Moving House Checklist

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name: moving-house-checklist
description: "Turn a move date into a calm, timed plan — every address change, utility switch, deposit-recovery step, and packing wave scheduled so nothing gets missed at the worst possible moment. Use when asked to plan a house move, I'm moving and don't know where to start, make a moving checklist, or what do I need to do before I move. Produces a countdown checklist by week, the address-change and utilities list, a deposit/deposit-recovery track for renters, a room-by-room packing plan, and a moving-day and first-night essentials kit — tuned to your situation."
---

# Moving House Checklist

A move goes wrong in the gaps: the utility nobody switched, the address nobody updated, the deposit that quietly slipped away because the flat wasn't documented on the way out. This turns your move date into a backward-planned countdown — the right task in the right week — so the admin is handled early and moving day is just boxes, not a hundred loose ends.

## What This Skill Produces

- **The countdown checklist** — tasks bucketed by when to do them (6+ weeks → moving day → first week after)
- **Address changes & utilities** — the switch/transfer list (energy, water, internet, insurance, bank, government/records, subscriptions, deliveries)
- **The deposit track** (renters) — move-out documentation, cleaning, meter readings, and the inventory-photo habit that gets deposits back
- **The packing plan** — room-by-room order, a labeling system, and what to pack last / unpack first
- **The essentials kits** — a moving-day bag and a first-night box so you're not hunting for the kettle at midnight

## Required Inputs

Ask for these if not provided:
- **The date & distance** — move date and local vs long-distance (changes utilities/logistics)
- **Own or rent** — renting adds the deposit/inventory track; owning adds completion-day items
- **Household** — size, kids, pets (each adds specific tasks)
- **Movers or DIY** — professional movers, van hire, or friends
- **Known constraints** — budget, work dates, anything fixed (school, lease end)

## Framework: Backward-Plan From The Date

1. **Work back from moving day.** Bucket every task by lead time so nothing bunches up in the final panicked week.
2. **Front-load the admin.** Address changes, utility switches, and mail redirection have notice periods — start them early, not the night before.
3. **Protect the deposit (renters).** Photograph condition on the way out, take meter readings, and hit the cleaning standard in the tenancy — the difference between most of your deposit back and a dispute.
4. **Pack by room, label by room + priority.** A consistent labeling system and a "last out / first in" list turns unpacking from chaos into a sequence.
5. **Keep a day-of lifeline.** A moving-day bag (documents, chargers, meds, snacks) and a first-night box (bedding, toiletries, kettle) so the essentials never end up in a random sealed box.

## Output Format

### Move plan: [date] · [own/rent] · [local/long-distance] · [household]

### Countdown
**6+ weeks:** [notice, movers/van, declutter, start address list]
**3–4 weeks:** [book utilities switch, redirect mail, order supplies, use up freezer]
**1–2 weeks:** [confirm movers, pack non-essentials, meter-reading plan]
**Moving week:** [pack by room, essentials kits, final readings, clean]
**Moving day:** [readings, photos, keys, day-bag, walkthrough]
**First week after:** [set up utilities, register address, unpack priority rooms]

### Address changes & utilities
- [ ] Energy · water · internet · insurance · bank · government/records · subscriptions · deliveries · mail redirect

### Deposit track (renters)
- [ ] Move-out photos/video · meter readings · cleaning to tenancy standard · inventory check · forwarding address

### Packing plan
- Room order: […] · Label: [room + priority] · Last out / first in: […]

### Essentials
- **Day bag:** documents, chargers, meds, cash, snacks
- **First-night box:** bedding, toiletries, kettle/mugs, phone chargers

## Quality Checks
- [ ] Tasks are bucketed by lead time, backward from the date
- [ ] Admin with notice periods is front-loaded
- [ ] Renters get a deposit-recovery track (photos, readings, cleaning)
- [ ] Packing has a room order and labeling system
- [ ] Day bag and first-night box are included
- [ ] Plan is tuned to own/rent, distance, and household (kids/pets)

## Anti-Patterns
- **A flat to-do list** with no timing — everything lands in the last week.
- **Leaving utilities and address changes to moving day** when they need notice.
- **Skipping move-out documentation** and losing the deposit to a dispute.
- **Packing with no labels** — a garage of identical mystery boxes.
- **No essentials kit** — critical items sealed in an unknown box on night one.

## Example Trigger Phrases
- "I'm moving flats in 5 weeks — give me a plan so I don't forget anything."
- "Make me a moving checklist; renting, one bedroom, local move."
- "What do I need to do to get my full deposit back when I move out?"
- "Moving across the country with two kids and a dog — help me plan it."
- "Everything's booked but I don't know what to pack when."