How to Move

"How do I move" is a question with about thirty answers, depending on whether you mean across town, across the country, with kids, with pets, on a tight budget, with a piano. This guide walks through the universal sequence — the things every move needs, in the order they need to happen.

For a version that bends to your specific situation, start a Dovetail plan.

Step 1: Decide whether to hire movers or DIY

The honest math: hiring movers for a one-bedroom local move runs $800–$1,500. DIY (truck rental, supplies, gas, food for friends) runs $200–$500. The difference isn't just money — it's roughly two weekends of your life and your back's long-term tolerance for moving heavy furniture.

Hire movers if: you have more than one bedroom, you're moving more than 100 miles, you have valuable or fragile items, you have less than three weeks, or you're moving without help available.

Step 2: Set a budget and a timeline

Write down a number, then add 15%. Moves always cost more than the spreadsheet says — last-minute supplies, takeout meals, tips, the surprise charge for going up four flights. The 15% buffer is the difference between a stressful move and an aggravating one.

For timeline, count backwards from your move date: 8 weeks is comfortable for a local move, 12 weeks for cross-country.

Step 3: Inventory and declutter

Before you do anything else, walk through every room with your phone. Photograph everything. This serves three purposes: it's evidence for damage claims, it tells you what you actually own (always more than you think), and it surfaces decluttering opportunities. The cheapest mover is the one you don't have to hire because you got rid of half your stuff first.

Step 4: Book everything in the right order

Movers or truck → utilities at the new place → utilities disconnect at the old place → specialty services (piano movers, art crating, auto transport if needed) → cleaning service if you're renting → storage if you have a gap.

Most of these have lead times. Movers in peak season (May–September) book 4–8 weeks out.

Step 5: Pack in waves

Pack rooms you use least first, daily-use rooms last. Label every box with its destination room and category. Pack a first-night box at the very end. (Full packing guide: How to pack for a move.)

Step 6: Handle the administrative move

The forgotten half of moving: address changes. USPS forwarding, bank, employer, IRS, voter registration, insurance, subscriptions, gym, doctor's office. Most people get the high-frequency ones (Amazon, the bank) and forget the low-frequency ones (the dentist, the IRS, the alumni association). Make a list.

Step 7: Moving day

Eat. Hydrate. Walk through every room and closet before the truck leaves. Tip your movers (calculator here). Take photos of the empty space. Leave keys where agreed.

Step 8: The week after

Unpack the first-night box and the kitchen first. Everything else can wait. Inspect anything fragile for damage. Update your driver's license and car registration if you moved states. Meet one neighbor.

For the detailed week-by-week version, see our moving checklist.

Frequently asked questions

Want a move plan customized to yours?

This guide is universal. Your move isn't. Dovetail asks where you're moving from and to, what's in your space, what matters to you, and what's stressing you out — then builds a plan that reflects all of it.