Last Second Moves: For the Procrastinating Joe

Facing a last-minute move? This guide provides a structured plan to help you organize and execute your move within a week. From assessing belongings to final packing, stay on track with our step-by-step checklist.

How to Move Internationally on a Budget

Preparing for a last-minute move, especially within a week, requires focus, organization, and quick decision-making. Here’s a checklist to help you prepare efficiently:


Day 1: Assess and Plan

  • Assessment: Quickly assess your belongings and decide what to take, sell, donate, or discard.
  • Create a Plan: Outline tasks and deadlines for packing, arranging movers, and other essentials.

Day 2: Organize Essentials

  • Gather Supplies: Acquire packing materials such as boxes, tape, markers, and bubble wrap.
  • Start Packing: Begin packing non-essential items, starting with rooms least used.

Day 3: Contact Moving Companies

  • Get Quotes: Contact local moving companies for quotes and availability.
  • Choose Services: Select services based on budget and needs (packing, loading, transportation).

Day 4: Utilities and Address Changes

  • Cancel/Transfer Utilities: Notify utility providers of your move and arrange for service disconnection or transfer.
  • Change of Address: Update your address with postal services, banks, subscriptions, and important contacts.

Day 5: Packing and Sorting

  • Pack Essentials: Pack essentials and valuables you’ll need immediately upon arrival in a separate box.
  • Label Boxes: Label boxes clearly by room and contents to simplify unpacking.

Day 6: Final Preparations

  • Confirm Details: Confirm moving date, time, and logistics with the moving company.
  • Prepare Documents: Gather important documents (ID, passports, moving contracts) in a safe place.

Day 7: Moving Day

  • Final Checks: Conduct a final walkthrough to ensure nothing is left behind.
  • Assist Movers: Be present to supervise and assist movers as needed.
  • Lock Up: Secure your former residence and prepare for departure.

Additional Tips

  • Delegate Tasks: Enlist friends or family to help with packing and organizing.
  • Stay Organized: Use checklists and stay focused on priorities to manage time effectively.
  • Emergency Kit: Pack a bag with essentials like toiletries, medications, and snacks for moving day.

Moving on short notice can be stressful, but with a structured plan and efficient execution, you can successfully manage a last-minute move within a week.


Frequently Asked Questions

From 3 hours to 2 days is an average. This answer is very personal and depends on multiple factors such as size, clutter, clothing preferences, and other items. It’s more of a question for yourself if you plan to declutter and go Marie Condo or if you plan to throw everything in a box and call it a day. Plan accordingly so you will finish all your packing in a stress free manner.

Get them back to routine as quickly as possible, have them back in after-school activities and meet the friends they love. Try to involve them in the moving process so they too can feel a sense of accomplishment and can learn to embrace the changes. Have them help pack up and unpack their new rooms so they can get excited.

Professional packers will work at lightspeed to get all your items packed up safely in record speed. While you might get stuck sorting through old nostalgia, they will have your entire home packed up and bubble wrapped in no time. If you are in a rush, stuck at work, have young kids or are elderly, this option should be seriously considered.

The truly special pieces I would recommend actually packing up in many layers of bubble wrap and towels and actually putting in your personal car if the option exists. You can of course wrap these items and put them in a plastic bin with many layers of pillows, towels and more soft items and write “fragile” on top, but I think it’s better to play it safe than sorry.

Moving really does tend to require lots of tape, cartons, and bubble wrap, but this doesn’t have to be an environmental nightmare. Where you can, replace bubble wrap with towels and sheets. Replace tape with ties (but not too much), and see how you can repurpose all these items later on. If you wrap things in your mom’s blankets, that's one less blanket you will have to buy for your new apartment!


Rachel Kaplan

Rachel has spent the last few years writing for moving companies while actually moving across the globe. After many years of moving between many states in the US, she moved abroad to try the remote work life. She’s a pro at moving all her things with her dog and hundreds of plants. Thankfully she’s a minimalist so moves aren’t too much of an issue.

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