Portland moving checklist: a six-week plan

The timeline

1. Step 1 of 6 · 6 weeks before

   Confirm the move and compare transportation

   • Confirm your move-in date, lease requirements, and key handoff with both properties.
   • Decide whether to hire movers or rent a truck. Compare written estimates, included services, and cancellation terms.
   • For a move entirely within Oregon, use ODOT's household-goods resources to check mover certification. For an interstate move, use FMCSA's Protect Your Move resources.
   • List belongings room by room. Donate, sell, or responsibly dispose of items you do not want to move.

2. Step 2 of 6 · 4 weeks before

   Arrange access, parking, and utilities

   • Ask each building about elevator reservations, loading areas, move hours, stairs, and any insurance requirements for movers.
   • If you need to reserve Portland on-street parking for a moving truck or container, review PBOT's Temporary Street Use Permitting process. Check the current lead times, fees, and posting requirements directly with PBOT.
   • Arrange electricity, water, internet, and other services with your actual providers; confirm start and stop dates.
   • Choose your packing supplies and compare kit sizes with your room-by-room list. Reserve early, but choose the delivery date around your actual packing and unpacking needs. Check both delivery and pickup locations before committing to a reusable-bin rental.
   • Measure large furniture and compare it with doorways, stairwells, and elevators at both properties.
   • Ask your insurer about coverage during the move, and ask your mover to explain valuation options and exclusions.

3. Step 3 of 6 · 2 weeks before

   Confirm packing supplies and plan delivery

   • Reserve bins early, but count both packing and unpacking days when choosing delivery. BinDrop's standard rental is two weeks total from delivery, not two weeks after moving day. Delivery two weeks before your move may leave no included unpacking time afterward; delivery about one week before leaves about one week afterward. Ask about a paid weekly extension before relying on a longer schedule.
   • Check your delivery ZIP and available dates in the booking form. BinDrop requires at least two days' notice; availability is not guaranteed. The ZIP check is not exact street-address verification. Confirm a different pickup location with BinDrop before booking.
   • Once your supplies arrive, pack less-used items first. Label containers by destination room and keep an inventory of important belongings. Set aside fragile, unusually heavy, or awkward items and ask your mover about packing needs and restricted items.
   • Submit an address change through the official USPS service and update your address directly with banks, insurers, employers, and other essential contacts.

4. Step 4 of 6 · 1 week before

   Confirm details and prepare essentials

   • Reconfirm mover or truck reservations, arrival instructions, building access, and parking arrangements.
   • If renting bins, confirm your scheduled delivery and plan around BinDrop's 8 AM–12 PM delivery window. Confirm access and how the equipment will be received.
   • Keep medication, identification, keys, chargers, basic toiletries, and important documents in a separate bag that stays with you.
   • Plan for children and pets during loading and unloading. Keep walkways and exits clear.
   • Check the weather forecast and protect furniture and other exposed belongings during loading.

5. Step 5 of 6 · Moving day

   Keep the move organized

   • Privately document the condition of both homes for your records and follow each property's move-in, move-out, and key-handoff instructions.
   • Keep essential items separate and direct labeled containers to the right rooms.
   • Follow the mover's loading instructions. Do not assume a moving-bin rental includes moving labor or a truck.
   • Check cupboards, closets, outdoor spaces, and storage areas before returning old keys.

6. Step 6 of 6 · After the move

   Unpack and prepare rental equipment for pickup

   • Unpack essentials first, then empty the remaining bins within your reserved rental period.
   • Have BinDrop bins empty and rental equipment ready by 11 AM on your scheduled pickup date. Contact BinDrop before pickup if you need extra time; weekly extensions cost extra.
   • Sort cardboard and other disposable packing supplies according to your property's recycling and disposal rules. Keep shared walkways clear and return all rental equipment.
   • Check that utilities and address updates are working and report property issues to the appropriate manager.