When it’s time to move out of your apartment, the experience can be a bundle of excitement, stress, and anticipation. However, if you know what to expect and work from a timeline during this time, you’ll be less likely to miss a critical – and potentially costly step.

When moving out of an apartment, the best practice is to give yourself an eight-week timeline to follow. If you need help planning your transition, the following checklist will help you stay on task as you get things ready for your new home.

Tasks to Manage at Six to Eight Weeks

When you’re about two months away from your expected moving day, you’ll want to make sure you’ve taken care of the following tasks.

• Contact Moving Companies. If you plan to hire Expo Movers or another professional agency, start asking people for references. It’s a great time to look at reviews, and then don’t forget to get three written estimates.
• Provide Notice. Review your lease to see when you’ll need to let your landlord know when you move. For example, some tenants must give 60 days’ notice, even if the intent is to let the rental agreement expire.
• Organize Your Documents. Start a file that keeps all your move-related paperwork in one place. The information should stay within the same folder if you’re taking a digital approach.

What to Do at Four to Five Weeks Before Moving

Most professional services won’t book an appointment more than a month in advance. However, if you need carpet cleaning, housekeeping, home repair, or other needs finished before moving, start that process about 30 to 45 days before your expected moving day.

You’ll want to take care of these additional tasks during this time to ensure you can move out of your apartment successfully.

• Change Your Address. Once your new home address is confirmed, you’ll want to update your information with the postal service. In addition, some businesses might require this notification at this time, including your credit cards, bank, and other contacts.
• Contact Utility Companies. It’s time to schedule your service termination. If you need to transfer your account to the new address or have hookups performed, booking those appointments now will save a headache later.
• Start the Purge. Start sorting through your belongings to see if you no longer need items. Donate usable items in good condition, recycle whatever you can, and throw away the rest. It also helps to separate your valuables and fragile items now to prevent them from getting damaged during the move.

If you have nonessential or seasonal items to pack, it’s a good idea to get started. It’ll save you some time when the rest need to get boxed up or put into containers.

Steps to Take-Two to Three Weeks from Moving Day

The anticipation starts building at this point in the moving process. You’re starting to think about the different opportunities that will come your way once you get into that new home. That means you’re ready to work on these steps.

• Repair and Clean. If you need to make repairs in your current apartment, it helps to start that work at this time. It also helps to schedule a day to clean to leave your place in the condition required by your rental agreement.
• Clean Out the Fridge. It’s time to eat the groceries you’ve purchased so that you don’t need to move them.
• Get Your Time Off Approved. If you need to take time away from work to complete your move, make sure those requests are in and approved.

It’s helpful to schedule pet or childcare during this time to ensure your focus can be on the transition, whether you’ve hired a professional moving company or plan to do the work yourself.

What to Do During the Final Week Before You Move

Once you start counting down from seven days for your move, it’s time to confirm everything. Call your moving company, service providers, utilities, and anyone else involved in this process to confirm appointments.

It helps to speak with your landlord about scheduling a final walkthrough of the property. You’ll need to conduct the first inspection of your new home as well, so add some time to your schedule for both tasks.

It also helps to pack a suitcase with the essentials you’ll need on moving day. If you plan to tip your movers, have some cash available. Then remember to keep an inventory of everything to ensure nothing was damaged in transit.

With these steps in mind, you can keep your apartment moving timeline organized. Of course, it won’t eliminate the stress, but it’ll be easier to cope with it since you have a plan to follow.