Make Your Move Easier From the Start

Once your new home is confirmed, start building your moving timeline.

Don't only think about the actual day the truck arrives. Look at everything that needs to happen before and after it.

Consider when you need to:

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• Leave your current residence
• Pick up keys to your new home
• Schedule your movers
• Transfer utilities
• Arrange internet and other services
• Reserve an elevator or loading area
• Return keys, access cards, or garage remotes
• Complete any required move-in paperwork

Having these dates in one place can help you spot scheduling conflicts before they become a problem.

Every property can have its own procedures for move-ins.

If you're moving into an apartment or condominium, contact the property team before your moving date and ask what your move requires.

You may need to know:

• When movers are allowed on the property
• Where the moving truck can park
• Whether an elevator needs to be reserved
• Whether there are loading or unloading time limits
• How movers should enter the property
• Whether a certificate of insurance is required
• Whether there are community-specific moving forms

This is especially important for apartment moves, where building access and scheduling can affect the timing of the move.

A quick conversation with your property team ahead of time can prevent unnecessary delays on moving day.

Your new home may look spacious during a showing, but furniture can tell a different story.

Before moving day, measure areas where large pieces will need to go.

Pay attention to:

• Doorways
• Hallways
• Staircases
• Elevators
• Entryways
• Furniture placement areas
• Garage entrances

If you're bringing a large sofa, bed, dining table, or other oversized item, make sure you know how it will get from the moving truck to its final location.

This is also a good time to decide which pieces make sense for your new space and which ones you may want to leave behind.

A move gives you a natural opportunity to make decisions about your belongings.

Instead of automatically taking everything from one home to the next, consider whether each item belongs in your new space.

You can sort things into four simple groups:

• Keep — Things you use and want in your new home.
• Donate — Items that are still useful but no longer needed by you.
• Sell — Pieces that may have value but don't belong in your next home.
• Dispose — Items that are no longer usable.

Doing this before moving day can make the transition into your new home much more manageable.

For detailed advice on preparing and packing your belongings, visit our Packing Tips page.

Moving involves a lot of information. Don't let important documents disappear into the moving truck.

Keep your essential paperwork and personal items somewhere you can access them throughout the move.

This may include:

• Identification
• Housing documents
• Closing paperwork
• Lease information
• Moving paperwork
• Keys and access information
• Medication
• Phone and device chargers
• Important contact information

You may also want to keep a record of your new property's address and any access instructions somewhere easily available.

A quick confirmation can help make sure everyone is working from the same information.

Before the move, verify the details with your moving company and your property contact.

Double-check:

• Moving company: Date, arrival window, addresses, and any special instructions.
• Current property: Parking, access, loading instructions, and departure requirements.
• New property: Key availability, entry instructions, elevator reservations, and designated unloading areas.
• Utilities: Electricity, water, internet, and other services you want available when you arrive.

This is also the time to communicate anything that could affect access, such as gated entrances, stairs, long walks from parking areas, or building restrictions.

Moving day involves several people, locations, and moving parts. The more clearly everything is communicated, the easier it is for everyone involved.

Make sure the movers know about anything unusual at either property.

For example:

• A narrow driveway
• A gated entrance
• Stairs
• Long hallways
• Elevator access
• Building restrictions
• Parking limitations

If you're moving into an apartment community, your property team and moving crew should have the information they need before the truck arrives.

Not everything needs to go on the moving truck.

Keep the items you'll need during the day in a bag or vehicle that stays with you.

Think about what you would want if you couldn't open a single moving box until later that evening.

That could include:

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• A change of clothes
• Basic toiletries
• Phone charger
• Medication
• Important documents
• Snacks and drinks
• Pet essentials
• Anything needed for children

The goal is simple: give yourself access to the basics without having to search through your belongings.

Once the movers arrive, take a few minutes to think about where you want things to go.

If you already know where major furniture pieces belong, communicate that before the crew starts unloading.

You don't have to have your entire home figured out immediately. Getting the major pieces into the right areas can make the rest of the process much easier.

And remember: moving in and getting settled are two different steps.

Before saying goodbye to your old home, take one last look around.

Open cabinets and closets. Check storage areas, garages, patios, and other places where something may have been left behind.

If you're leaving a rental, follow your property's move-out requirements and keep any documentation you may need for your records.

A few extra minutes at the old address can save you a second trip later.

You don't have to finish your entire home on the first day.

Start with the areas that will make the space usable.

Set up the basics you need for sleeping, eating, getting ready for the next day, and taking care of your household.

Then work through the rest at your own pace.

Your new home doesn't have to be perfect on day one.

Once the move itself is behind you, start exploring the place you've chosen to call home.

Find the grocery stores, restaurants, parks, schools, coffee shops, pharmacies, and other places you'll use regularly.

If you've moved into one of our partner communities, your property team can also be a great resource for learning more about the neighborhood.

A home is more than an address. The community around it becomes part of everyday life, too.