Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of packing up all your belongings in boxes to prepare for an upcoming move? Planning and organisation is the main key to a successful move that is relatively mistake free.

By using the following moving house checklist, you can organise your relocation far in advance and simplify the packing process significantly.

Moving house checklist:  Week by week

Eight weeks before moving

Eight weeks before you move house is the ideal time to create your moving budget and estimate the total cost of your move. You can begin researching moving services in your area, as well as how much it will cost to move to your new community.

It also helps to look at the floor plan of your new home and determine where your furniture and belongings will go. This pre-planning will help you to have a clearer picture to create a movers' checklist so that the movers can deliver your furniture to the correct rooms on moving day.

• Establish a budget: estimate cost of moving.
  
• Research moving options: Professional movers vs DIY ie moving vehicle hire.
  
• A plan to set your new home up: determine where your belongings are to go in your new place.

Six weeks before moving

Make a detailed list of all your valuables in case they're lost or misplaced during your move.

This is also the time to notify businesses, your bank, credit card company and your friends and relatives of your new address.

If possible, change over your utilities to your new address to ensure that there is no downtime in items such as pay TV and internet connection.

• Create an inventory of all items
  
• Provide change of address notifications
  
• Transfer or set up utilities at your new address

Four weeks before moving

One month prior to moving, solidify your moving house checklist by confirming your travel arrangements, house moving service booking and any special travel arrangements for your pets or children.

• Confirm travel arrangements
  
• Book a moving service or vehicle hire
  
• Organise special needs: ie pet transportation, inform change of address to the pet microchip registry, children needs.

Two weeks before moving

Think of what you will need in an "essentials bag" ie clothing, toiletries etc, that you want to take with you instead of loading into the moving truck.

This is also the opportunity to donate your belongings to charity or even sell them to earn a little extra cash for your move.

• Essentials bag
  
• Sell or donate unwanted items

Moving day

It is time to put your moving house checklist to work.

Provide an inventory list of your items to your movers and a complete movers' checklist so that they know which boxes and furniture are required to be delivered to which room in your new home. This will simplify the moving process greatly.

Make sure that you have enough cash or traveller's cheques (if you are moving overseas) on hand to cover your expenses during your relocation.

• Provide list to movers: an inventory list of items, containing details of which boxes they are in and which room they are for at your new place.
  
• Cash reserve: to pay for movers and any other expense on moving day.

Top moving tip

Put your movers' checklist and all important documents in a designated moving binder. This will help you to easily keep track of your receipts, invoices and an inventory of your furniture and valuables.