Moving House with Kids: My Proven Checklist for a Stress-Free DIY Relocation
Last week, I shared a photo on Facebook announcing our latest move. I'm thrilled about it, but truthfully, a touch of nerves is creeping in. I've relocated several times before, always without children, and the last one was 15 years ago. Moving with kids is uncharted territory for me, so I've created this detailed moving checklist. My partner Frank loves lists, and I agree—they're essential for keeping this project on track.
PS: This checklist is tailored for a self-managed move without professional movers, based on a home purchase and sale scenario. We have 14 days to fully transition after getting the keys. A huge plus: our new property includes two houses, so we can live in the annex during renovations, avoiding the chaos and helping everyone settle in quickly.
To handle the tight two-week window, we're moving room by room: pack a space in the old house, transport it directly to the corresponding room in the new one, and unpack immediately. Staying local keeps drives short, and this method avoids over-packing into inaccessible boxes.
Table of contents
Moving checklist; what do you have to take into account?
From setting up internet to getting renovation quotes and updating our FBTO home contents insurance to sending moving notices—everything goes on the list to streamline the process and provide that satisfying tick-off moment. It brings mental clarity amid the whirlwind.
With kids, the volume of household items multiplies dramatically—anyone else notice that? While we aimed to complete the move in two weeks, we rented a van for bulky items and enlisted friends, finishing almost entirely in one day. Fantastic!
I've organized the checklist into three phases for clarity:
Preparation for moving
Move yourself
Checklist for after the move
Checklist for preparing your move
Sell your own house
Arrange a mortgage for a new house
Keep an eye on the bank guarantee for the new house. The rest of the matters surrounding the new house are often arranged by the real estate agent, but you have to keep an eye on the term of the bank guarantee and the timely deposit at the notary.
Discuss with new buyers what might be taken over when you sell your own house. That which is taken over does not have to be moved 😉
Walk through all your stuff on time. Get rid of what you no longer need and don't drag anything with you unnecessarily, so consume less
Change provisional assessment at the tax authorities
Notify the municipality of the move (can be done from 4 weeks in advance to a few days after)
Request quotes for renovations (if you are going to do them in advance)
Home contents insurance and home insurance, if necessary, recalculate and have them adjusted. This can often be arranged within a few days. PS: check with your household insurance whether you are still entitled to discounts, for example, FBTO gives a 15% discount on your household insurance if you have a well-secured house
Arrange gas, water and light (2-5 weeks in advance), possibly also choose a new energy supplier
Arranging moving boxes and transport (we bought a trailer that we move with), so on the checklist
Arranging days off at work
Recording meter readings
Do your children have to go to a new school? Arrange in time!
Keep old blankets and sheets separate to move in/with
Creating family and friends for the move? We just do most of it together, as we always have, only the very heavy things like the piano we need some help with
Since I have my own company, I make sure that I announce my change of address in advance in my email signature, which makes a difference
Have your mail forwarded to the new address for a while
What should you keep in mind when moving house?
If you move in one go - with help - make sure you work with different color labels on the boxes. Each color represents a different space. This way everyone knows immediately where which box should go
Have the keys of your new house made in time, it's chaotic enough, if you lose them now you're out of luck
Return old house cleaned
Arrange after you have moved on the moving checklist
Post-move tasks keep coming, but don't overlook these essentials:
Find a new dentist, general practitioner and pharmacy if necessary
Arrange all levies and taxes with your municipality (and don't forget your change of address)
Check when all containers are emptied at your new home
Sending digital moving cards by mail or by app is all possible these days
