Three to four weeks out
Confirm your date with your building or landlord and, if you live in a strata building, book the elevator and get a certificate of insurance sorted if the strata requires one. This is also the point to start sorting through closets and the garage, since decluttering early means fewer boxes to carry later.
If you are hiring packing help, decide now whether you want full packing or just the fragile rooms covered, since that decision shapes how the estimate is built.
One to two weeks out
Start labelling boxes with the destination room, not the old one, since that is where they will actually get carried. Write a short note of contents on the side as well, since a box marked kitchen with fifteen unlabelled duplicates slows down the unload.
Confirm utilities at the new address, arrange for mail redirection, and double check any building requirements at either end so nothing surprises the crew on the day.
The day before
Pack a first-night bag with bedding, medications, chargers, and a change of clothes, and keep it with you rather than on the truck. Empty and defrost the fridge if it is travelling, and confirm the arrival window with your crew.
If pets or young children will be around, arrange for them to be somewhere else during the loading, since an open front door and heavy furniture moving through the hall is not a safe combination for either.
Moving day itself
Point the crew to any items you are not taking so they are set aside rather than loaded by mistake, and walk through the home with the lead once loading finishes to confirm nothing was missed.
At the new place, direct the crew room by room as boxes and furniture come off the truck, and do a final walkthrough together before the crew leaves for the day. Keep the first-night bag close by so the evening does not turn into a search through unlabelled boxes.