Generic moving checklists tell you to "transfer utilities." Great. Which ones, and who do you actually call in Charlotte? This is the version with the real names on it.
Adjust the weeks to your situation. If you have three weeks instead of six, do the same things faster and skip the sorting.
Six weeks out
- Lock your date. Everything below depends on it. If you are flexible, aim mid-month and midweek. Our guide to the best time to move in Charlotte explains why that combination is so much easier.
- Read your lease or HOA rules. Many uptown and South End buildings restrict move hours, require a dock reservation, and require a certificate of insurance from your movers. Find out now, not the week of.
- Get quotes. Movers book out fastest for the last three days of the month and for June through August.
- Start the purge. Every item you get rid of now is one you do not pack, carry, or unpack. Goodwill and Habitat ReStore locations around Mecklenburg will take a lot of it.
Four weeks out
- Reserve packing containers. Whether that is buying cardboard or booking crates, do it now so it is not a scramble. If you are unsure how many you need, our room-by-room count guide has a sizing table.
- Reserve the freight elevator and loading dock at both ends. Popular buildings in Uptown, South End, and along the Blue Line hand out two- to four-hour blocks and they go fast on Saturdays.
- Ask your mover for the COI. Buildings want it naming the property manager and the building address as additional insured. Getting one issued and approved takes days, not minutes.
- Tell your landlord in writing. Most Charlotte leases want 60 days notice. Check yours before you assume 30.
Three weeks out
Utilities, by name
| Service | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electric | Duke Energy | Schedule stop at old address and start at new on the same day |
| Water and sewer | Charlotte Water | City service; some outlying towns bill their own |
| Natural gas | Piedmont Natural Gas | Only if you have gas heat, range, or water heater |
| Trash and recycling | City of Charlotte Solid Waste inside city limits; Republic Services in many surrounding towns and unincorporated areas | Confirm your collection day and whether carts stay with the house |
| Internet | Spectrum, AT&T, Google Fiber depending on address | Book the install for the day you get keys |
Overlap the old and new service by one day at both ends. Paying for one extra day of power beats unloading a truck in the dark.
Also this week
- Submit a USPS change of address, effective the day you move.
- If you need the curb outside a house or a walk-up for the truck, start the permit conversation with the City of Charlotte Department of Transportation. Temporary curb and lane use permits are not same-day, so give it a couple of weeks and call to confirm current lead time and what your specific block needs.
- Book any specialty movers: piano, gun safe, aquarium, Peloton.
Two weeks out
- Start packing the stuff you do not use. Off-season clothes, books, decor, the guest room, garage.
- Label by room in the new place, not the old one. "Kitchen" is fine. "Upstairs back bedroom" is better.
- Handle medical and school records. CMS transfers, vet records, prescription transfers to a pharmacy near the new place.
- Use up the freezer. Seriously. Frozen food does not survive a Charlotte summer move.
One week out
- Take crate or box delivery. A week gives you actual packing evenings instead of one panicked night. We drop crates stacked with dollies and reusable labels, and collect them from the new place when you are done.
- Confirm everything. Movers, elevator block, dock, permit, internet install. Confirm by phone, not email.
- Pack the open first box. Toilet paper, paper towels, phone chargers, a knife, hand soap, meds, coffee setup, one pan, a shower curtain.
- Do the NCDMV change. North Carolina expects address updates within 60 days of moving, and you can handle license and vehicle registration online. Update voter registration while you are in there.
- Reserve parking at both ends. Cones out early on the street, or the dock block confirmed in writing.
The last 24 hours
The day before
- Finish the kitchen. It always takes longer than planned. Our kitchen packing guide exists because of exactly this.
- Defrost the fridge if it is coming with you.
- Charge everything, including the drill.
- Pull together the essentials bag you keep with you: documents, keys, chargers, a change of clothes.
- Set out cash or a payment method for the crew and buy a case of water. In July this is not optional.
Move day itself
- Walk the old place with the movers before they start. Point out anything fragile or not going.
- Get on the road outside 7 to 9am and 4 to 6:30pm. I-77 and I-277 will eat an hour of your day otherwise.
- Do a final sweep: closets, dishwasher, washer drum, medicine cabinet, behind doors, the mailbox.
- Photograph the empty old place for your deposit.
- Confirm meter readings and lock up.
The first week in
Unpack the kitchen and beds first, then everything else at whatever pace you like. Change the locks if you bought. Find your trash day. Register for the new gym, or at least walk the neighborhood once before it becomes a place you only drive through.
When the crates are empty, stack them by the door and we come get them. If you are still figuring out sizing, give us your floor plan, and you can grab a delivery week once your date is firm.