The last month is for checking that you are ready, not just for packing. Compare which key decisions are confirmed and which still exist only as assumptions in your messages.

Check your confirmations

For housing, the removal and appointments, find the specific dates, addresses and contact people. Mark the actions that someone else still needs to confirm. Do not treat a conversation about a possible date as a firm arrangement.

Close the gaps between stages

Line up moving out of the old home, the journey and access to the new one. Check where your belongings will be if there is a delay. Make a separate list of cancellations or changes you would need if the main plan shifts.

How to tell ready from almost ready

Housing needs a clear arrangement for access, the removal an agreed brief and date, and an appointment a confirmed service and prepared documents. A note saying “discussed” does not confirm any of these. Go through the critical tasks and find the document or message the decision rests on. If there is no confirmation, appoint someone to obtain it. Also mark terms that could expire before you leave so that you do not rely on an old price or a slot that is no longer available.

How to run a final check with everyone involved

Send out a short shared plan with the dates, addresses and contacts each person needs. Leave out unnecessary personal documents. Ask people to confirm not the whole document as a formality but their own part: access time, loading, a meeting or the key handover. Check who decides if there is a delay. If you find a conflict, update the dependent actions and send the new version to everyone affected. Several separately agreed events do not yet make a sequence that works on a single day.

What to check

  • Confirm the arrangements for collecting the keys.
  • Check how much money you have available.
  • Match your documents to the planned appointments.
  • Tell everyone how to reach you while travelling.

Example situation

If keys are only handed over during the day, a late flight will require a different move-in arrangement. It is better to agree on this before buying a non-refundable ticket.

Next step

A checklist should reveal unconfirmed points, not create an impression of readiness through the number of ticks.

Official information on this topic

Checklists and examples are organisational recommendations. Requirements depend on the procedure, the city and your situation; check them with the relevant office before you act. Please discuss legal and tax questions with an authorised professional.

This article was prepared with the help of AI. The example illustrates the approach and does not describe a client case.