This is the phase where planning turns into doing. You’re about two months out — eight weeks — and this is when you stop getting rough prices and actually book your move and lock in your date. Once the date is set, the rest follows: you gather your packing supplies, start boxing up the rooms you barely touch, and get your records moved before the rush. And you keep doing the one thing that runs through this whole countdown — getting rid of what you don’t need. The less you take, the less you pack, and the less you pay. Take it one week at a time using the drop-downs below, and grab the printable checklist (PDF) so you can tick things off as you go.
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Week 8 – Book your move and lock the date▼
This is the big week. All that clearing out means you now know roughly how much you’re really moving, so the prices you get will be real numbers instead of guesses. This week you turn those prices into a booking and a date on the calendar.
☐Get a firm price and book your move. Now that you know what you’re keeping, go back to your top choice — a rental truck, a container you load yourself, or full-service movers who pack and load for you — and ask for a firm price, then book it. Get the date and the price in writing so there are no surprises later.
☐Renters: give your landlord notice. Check your lease for how much written notice you owe before you move out, and send it on time. Sending it late can cost you your deposit or an extra month’s rent.
☐Tell your mover about anything special. When you book, mention a piano, a pool table, a safe, antiques, or anything very large or fragile. That’s what sets the right crew and the right price. Box-n-Go moves a standard piano or pool table locally right along with the rest of your load; a very large one, like a baby grand, gets a specialist arranged when you get your quote.
☐Keep getting rid of things. Stay with the two rules: decide keep-or-go the moment you touch something, and put out a full bin every week.
Week 7 – Get your supplies and start packing the easy stuff▼
With your date booked, packing begins — gently. You start with the things you won’t miss, and you get your supplies first so you never have to stop in the middle of a box.
☐Get your packing supplies. Order boxes, tape, packing paper, bubble wrap, and markers — and get more than you think you need. Running out halfway through packing brings everything to a halt. Box-n-Go sells moving and packing supplies if you’d rather get it all in one place.
☐Start packing the rooms you rarely use. Pack what you won’t need before moving day first: out-of-season clothes, books, the garage, the attic, holiday decorations, and the guest room. Everyday things stay out for now.
☐Label every box on the side. Write the room and what’s inside on the side of the box, not the top, so you can read it when boxes are stacked. Mark fragile boxes clearly so they get handled with care.
☐Keep getting rid of things. Packing is the easiest time to spot more things you don’t really want to take. Keep the bin full every week.
Week 6 – Move your records and list your address changes▼
This week is paperwork — the kind that’s easy to forget until it’s suddenly urgent. Handle it now, while you still have plenty of time.
☐Move your children’s school records. Tell their current school you’re leaving, ask for their records, and start signing them up at the new school so there’s no gap between the two.
☐Move your medical, dental, and pet records. Ask each office to send your records to your new doctor, dentist, or vet, or to give you copies. Refill any prescriptions you’ll need during the move.
☐Make a list of every address you’ll need to change. Write down everyone who mails you something — your bank, your job, insurance, the DMV, subscriptions, voter registration. You’ll change them a little closer to moving day; right now you’re just building the list so nothing slips through.
☐Keep packing and getting rid of things. Another rarely-used room packed, another full bin out the door.
Week 5 – Get everything set for moving day▼
Your plan is set; now make sure the day itself runs smoothly. These are the things that fill up or get forgotten if you wait too long.
☐Ask for time off work. Request moving day off — and the day after too, if you can. You’ll want that extra day for unpacking and for the little surprises every move has.
☐If you’re moving far, book your travel now. Reserve flights, a hotel for an overnight stop on a long drive, and pet boarding if you need it. These book up early, especially in busy moving months.
☐Make a plan for kids and pets on moving day. Line up a sitter, a friend, or daycare so they’re safe and out of the way while everything is being carried out the door.
☐Keep packing room by room and getting rid of things. You’re over halfway through the countdown — keep the steady weekly pace going.
The heart of a smart move: don’t pay to move what you’d replace for less. The most expensive mistake people make is paying to move everything — including cheap, replaceable furniture that costs more to haul than to buy new at the other end. The goal isn’t to move your house; it’s to move what’s worth moving. Two rules carry you through the whole phase:
The “get rid of it” rule. Handle each item once. Decide keep-or-go on the spot, and if it’s go, get it out the door right away — no “maybe” pile to re-sort later. Drive the decision with one honest question: every item costs money to move on top of what you already paid for it, so would it cost more to move this than to replace it at the other end? For inexpensive flat-pack furniture the answer is usually yes — especially long-distance, where it rarely survives being taken apart and rebuilt. Save the move for your valuables, your quality pieces, and the things you can’t replace; let the cheap, replaceable stuff go.
The “full bin every week” rule. Every week, the trash and recycle bins go out full of things you’ve let go. It’s an honest gauge: if your bin isn’t full this week, you haven’t pushed hard enough. Small, steady weekly purges beat one impossible weekend at the end.
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Print it and check it off
This page is also a printable one-page checklist — the same weeks and items above, condensed so you can carry it around, tick things off by hand, and keep your momentum without a screen.
I haven’t finished clearing out — should I still book now at eight weeks?
Yes. By now your big items are gone, so the price you’re quoted reflects what you’ll really move. The last small things keep leaving as you pack — that’s normal, and it won’t change your price much. Waiting much past this point usually just means higher prices and fewer open dates.
How much packing should I really do this far out?
Only the rooms and things you won’t touch before moving day — out-of-season clothes, books, the garage, decorations. Anything you use day to day stays out until the final weeks. Packing the easy stuff now is what keeps the last week calm.
Do I really need to tell the mover about my piano or pool table?
Yes, and the time to do it is when you book. Box-n-Go moves a standard piano or pool table locally right along with the rest of your load; a very large one gets a specialist arranged when you get your quote. Flagging it early keeps both your price and your moving day on track.
When do I actually change all my addresses?
Make the list now, but file most of the changes a little closer to your move — in the 30-day phase — so your mail starts following you at the right time instead of piling up at the old place.
Continue your countdown
You’ve booked your move and started packing. Here’s the full countdown — including the 90-days-out phase if you want to step back to the early prep — and each phase has its own checklist you can work through at your own pace.
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