Are you going to move apartments in Dubai soon and wondering how to make everything go smoothly? Fret not! ServiceMarket has prepared a checklist for you to follow that will ensure that you don’t forget anything important that you need to do. We start with the steps you need to start taking about two months in advance and guide you till the day of your move. If you don’t have a lot of time and are moving in a hurry, read this article on how to move in a hurry.
Two months before
- Arrange for inspections and get estimates from multiple reputable moving companies in Dubai
- Get quotes from multiple Dubai insurance companies or arrange for transfer of insurance
- Ask for doctor and dental referrals
- Ask for veterinary referrals
- Search for a school in the new neighborhood
- Gather your legal documents and keep them in a separate box
- Make a list of people you need to inform about your move
6 weeks before
- Select movers in Dubai with excellent insurance coverage
- Arrange for transfer of medical records to your new physician
- Arrange for transfer of school records to the new school
- Arrange for transfer of veterinary records to the new vet
One month before
- Go through all your belongings and sort them into ‘trash’, ‘donate’ and ‘keep’
- Make an inventory of the belongings that will be moving with you
- Buy packing supplies (bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, packing tape, markers and packing paper)
- Determine the layout of all the furniture and appliances for your new home
- Schedule disconnection of utilities in your old home and installation in your new home
- Change billing address at your bank or transfer funds and close accounts
- Inform your workplace about the move
- Schedule cleaning and repairs for your old residence
- Register your children at the new school
- Notify your in-home service providers (babysitter, cleaning, gardening, etc.) about your move
- Make travel arrangements for your pets
- Inform your landlord about your departure and request security deposit refund
Two weeks before
- Share new address with friends and family
- Inform your post office about the change of address and set up a mail forwarding service
- Confirm the moving services that you have arranged for
- Make travel arrangement for your family
- Pack your belongings and label them carefully. Leave fragile items for the moving company to pack
- Get the house cleaned and repaired
- Donate things that you aren’t keeping to a charity like Emirates Red Crescent
- Put back any old fixtures and hardware that you had removed
- Cancel newspaper and magazine subscriptions
- Find cable TV, internet and landline services for your new home and schedule installation
One week before
- Pack a box full of first week essentials
- Fill any prescription medications
- Dispose off food and any chemicals in the house
- Clean the fridge
- Use or give away any deep frozen foods and defrost the freezer
- If you have access to the new home, clean it thoroughly
- Be present for the landlord’s inspection and ask for the report for your records
- Confirm all travel arrangements
- Pick up dry cleaning and return any library books
- Arrange for a licensed pest control service in Dubai to come in and inspect your new home
Day before
- Check that the utilities have been installed in your new home
- Disconnect all major appliances in your old one
- Get the Dubai pest control company to seal all pest entry points and spray the house
- Get the locks changed before you move in
- Charge all your gadgets, especially your cell phone
Moving day
- Supervise the move or ask a family member or friend to do it
- Give your old home a final review to make sure you haven’t left anything behind
- Lock every door and window
- Switch off the lights
- Turn off the gas and water
- Note down the utility readings before leaving
- Hand in the keys
- Check the new house thoroughly and photograph its condition
- Guide the movers on where to put everything
- Unpack the essentials
We hope that our checklist helps you make a hassle-free move! If you are having trouble finding a reputable Dubai moving company, head on to ServiceMarket to read reviews and get quotes from multiple ones.
