Checklist when moving to a new house/apartment

Recently I moved from my old place in Amsterdam to Almere. I listed down all the tasks I needed to finish.

Here is my two cents:

• Notify the current owner (2 months ahead of the moving date)

  • Ask when we can cancel rent.
  • Cancel house rent.
  • Ask when we can get our deposit back.

• Repair the old place (a month ahead of the moving date)

  • Fill nail holes with wood filler and drywall filler.
  • If there is something you cannot fix, find a handyman with a friend’s recommendation.
  • My experience with handyman are not good. I picked MrFix from online, both handyman did terrible jobs.

• Find moving company (a month ahead of the moving date)

  • They charge hourly. I used BearStorm Moving Service, quite happy with the service.
  • I did the packing myself.

• Packing (a month ahead of the moving date)

  • Shrink wrap (Krimpfolie in Dutch, can be found in Gamma or Karwei)
  • Buy boxes and tapes from Action.

• Cancel electricity, gas and water (a month ahead of the moving date)

  • Take pictures of the meter reading before leaving the place.

• Cancel internet (1 or 2 months ahead of the moving date)

  • If you are gonna use the same vendor, make all appointments to install new router/modem in your new place.
  • Otherwise, choose a new vendor as soon as possible as make installation appointment.
    • Appointment date can be the same date as moving date, maybe in the afternoon.
    • Ask the previous tenant to keep the router/modem for you.

• Leave new house address or phone number in old house so that new tenant can forward mails.

• When you move in to a new place

  • Take pictures of the meter reading for electricity, gas and water.
  • Take pictures of any broken things.

… and start making another todo list :-)