Moving house checklist: What to know before you go
Here are our top tips to help you have a smooth move and make sure your power, insurance, phone and internet are up and running when you get to your new home.
When you shift house, it’s also a great time to review your service providers, so you don’t take your big bills with you.

Moving arrangements
There’s a lot to do when you move house. First, you’re going to need to figure out how to move the stuff in your current home into your future home. This can be more complicated if you’re moving to a different region or between the North and South Islands.
Finding a moving company
When you hire a removal company, you put your valuable possessions in the hands of strangers. You need to be confident everything will be handled carefully and safely and, if something goes wrong, you’ll be looked after. You also don’t want the shift to cost the Earth.
The moving industry spans everything from large companies to man-with-a-van style services. Even if you go with a big-name company, there’s no guarantee you’ll have a good experience. We recommend getting a few quotes from different companies and then doing a bit of online research, including checking the business exists on Google Maps and checking online reviews.
Don’t take a star rating as gospel, however. Online reviews are easily faked and manipulated. Read three or four reviews to get a better sense of a moving company’s credibility. Don’t be afraid to ask friends, family or community Facebook groups for first-hand experiences. For tips on spotting fake reviews, check out Online reviews – can they be trusted?.
There’s no regulatory body that covers domestic moves in New Zealand, but a number of larger moving companies are accredited by International Federation of International Movers.
And, if something does go wrong, you have rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act.
Inventories and transit insurance: hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Even with the best planning, when you’re moving a household’s worth of stuff from one place to another, things can, and do, go wrong. We recommend taking a few steps to mitigate the damage should the worst happen.
-
Create a detailed inventory: Writing down a detailed inventory of
your possessions, including their value, is arduous, but there’s a
few benefits.
- First, it might make you realise you don’t need to keep the old exercise equipment you’ve been using as a clothes horse for the last couple of years. Moving house is a great time to get rid of some clutter, and we offer some pros and cons of selling online in our exploration of selling stuff on Trade Me vs. Facebook Marketplace.
- More importantly, creating a detailed inventory can help if anything is damaged or lost in transit. This is particularly important if you’re moving internationally. Entire shipping containers have been known to fall overboard.
- Make sure you’re insured for the move: It’s never nice if your possessions are lost or damaged, but being properly insured can soften the blow. Transit insurance covers loss and/or damage to your goods, as well as incidental storage costs. However, not all contents insurance plans cover transit. If your contents insurance doesn’t cover transit, check to see if your moving company does. As always with insurances, make sure you read the fine print. Contents insurance might cover transit but not the loading or unloading of goods into a vehicle, while a moving company’s insurance might not cover items that are covered by existing contents insurance.
House and contents insurance
Whether you’re a renter or homeowner, you’ll need to let your contents and/or house insurer know when you are moving. Do this as soon as you know your moving dates.
If you want to switch insurance providers, check out our house and contents insurance buying guide.
Energy
Electricity
You can redirect your electricity connection to your new address online via your provider’s website. Or call or email them. It’s best to do this as soon as your moving dates are confirmed, or at least two weeks before you move.
Check you’re getting the cheapest power
If you’d like to compare your current provider with the competition to make sure you’re getting the best deal, visit Powerswitch.
With so many offers on the market and prices changing all the time, it pays to check regularly and make sure you’re not paying more than you should for power. Households can save an average of over $400 when they check with Powerswitch.
Powerswitch can also help you change your provider if you decide that’s the best move.
If you don’t currently have an electricity provider and need to sign up before you move house, you can also do this through Powerswitch. You can compare providers to find the best fit and then sign up with your chosen provider.
In most cases, you need to organise an electricity provider at least a week before your move-in date, though it’s best to aim for two (or more) weeks beforehand.
Gas/LPG
While most electricity providers used to provide gas services, now only a handful do. Whether you are switching electricity providers via Powerswitch, redirecting your connection, or starting with a new provider, you will need to arrange your gas connection at the same time.
Heating
Make sure your new home has electrical connection and/or gas supply options to meet your heating needs. Find the right heater for you with our electric heater buying guide.
If your new home has a woodburner or fireplace, you will probably need to arrange wood delivery through a local wood supplier. For tips on what to consider when buying firewood, check out our firewood buying guide.

