2 min read

Student moving checklist and timeline

A practical week-by-week student moving checklist to help you pack, plan, and move between semesters without the stress.
By · November 6, 2025
Student moving checklist and timeline

Planning your move can be difficult, especially when you’re juggling coursework, deadlines, and exams. This student moving checklist and timeline will help you stay organised and fully prepared for moving day.

3 months before

  • Secure your next accommodation.
  • Finalise your moving day and note any gap between leases.
  • Start decluttering to minimise your packing volume, time and money. 

Want to make packing easier and start fresh in your new space? Check out our decluttering guide packed with expert tips, viral Cleantok trends, and motivation to keep you going.

2 months before

1 month before

  • It's time to pack, starting with items you don’t use. You can even save time and hire a professional packing service to handle it for you.

2 weeks before

  • Arrange a professional clean before moving out. Confirm if your new place will be cleaned (by the previous tenants) before moving in.
  • Confirm the move-out time with your current landlord and your move-in time with your next landlord.

1 week before

  • Pack your final items, and put together a bag of essentials to keep with you on moving day.
  • Check in with your moving service to finalise the details.

Moving day

  • Walk through your current student accommodation with your landlord to note any damages (and hopefully secure your full deposit back).
  • Meet your movers and move!
  • Walk through your new student accommodation to note any pre-existing damages. Assess if you’ll need to book a cleaning service before unpacking.

After moving day

  • Start unpacking (or hire professionals to do it for you).
  • Set up your WiFi if needed.
  • Change your address with your university, bank, insurance, etc.

Moving as a student can feel overwhelming, but with a solid checklist, you’ll have everything under control from start to finish. Start early, stay organised, and lean on reliable student movers if you need help with the heavy lifting. Once the boxes are unpacked, you can focus on what really matters: settling into your new home and the year ahead.

Read our student moving guide for more tips on finding your accommodation, packing, budgeting and more, and start your new student life chapter with confidence.

What do our customers say?

Read reviews of Wise Move to learn stories from our customers.
R 8,500
Kilner Park, Pretoria
Cape Town
10
Joshua
Reviewed 44 minutes ago
Enoch and his team were incredibly accommodating of my schedule and took excellent care while moving very fragile equipment. They were also very friendly and helpful on both collection and delivery days. Enoch and his team are also very responsive to communications and consistently kept me up to date with the progress of my move. I rate them a 10 out of 10 and would recommend them.
R 2,400
2 bedroom house move
Cape Town
Hout Bay, Cape Town
10
Jade
Reviewed 18 hours ago
Absolutely outstanding service! The team moved our two-bedroom home quickly and efficiently, with everything handled with care from start to finish. They were punctual, professional, and incredibly friendly, which made the whole process stress-free. Nothing was too much trouble, and they worked seamlessly as a team. I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, efficient, and pleasant moving experience.
R 899
Crowthorne AH, Midrand
Rietondale, Pretoria
10
Nathan
Reviewed 1 day ago
Excellent service, i highly recommend them.
R 2,500
Crestholme, Waterfall
Assagay, Outer West Durban
10
Cath
Reviewed 1 day ago
Fantastic service from fantastic people! Hastle free move! Very well done!
R 7,800
Cape Town
Stanford
10
Jani
Reviewed 1 day ago
Honestly the best moving experience I have ever had (14 and counting). The guys showed up early, wrapped everything I hadn't gotten to and moved it with a smile. Couldn't recommend them more.