Moving checklist: from eight weeks out to moving day

A well-organised move is mostly a matter of doing the right things in the right order. This checklist breaks the weeks before your move into manageable steps, so nothing important is left to the last minute. Adapt it to your situation: a studio flat needs less lead time than a family house, but the sequence stays the same.

Eight weeks before

Check your lease and give notice

Read your rental contract carefully. It states the notice period and the dates on which the lease can be terminated. Notice for a residential lease must be given in writing, and it must reach your landlord before the deadline — send it early, ideally by registered mail. If you need to leave before the contractual date, talk to your landlord: in many cases you can propose a suitable replacement tenant.

Set your moving date and budget

• Choose a date with some flexibility, if possible. Mid-week and mid-month dates are usually easier to book than the end of the month.
• Request quotes from moving companies. For larger homes, ask for an on-site or video inspection: a quote based on what the mover has actually seen is more reliable.
• Decide which services you need: transport only, or also furniture disassembly and reassembly, packing and unpacking.

Start decluttering

If you're planning a move, decluttering beforehand can save you time and effort. If you have furniture or household items you no longer need, read our guide to responsible flat clearance in Ticino to learn more about reusing, donating and recycling unwanted items. When you're ready to move, discover our professional moving services in Lugano and Ticino to make the process easier.

Every item you don't move saves time, boxes and space. Go room by room and sort things into four groups: keep, sell, donate and dispose of. Start with the cellar, the attic and storage rooms — they always take longer than expected.

Six weeks before

• Confirm your moving company. Make sure the booking is confirmed in writing, with the date, the addresses and the services agreed.
• Parking permit. A moving van often needs a reserved space close to the entrance. Ask the Comune about the permit well in advance, for both addresses. Many movers can apply on your behalf.
• Lift and access. If your building has a lift, check whether it can be reserved or protected for the day. Tell your mover about stairs, narrow corridors or long walking distances.
• Plan childcare and pet care for moving day, so you can focus on the move.

Four weeks before

Change of address

• Plan your registration: in Switzerland you deregister from your current municipality and register with the new one within the deadline it sets. Ask the residents' office (Ufficio controllo abitanti) which documents to bring.
• Arrange mail forwarding with the post office.
• Inform your employer, bank, health insurer, household and liability insurer, doctors and schools.
• Update the address on your vehicle registration and driving licence with the cantonal road traffic office.

Utilities and subscriptions

Contact your electricity provider, your internet and phone operator and any other subscriptions. Ask how meter readings are handled on moving day and from when services can be activated at the new address.

Two weeks before

• Pack what you don't use every day: books, decorations, seasonal clothes, spare kitchenware.
• Label every box with the destination room and a short description of its contents. Write "fragile" where needed and put heavy items in small boxes.
• Measure large furniture and check the doorways, stairwells and lift at the new home.
• Photograph the cable connections of TVs and computers before unplugging them.
• Plan the disassembly: decide which pieces will be taken apart, and keep screws and fittings in labelled bags taped to the furniture.

Tip: Pack a clearly marked "first night" box with toiletries, medicines, phone chargers, a few tools, bed linen, towels and something to eat and drink. It is the last box on the van and the first one off.

The week before

• Confirm the time, the addresses and the contact numbers with your moving company.
• Defrost and clean the freezer if it is moving with you.
• Keep documents, cash, jewellery and other valuables separate, and take them with you personally.
• Prepare a simple floor plan of the new home showing where the main pieces of furniture should go.

Moving day

1. Be there at the start to show the team what is moving and what stays.
2. Do a final walk-through of every room, cupboard, cellar and garage.
3. Note down the meter readings at the old address, and again at the new one.
4. Check your belongings on arrival and write down any visible damage straight away.
5. Hand over the keys at the agreed time. For a rented flat, the handover (riconsegna) with the landlord is usually recorded in a written report — read it carefully before signing.

After the move

Unpack room by room, starting with the kitchen and the bedrooms. Register with your new Comune if you haven't done so yet, and check furniture and appliances during the first days: hidden damage should be reported to the moving company in writing as soon as you notice it.

A move never goes completely to plan, but with a checklist and a good team it gets much closer. If you would like help with any step — from dismantling wardrobes to transporting everything across Ticino — we will gladly prepare a free quote.