Moving Tips & Tricks: Our 6-Week Timeline
Last updated on January 12th, 2026 at 03:21 pm
Moving soon? Today, I’m sharing my 6 week moving timeline, along with some tips and tricks for making your move as smooth and seamless as possible.
It’s hard to believe that after all of this planning and excitement we’re finally at just under six weeks before we get to settle in to our new house! Brick is going up, they’re prepping the subfloor for the flooring install, and doors were hung! We’ve been doing lots of preparing and planning on our end (moving is exhausting!), so I thought today would be a good day for a little check in to see how things are coming along.
Want More of Our Moving Journey?
Since we’re chatting moving today, I figured it was the perfect time to share aaaaaall of my favorite moving tips and tricks in one big place, along with a little moving timeline!
Moving Tips and Tricks
Everyone’s to-do list will vary pretty greatly depending on what you need to do in your house. But, last time we were moving I spent some time making a really detailed 6-week moving timeline to keep me on track! You can see it below. I’ll be referencing this timeline a lot as I work on prepping our house!
Once your timeline is planned, there’s still a lot left to do! Here are some other moving posts that should be really helpful as you start the packing up and moving process. They’re listed in order of when you’ll need them – from before you even list to right up until move day!
- This post is a really open and honest reflection on how our last move was all about downsizing to pay off our debt. I answered all of your questions on what that process looked like!
- Still looking to do a few things to maximize the profit from your home? Here are some great tips from my Realtor husband.
- If you haven’t listed yet, this post has 7 things you should do before listing your house. It’s detailed and thorough and will help you sell as fast as possible!
- Ready to stage? This guide will help you stage your home quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shares all the tips I used to get multiple offers in the first couple of days!
- And, if you need staging tips, be sure you also read about the things you SHOULDN’T do when staging.
- When you’re ready to start packing, here’s 20 of my best packing tips and tricks.
Our 6-Week Moving Timeline
Here’s a more detailed look at what I’m hoping to accomplish this time around in the next 6 weeks. These are the big projects that I want to tackle each week until we move. Most of this will be in addition to the timeline from last time!
WEEK ONE (this week!):
The goal: Garage clean out! This will be the biggest and most overwhelming part of the entire moving process for us. We’ve pared down a lot of our belongings over the last couple of years (a 1,100 square foot house will do that to you!), but the garage is a complete and utter disaster. I’m going to spend a lot of time out there working this week and weekend.
Other things you might want to tackle at this time include:
- Confirm your moving date and schedule movers, if you’re using them.
- Gather important papers and make sure everything is in one place for the big move.
- Start clearing out attics and closets.
- Plan all of the logistics for moving day.
WEEK TWO:
The goal: Sell a ton of stuff! Next up, my big focus will be on selling some things around the house that won’t be coming with us. I don’t want to waste time moving anything that we already know we won’t be keeping. So I’ll spend next week listing things on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. I’ll (hopefully) be offloading as much as possible to make the move even easier! (See my tips for selling things on Facebook right here)
Other things to consider at 5 weeks out:
- Start working through eating the food in your fridge and freezer.
- Make a plan for your pets on moving day.
- Continue to declutter and gather boxes for moving. Save any boxes from shipments that are still in good shape!
WEEK THREE:
The goal: Do one final purge! I keep things around our house pretty minimal, but I always see moving as a really great time to pare down even more. I’ll be doing a quick week-long purging spree to get rid of as much as I can before we officially start packing everything up. This will also be a great time to take anything that didn’t sell last week to be donated!
Other things to consider this week:
- Return any library books you have out still.
- Begin packing in earnest and make a plan for appliances at the new house, if yours aren’t coming with you.
- Coordinate transferring school records if necessary.
WEEK FOUR:
The goal: Pack the non-essentials! This is where I reeeeeally get into the whole packing thing. My goal in week four will be to pack everything except for the essentials. This will really be the time where the house starts to feel a little, uh, chaotic! My official goal will be to pack up the non-essentials in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry room, and living room. I like to save the kids’ rooms for last to help keep life as normal as possible until the last minute.
Other to do list items might include:
- Contact utility companies and your internet service provider to schedule setup and cancellation of your old service.
- Pack up all of your non-essentials like decor, extra towels and linens, and off-season clothes. Basically, anything you won’t need in the next few weeks!
WEEK FIVE:
The goal: Clean, prep, and organize! At this point we’ll be down to the wire and should have a better idea of if we’ll actually be closing on time or not. My plan will be to take care of all the last minute organizational things. Stuff like making sure we’ve scheduled the utilities switch, scheduling the house cleaner, and making a final to-do list. I’ll also (hopefully) be starting to pack up the rest of the house!
Other to dos:
- Begin packing toiletries and a box for the first few nights in the new house
- Make sure anyone assisting on moving day like family members and friends have your new address
- Measure doorways to make sure furniture fits (and make a plan if it doesn’t!)
WEEK SIX:
The goal: Buy a house! This is the week we’re scheduled to close on the new house! We don’t actually have to have everything out until the following week. So, my plan is to spend this week slowly moving things over. Oh, and (spoiler alert) starting on our very first project in the new house! We love scheduling our moves so that we have several days to get things from one house to the other. It makes things a lot less stressful! Since we can’t be guaranteed that we’ll close on time (keep your fingers crossed!), I won’t really know what this week looks like until we get a little closer. But basically, this is crunch time!
I never considered how buying a brand new home would make the overall moving timeline a little more iffy feeling! We technically have a scheduled close date but I hate to get too set on it. You never know what could happen!
