Who this checklist is for
This guide is for families in the Eastern Province who have a moving date coming up, whether it is a short hop within Dammam, Khobar or Dhahran, a move to Jubail, Qatif or Al-Ahsa, or a long-distance move to another city in the Kingdom. It is a practical moving preparation checklist, organized week by week, so your home is ready when the movers arrive.
It covers what you and your family do before moving day. For the moving service itself (disassembly, packing, loading and delivery) see our residential movers service. Kitchen-specific steps such as dishes, appliances and cabinets have their own guide on kitchen moving.
The timeline at a glance
| When | Main tasks | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| About 3 weeks out | Declutter, measure the new home | Less to move and a clear floor plan |
| 2 weeks out | Book the date, coordinate with building management, arrange utilities | Confirmed date, elevator and parking |
| 1 week out | Pack non-essentials, color-code by room | Most boxes packed and labeled |
| 1–2 days out | Defrost the fridge, pack a first-day box, photograph cables | A home ready to load |
| Moving day | Assign roles, supervise loading and unloading | An organized move and a tidy arrival |
Three weeks out: declutter and measure
Decide what to keep, sell, donate or discard
Every item you don't move saves packing time and truck space. Walk through the house room by room and sort:
- Keep: things you actually use and have a place for.
- Sell: good furniture that won't fit the new layout. List it early; selling takes time.
- Donate: usable clothes, toys and household items.
- Discard: broken items and old paperwork you no longer need.
Measure doors, stairs and rooms
Measure the main entrance, room doors, stairwell width and, if there is one, the inside of the elevator. Compare those numbers with your largest sofa, wardrobes and master bed. Large items are moved by stairs or elevator only, so these measurements tell you early which pieces must be taken apart. A rough sketch showing where each big piece goes will also speed up unloading.
Two weeks out: booking and coordination
Lock in your moving date
Book early, especially around month-end and holiday periods. In the Eastern Province summer, an early-morning start is usually the smart choice, so electronics and boxes aren't left sitting in the heat.
What your moving company needs from you
To get an accurate quote and the right crew and materials, send these over WhatsApp:
- Photos or a short video of each room, showing the large items.
- A location pin for both the current and the new home.
- Floor numbers at both ends, and whether there is an elevator and its rough size.
- Items that need disassembly, such as beds and wardrobes.
- Whether you want full packing or only fragile items packed.
Building management, elevator and parking
If you live in an apartment building or compound, ask management or the building guard about permitted moving hours, reserve the elevator if that's possible, and agree where the truck can park near the entrance. Do the same at the new address.
Utilities
Contact your providers to transfer or close electricity, water and internet, and try to have them active at the new home before you arrive. Procedures differ by contract and service, so check with each provider directly.
One week out: packing and labeling
- Pack books, decor, seasonal clothes and stored items first; leave daily-use items for last.
- Heavy items go in small boxes, light items in large ones.
- Give each room a color (blue for the master bedroom, green for the kids, red for the kitchen, for example).
- Put a colored label on two sides of every box, not only the top, and write a short list of contents.
- Tape a sheet of the matching color on each door in the new home so the crew can place boxes directly.
- Before unplugging the TV, receiver, router or computer, take a photo of the cables at the back. Bag each device's cables, remotes and screws separately and label the bag.
Prefer to hand packing over entirely? Our furniture packing service covers cartons, bubble wrap, stretch film and blankets.
One or two days out: final steps
Defrost the fridge
Switch off the fridge and freezer about a day before, empty and clean them, and leave the doors open with a towel underneath. Other kitchen details are in the kitchen guide linked above.
Pack a first-day box
This box travels in your own car, not the truck:
- IDs, lease or ownership papers and certificates.
- Gold, jewelry, cash and small valuable devices.
- Family medication and phone chargers.
- Clothes for a day or two, towels and basic toiletries.
- Water, cups and snacks for the kids.
- A small toolkit: screwdriver, scissors, tape and bags.
Appliances that need a technician
If you have AC units to remove, a gas cooker, or a washing machine connected to plumbing, arrange an electrician, AC or plumbing technician to disconnect them safely before the movers arrive and to reconnect them at the new home.
What not to pack
For everyone's safety, never pack flammable or pressurized items: gas cylinders, petrol or kerosene, aerosol cans, fireworks or strong chemical cleaners. Disconnect the gas cylinder and transport it yourself, tightly closed, or arrange it with your supplier.
Also keep heat-sensitive plants, open or perishable food, and your valuables and documents out of the truck.
Kids, elderly family members and pets
- Kids: ideally they spend moving day with relatives. If not, keep them in an empty room away from walkways, with a small bag of favorite toys.
- Elderly relatives: set up their room first at the new home, bed and lighting included, and keep their medication in the first-day box.
- Pets: keep them in a carrier or closed room, move them in your car with water, and never leave them in a parked car in the summer sun.
Moving day: who does what
- Old home lead: follows the loading and checks every room, cupboard and the roof before leaving.
- New home lead: arrives early, opens up and directs boxes by color.
- Family lead: looks after the kids and elderly only.
- Point of contact: stays in touch with the crew supervisor and keeps the list of large items.
In summer, keep TVs, screens and electronics out of direct sun while they wait. Load them last and unload them first.
How our team handles the rest
Once your home is prepared, the Dar El Hana crew takes over: dismantling and reassembling beds and wardrobes through our furniture assembly service, wrapping fragile pieces, moving everything in closed, GPS-tracked trucks, and placing each box in its color-coded room. If the new home isn't ready yet, short-term furniture storage can bridge the gap, and if your move is tied to a lease ending, read our guide to end-of-lease moving.
Home prepared? Request a moving quote
Send room photos, both locations, floor numbers, elevator details and your preferred date.