Moving checklist for Israel

A month before

• Set the moving date and post a request to movers — at the end of the month and in summer they book up fast.
• Walk through the apartment and decide what moves, what is sold and what is donated. Every item that stays behind is less volume and less money.
• Check the new place: door and elevator sizes, whether large items will need a crane, where the truck can stop.
• Give notice to your current landlord and arrange the key handover.

Two weeks before

• Start packing what you do not use daily: books, off-season clothes, serving dishes.
• Label every box with its destination room and contents — it saves hours when unpacking.
• Arrange transfer or disconnection of electricity, water, gas and internet for the moving date.
• Update the municipality about arnona (municipal property tax) — both when leaving the old apartment and when entering the new one.

A week before

• Confirm date, time, addresses and services with the mover, and make sure they know about every special item.
• Empty and defrost the fridge and freezer a day or two before.
• Pack a "first day" bag: documents, medication, chargers, bedding, basic dishes and tools.
• Photograph appliance wiring and meter readings in the old apartment.

On moving day

• Stay reachable by phone and make sure there is space for the truck at both ends.
• Go over fragile and special items with the movers before they start.
• Photograph the electricity, water and gas meters in both apartments.
• Check the old apartment is completely empty — cupboards, storage room, balcony — before the truck leaves.

After the move

• Update your address with the Population Authority (Misrad HaPnim), your bank, kupat holim and employer.
• Forward your mail to the new address.
• Check every box arrived and nothing is damaged — and report damage as soon as possible.
• Rate the mover — it is what helps the next customer choose.

Frequently asked questions