Are you paying too much for power?
Powerswitch is a free price-comparison website that helps you find the best electricity and gas plan. Check now to see if you’re getting the best deal.
Internet and phone
To work out the best internet plan for you, learn about your broadband options.
Then find out which companies provide the best and worst service in our internet satisfaction survey.
Broadband
Contact your broadband provider (two weeks before you are moving) and let it know:
- where you’re moving to
- your move-in date
- whether you’d like to keep your current plan or change to a different option.
Unplug your modem and take it with you when you move, along with the cables. Plug it in at your new place, and it should be ready to go. If you’re unsure what to do, ask your provider for advice.
Connecting to fibre
Fibre is the most reliable and fastest internet connection available. But it is only available in urban areas. If your new home isn’t hooked up to fibre, you will need to check with your current internet provider whether you can upgrade.
It’s usually free to install fibre – for a limited time, while the Government works to put everyone on the network. Make sure the installation is booked to take place after ownership of the property has transferred to your name. If you’re renting, you’ll need your new landlord’s permission (in writing) to install fibre to your property.
When you leave your old place, unplug your modem and take it with you, along with the cables. Once you’re in your new place and fibre has been installed, simply plug in your modem, and it should be ready to go. If you’re unsure what to do, ask your provider for advice. If you don’t have a modem, your provider will send you one or it will tell you where you can buy one. Check out our WiFi router buying guide.
Phone
Check that your mobile service provider can keep you connected and in range of service at your new address. If it can’t, you’ll need to switch providers. If you’re having problems choosing a new plan, check out our guide on mobile phone plans and networks.
If you want a landline at your new property, you’ll need to talk with your provider.
The landline technology is increasingly outdated and prone to disconnection. Consider abandoning the landline home phone and simply using your mobile instead. For more information, read our article The copper network is being withdrawn – here’s what you need to know.
You can find out if your new property is affected by the withdrawal of copper using Chorus’s copper withdrawal tool.
Television
Installed TV boxes / satellite dishes
Tell your TV service provider where you’re moving to and when. Sky TV is the sort of service that needs to be redirected, depending on where you are moving to. You may also need to have your satellite dish, or a new dish, installed at your new address.
Local services
Water and sewerage systems
In most urban areas, the local council manages water and sewage systems, and you don’t need to do anything.
In some rural areas, water needs to be filtered, installed or ordered. And for most rural properties, owners are responsible for sewage treatment.
Visit your new local council website or phone the new council to find out if you need to arrange anything in relation to water and sewage.
If you pay for water now, or have it delivered, and are moving away from the area, you need to be in touch with your current council or water provider to let it know you’re moving away. Phoning works best, but a council might require written proof of an address change – though it should be able to help you with this if you call or email first.
Try to give as much notice as you can with these arrangements (about three weeks), so you’ll have water at your property when you move in, and you aren’t still paying for water after you’ve moved out.
Recycling and rubbish
To arrange recycling and rubbish bins for your new address, check with the previous tenants/owners whether they have bins or bags and what the collection details are. Or check the local council website for information on how rubbish and recycling collection works and where to buy bins (if applicable).
Street parking
If you need a resident’s parking permit, visit your council’s website for details on how to register and apply.
Other
Notifying organisations of your change of address
You can notify a wide range of organisations that you’ve moved through NZ Post’s free change my details service.
Once you’ve verified your identity and updated your new details with NZ Post, they’ll notify the organisations you’ve selected about your change of address. While the service works with a good range of businesses, charities and government departments, its not exhaustive, so you will still have some work to do to notify other relevant organisations.
This is probably a good time to think about changing how you get your bills – by email rather than the post.
Having your mail redirected
NZ Post can also redirect any of your mail that might go to your previous address. The fee for this service starts at $23 for a 2-month redirection within New Zealand and $77 for an international redirection. Prices vary, with discounts for seniors. You can also save money by setting your redirection up online rather than in store.
The service is only temporary – up to a maximum of 12 months.
For more information, see NZ Post’s Changed address? Redirect your mail.
Finishing a tenancy
Periodic tenancy (with no fixed end date)
You must give at least 28 days’ notice to end your tenancy, unless the landlord agrees to a shorter time. If that’s the case, make sure you get the agreement in writing.
Fixed-term tenancy
You can’t end a fixed-term tenancy earlier without the landlord’s permission. However, you may be able to sublet it. A law change in February 2021 requires landlords to consider all requests from tenants to sublet the property.
Before leaving
Before moving day, arrange a time for a final property inspection with your landlord.
On moving day:
- remove all your belongings from the property
- make sure the property is clean and tidy and remove any rubbish
- make sure all your services (such as power and phone) have been cancelled or swapped to your new home
- have a final property inspection with your landlord.
If you have any problems getting back your bond or would like more information about your tenancy rights, get in touch with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE’s) Tenancy Services (0800 836 262).

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