Plan your move, check your mover, and know the paperwork
Moving checklists, plain explanations of the federal mover rules, and home-buying guides, each tied to the agency or company page it came from.
New on MoveCostly
The newest pages on the site, each with its sources named and linked on the page.
Newest Checklist · Added Apartment Move-Out Checklist: Cleaning, Photos and KeysGive written notice, clean, photograph every room with dates, attend the walk-through, return all keys with a receipt, and give your forwarding address in writing.Read it 
Guide · Are Moving Expenses Tax Deductible? What IRS Topic 455 and Pub 3 SayWhat the IRS says about deducting moving expenses: who Topic 455 names, which costs count, and how Armed Forces members report a move.
Guide · Binding vs Non-Binding Moving Estimates: What Each One GuaranteesHow binding and non-binding estimates differ under 49 CFR Part 375: what a mover can charge at delivery, what changes on moving day, and what must be written.
Checklist · Change of Address Checklist: USPS and Everyone ElseA change of address checklist that starts with USPS forwarding, then covers banks, your employer, insurers, subscriptions and agencies you must tell yourself.
I'm planning a move
Timelines, packing lists and the choices that decide what move day looks like.
Moving Timeline Checklist: What to Do Eight Weeks Before Move DayA week-by-week moving timeline from eight weeks out to move day, with the federal estimate, booklet and mail-forwarding rules placed where they matter.
Printable Moving Checklist by Room and Area of LifeA one-sheet printable moving checklist grouped by room and area of life, from paperwork and kitchen to garage and new home, with a few federal rules marked.
Movers vs. Rental Truck vs. Moving Container: Which to ChooseChoose between movers, a rental truck or a moving container, and see what federal Part 375 protections you get with a mover and what you do not.
What Size Moving Truck Do I Need? A Quick Decision HelperPick a rental truck size from your home size, how much furniture you own and whether the move is local or one-way, using U-Haul and Penske's published specs.
Sell, Donate or Move It? A Decision Helper for Your StuffDecide whether to sell, donate or move furniture, appliances, books, keepsakes and flat-pack, and how weight figures into interstate mover charges.
Packing Supplies Checklist: What to Gather Before You PackA packing supplies checklist grouped by what each item does, from boxes and padding to tape, tools and the things you should never put on the truck.
Last-Minute Moving Checklist: The Final 48 HoursWhat to do when your move is two days away and you are behind: call, find paperwork, secure what matters, pack by room, and avoid signing anything blank.
Moving Day Checklist: Inventory, Bill of Lading and Walk-ThroughAn hour-by-hour moving day checklist: crew arrival, the inventory and bill of lading, the final walk-through, and checking delivery against the inventory.
I'm choosing or dealing with movers
How to check a company, what the federal rules say about estimates and damage, and what to do when it goes wrong.
How to Vet a Mover Before You Sign: A ChecklistA tick-off checklist for checking an interstate moving company before you pay a deposit or sign, built on FMCSA's free tools and the federal rules.
Questions to Ask Movers Before You Hire One (With the Rule Behind Each)A tick-off list of questions for every interstate mover you consider, each with the 49 CFR Part 375 rule that makes the question worth asking.
Moving Scam Red Flags: A Checklist Tied to Federal RulesWarning signs before booking, at pickup and at delivery, each matched to what 49 CFR Part 375 requires of an interstate mover and what you can do.
How to Check a Mover's USDOT Number Before You HireWhat a USDOT number is, where federal rules say it must appear, and how to use FMCSA's Registered Mover Database to confirm the company matches the paperwork.- Binding vs Non-Binding Moving Estimates: What Each One GuaranteesHow binding and non-binding estimates differ under 49 CFR Part 375: what a mover can charge at delivery, what changes on moving day, and what must be written.
Moving Valuation: Released Value vs Full Value ProtectionWhat the two liability options on an interstate move cover, what the 60 cents per pound waiver means in practice, and what to settle in writing before you sign.
