate, sell, or use a clearance service for bulky items.

4 weeks before

• Book the van if you’re moving yourself.
• Check with your municipality to reserve a parking space in front of your old and new homes. Rules, deadlines, and prices vary from one municipality to another: in the City of Brussels, for example, you need a public road occupancy permit before putting up signs. Don’t leave it until the last week.
• Get sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, packing tape, and markers.
• Notify your home insurance provider of the moving date.

2 to 3 weeks before

• Start packing what you don’t use: books, decor, off-season clothes.
• Label each box with the destination room and a two-word description of its contents. Write on the side, not just the top.
• Notify your energy, water, and internet providers of your move-out and move-in dates.
• If needed, request mail redirection from bpost.
• Plan for the disassembly of large furniture or book someone to do it.

The final week

• Pack everything except the essentials.
• Prepare a "first night" box: sheets, towels, chargers, toilet paper, medication, a saucepan, cutlery, and coffee supplies.
• Defrost the freezer.
• Confirm the time with everyone helping.
• Set aside your important documents and keys.

Moving day

• Read the electricity, gas, and water meters in both the old and new homes. In all three regions, a joint energy transfer document exists: fill it out with the landlord or the new occupant, and also take photos of the meters.
• Load large furniture and heavy boxes first, then the lighter ones.
• Keep the "first night" box and your documents with you.

After the move

• Declare your change of address to your new municipality. You have eight working days to do this. A neighbourhood officer may then visit to verify that you live at the stated address. The process is mandatory, even if you’re moving within the same municipality.
• Notify your bank, employer, mutual insurance company, school, and vet.
• Conduct the move-out inventory for the old home if you were a tenant. Generally, normal wear and tear is not your responsibility, but damage may be. A thorough cleaning before handing over the keys avoids many discussions.

The hidden cost of "doing it with friends"

Moving with friends seems like the least expensive solution. That’s not always the case. Do the math honestly.

The real costs:

• meals, drinks, and a small thank-you gift;
• time: friends who aren’t used to moving carry things more slowly, and the day drags on;
• breakage: a poorly secured piece of furniture, a scratched door, a cracked mirror;
• backs: carrying a fridge down a narrow staircase isn’t something you improvise;
• availability: on the planned Saturday, two people cancel.

The insurance question. If a friend gets hurt or breaks something, who pays? The answer depends on your contract. Before moving day, ask your insurer what your family liability insurance covers in this case.

Friends remain a great solution for a studio, few pieces of furniture, or a ground floor. Less so for a three-storey house.

When to pay for help

Hiring help often pays off in these cases:

• Heavy or fragile items: appliances, piano, large wardrobe, full-length mirror.
• Floors without a lift, or a narrow staircase.
• Lack of time: you’re moving during the week or between workdays.
• Disassembling and reassembling furniture: this is often where time slips away. A furniture assembler can handle it.
• Distance: several round trips with a van over a long distance takes a full day.

You don’t have to delegate everything. A mixed approach works well: you pack yourself, paid help carries and loads, and friends help you unpack.

How to describe your move to get a fair price

A precise price requires a precise description. Prepare this information:

1. Volume: number of rooms, approximate number of boxes, list of large furniture.
2. Access: floor, lift or not, staircase width, distance between the door and parking.
3. Special items: appliances, fragile items, furniture to disassemble.
4. Addresses: departure and arrival, and the distance between them.
5. Date and time: day, start time, any flexibility.
6. What you expect: just carrying and loading, or also providing the van, disassembling, packing?

Add a few photos of the rooms and large furniture. They’re worth more than a long description. Then ask what’s included in the price: travel, protective materials, overtime if the day runs late.

How Pambe helps you

On Pambe, you’ll find movers and people offering transport help or furniture assembly near you, with no commitment. You compare profiles: services offered, reviews, and prices and availability when the provider lists them. You contact the person who suits you directly, even without an account, with your description. To add photos, post a request from your account. Pambe connects you: it’s neither a moving company nor an agency, and you remain free, with no commitment.

Your date approaching? Find help for your move on Pambe.