Most moves go wrong in the same way. Everything runs smoothly until the final week, and then it all arrives at once. The boxes run out, nobody has cancelled the broadband, and the cleaning has to be squeezed in between moving out and the landlord's inspection.
This checklist is built on how moves actually unfold. If you are already behind, you can still catch up, but start at the top and work through it quickly.
Eight weeks before
This is the week you lay the groundwork.
- Give notice on your tenancy. Three months is standard for a Swedish rental contract, counted from the end of the month in which you give notice. Check your own agreement, because this is the most common reason people end up paying two rents.
- Book the removal firm. The last working day of the month is the busiest day in the industry. If you want it, book early. If you can choose a mid month date, it is usually calmer and cheaper.
- Book the end of tenancy cleaning at the same time, so the dates line up and the cleaning is finished before the inspection.
- Decide whether you need storage. If the completion dates do not meet, sort it now rather than in a fortnight.
Six weeks before
Now the clear out begins, and it is the single best investment of your time. Everything you get rid of now is something you do not have to pack, carry or pay to move.
- Go through storage rooms, wardrobes and the basement
- Sort into keep, donate, sell and discard
- Arrange a trip to the municipal recycling centre, or ask the removal firm to take it away
- Photograph and list anything you want to sell, because it takes longer to shift things than people expect
Four weeks before
This stage is about everything tied to your address.
- Register your change of address with the Swedish Tax Agency. It is free and should be done no later than a week after you move, but do it in advance if you can.
- Order post redirection if you want to be certain nothing is lost. This is a separate paid service.
- Set up an electricity contract at the new address and cancel the old one. Remember that the network agreement and the supply contract are two different things.
- Move your broadband and TV. This is usually the slowest item on the list, sometimes several weeks, so do not leave it.
- Contact your insurer. Your home insurance needs to follow you, and this is also when you find out what is covered during the move itself.
- Notify your bank, employer, nursery, school, health centre and dentist.
Two weeks before
The practical work starts here.
- Get boxes and packing materials. Allow for more boxes than you think, and choose many small ones over a few large, heavy ones.
- Start packing what you do not use: books, seasonal clothes, ornaments and the storage room.
- Label every box with room and contents. Write on the side rather than the lid so it is readable when they are stacked.
- Apply for a parking permit for the van if you live centrally or where parking is restricted. In the older central districts of Sundsvall this saves both time and fines.
- Cancel laundry room slots and any subscriptions tied to the flat.
The week before
- Pack everything except what you need for the final days
- Put together a first day box: toilet paper, soap, towels, chargers, tools, coffee, medication, a change of clothes and bedding. Load it last so it comes out first.
- Defrost the freezer, which often needs a full day
- Empty and clean the fridge and freezer
- Confirm the time with the removal firm and make sure they know about lifts, floor levels and parking
- Decide where the van will stand at both ends
Moving day
- Be there when the crew arrives, or leave keys with someone who will be
- Keep doors propped open and the stairwell clear
- Have a plan for pets, who get stressed and slip out through open doors
- Read the electricity and water meters at both properties if required
- Walk through the old home one final time before you leave
In winter, grit or clear the path and lay down mats or cardboard inside the door. Wet snow and freshly cleaned floors are a poor combination.
The days after
- End of tenancy cleaning and inspection with the landlord
- Hand over every key, including copies and those for storage and the post box
- Check that nothing is missing or damaged, and report any issue to the removal firm straight away
- Register with a new health centre if you have changed municipality
Points specific to Sundsvall
Older buildings in the stone town centre and in Skönsberg often have narrow stairwells and small lifts. Measure the sofa and the fridge before moving day. It is far cheaper to know in advance than to get stuck halfway up a staircase.
Parking is the other common bottleneck. An extra fifty metres of carrying at each end adds well over an hour to a normal move.
And if you are moving between November and March, allow for road conditions, darkness and everything taking longer. That is also the time of year when slots are easiest to get.
Would you like help with the move?
We can take the whole chain if you prefer: packing, the move itself, assembly, storage and end of tenancy cleaning across Sundsvall and the surrounding area. Tell us how you live and when you are moving, and we will come back with a fixed price.