How Moving Scams Work, and How to Check a Mover YourselfThe patterns behind interstate moving fraud, the federal rules each one breaks, the free FMCSA tools for checking a company, and where to report trouble.
Movers vs. Brokers: Who You Are Actually HiringWhat FMCSA says separates a moving company from a moving broker, what a broker must do for you, and how to tell which one is on the phone.
Your Rights on an Interstate Move, Stage by StageA plain-English walk through FMCSA's rights booklet: estimates, paperwork, inventory, weighing, payment, claims and arbitration, with what to do at each step.
Moving Damage Claim Letter for an Interstate MoverFill in a written claim to your interstate mover for loss or damage, with the 9-month filing window and the 30-day and 120-day response times.
I'm moving out or settling in
Mail, utilities, the old lease and the first week in the new place.
- Change of Address Checklist: USPS and Everyone ElseA change of address checklist that starts with USPS forwarding, then covers banks, your employer, insurers, subscriptions and agencies you must tell yourself.
USPS Mail Forwarding: What Gets Forwarded and What Doesn'tHow USPS forwarding works: permanent vs temporary requests, timing, which mail classes follow you, which never do, and what happens when it ends.
Utilities Transfer Checklist: Stop, Start and Final BillsMove utilities without a gap: stop electricity, gas, water, trash and internet at the old home, start them at the new one, and settle meters and final bills.- Apartment Move-Out Checklist: Cleaning, Photos and KeysAn apartment move-out checklist covering notice, cleaning, photos, the landlord walk-through, returning keys and giving a forwarding address for your deposit.
First Week in a New Home: A ChecklistA first-week checklist for a new home: re-key locks, test alarms, find the shutoffs, unpack in a sensible order and update your address with senders.- Are Moving Expenses Tax Deductible? What IRS Topic 455 and Pub 3 SayWhat the IRS says about deducting moving expenses: who Topic 455 names, which costs count, and how Armed Forces members report a move.
I'm buying or selling a home
The loan forms, the inspection and the letters, explained from the CFPB's own pages.
First-Time Home Buyer Checklist: From Budget to ClosingA readiness checklist for first-time buyers: budget, pre-approval, Loan Estimates, inspection, appraisal, Closing Disclosure and closing day.
Home Buying Timeline: Every Stage From Pre-Approval to KeysA stage-by-stage home buying timeline with what to do in each stage, from pre-approval and Loan Estimates to the Closing Disclosure, walk-through and keys.
Loan Estimate Explained: What to Check and How to Compare TwoA walk through the CFPB's Loan Estimate explainer: what each part of the form shows, what to check, and how to compare offers from different lenders.
Home Inspection Checklist: What to Look At and AskA home inspection checklist for buyers by area: roof, structure, plumbing, electrical, heating and cooling, interior, attic and basement.
Inspection Repair Request Letter: Free Template for BuyersBuild a polite written request to the seller after a home inspection, asking for repairs, a credit, or both. Fill in the form and copy or download the letter.
Closing Disclosure Explained: What to Compare Before You CloseWhen the CFPB says your Closing Disclosure arrives, what to compare against your Loan Estimate, and what to do if a number or a loan feature has changed.
Final Walk-Through Checklist: What to Check Before You CloseWhat to check at the final walk-through before closing: agreed repairs, working systems, included items, condition, and what to do if something is wrong.
How these pages are built
Every checklist, decision helper and letter on this site is built on primary sources: the federal household goods rules in 49 CFR Part 375, the FMCSA's Protect Your Move pages, the Postal Service's change-of-address rules, the IRS moving-expense topic, the CFPB's Loan Estimate and Closing Disclosure explainers, and the truck specifications U-Haul and Penske publish. Each page lists its sources and the date they were checked. How the pages are built explains the rules in full.
The site has no calculators. Where arithmetic helps, such as totting up your furniture to size a truck, a page links to a calculator built for that job. It also never names, ranks or accuses a moving company. It shows you how to check one yourself and where to report a problem.
Checklists save your ticks in this browser and nowhere else, so you can close the tab and come back. Every tool prints on plain paper.