Moving House Checklist Singapore: A Week-by-Week Cleaning Timeline

The easiest house move in Singapore starts four weeks before the moving truck. Use the first two weeks to declutter and book services, the third to pack and deep-clean the spaces you've emptied, and the final week to clean both homes in the right order. Here's a week-by-week checklist you can follow whether you're moving from an HDB flat, a condo or a rental.

Four weeks out: decide and declutter

This week is about decisions, not boxes.

Book the big things

• Movers, especially if you're moving at the end of the month or near a public holiday, when they get busy
• Your move-out and move-in cleans
• Aircon servicing, if your tenancy agreement requires it before handover
• Lift booking, if either building requires one (common in condos)

Start decluttering

Go room by room and sort everything into four piles: keep, donate, sell, throw away. Start with the storeroom, household shelter and kitchen, because they hide the most clutter.

• Clothes: anything not worn in a year
• Kitchen: duplicate utensils, chipped plates, expired food and old containers without lids
• Paperwork: shred old bills and statements
• Kids' toys: let children choose which to pass on

For items in good condition, look into donation drives, community groups and charity shops. Check what they accept before you drop anything off. For bulky items, ask your town council or a disposal service about removal well in advance.

Our guide to organising a cupboard has a good sorting method that works for the whole home.

Three weeks out: pack the rarely used things

• Pack books, decorations, seasonal items and spare linen
• Label each box with its destination room, not just its contents
• Use the space you free up: wipe the inside of shelves and cabinets as you empty them, so you aren't left with everything at once on the last day
• Sell or give away furniture that won't fit the new place

Cleaning task this week: wash curtains, sofa covers and cushion covers you're taking, so they go into the new home clean.

Two weeks out: utilities and paperwork

• Arrange utilities transfer or termination for the old home, and connection at the new one. Make sure water and electricity at the old home stay on until after the move-out clean.
• Update your address with banks, insurers, your telco and other accounts
• Arrange internet installation at the new home
• Confirm cleaning dates. The move-in clean should happen before your furniture arrives, and the move-out clean after the movers leave the old place.

Cleaning task this week: defrost and clean the freezer if you're taking the fridge. Start eating down your frozen food now.

One week out: pack the everyday

• Pack everything except a "first week" box for each person: clothes, toiletries, chargers, medication, and important documents
• Pack a separate "cleaning box" with basic supplies for the new home: microfibre cloths, a mop, a bucket, multi-purpose cleaner, toilet cleaner, dishwashing liquid, rubbish bags and toilet paper
• Empty and wipe the fridge a day or two before the move
• Disconnect the washing machine and drain it

Our home cleaning supplies shopping list is a good guide for that cleaning box.

Move week: the cleaning order that works

This is where people go wrong. The right order:

1. Move-in clean at the new home, ideally a day or two before the movers arrive. Kitchen cabinets, bathrooms, wardrobes and floors are all much easier to clean when empty.
2. Moving day. Movers take everything out of the old home and into the new one.
3. Quick vacuum and mop at the new home after the movers leave, to pick up grit they tracked in.
4. Move-out clean at the old home, the day after the movers, once it's completely empty.
5. Handover or inspection at the old home, at least a day after the clean.

If you're moving into a BTO, see our guide to BTO key collection cleaning. For condo moves, there's a dedicated condo move-in cleaning guide. For handing over the old place, see HDB resale handover cleaning or end-of-tenancy cleaning.

Move day: the essentials

• Be there when the movers arrive, and do a final walk-through of the old home with them before they leave
• Keep your "first week" boxes and valuables with you, not in the truck
• Check every cabinet, drawer and the top of wardrobes before leaving the old home
• Take meter readings or photos if needed
• Make the beds first in the new home, because you'll be tired

After the move

• Unpack the kitchen and bathrooms first, then bedrooms
• Flatten boxes and dispose of them through the right channel for your building
• Rinse the aircon filters in the new home before running the units for long periods
• Set up a cleaning routine from week one. It's much easier to keep a home clean than to catch up later.

If you want help keeping the new place tidy, a weekly or fortnightly cleaner is an easy habit to start right after a move. Our guide to weekly vs fortnightly cleaning helps you decide which suits your household.

Getting help with the cleaning

Cleaning Assistant can handle both ends of your move, charged by the hour: $20 per hour for your first trial session, $26 per hour for on-demand bookings, and $23 per hour if you continue with a weekly or fortnightly plan at the new home. There are no agency fees or contracts, and you provide the cleaning supplies, so the cleaning box you packed gets put to use straight away. The full move-out cleaning guide covers hours and scope for each flat size.

Frequently asked questions

How early should I book movers and cleaners in Singapore?

About three to four weeks ahead is sensible, and earlier for end-of-month moves or the weeks before Chinese New Year. Cleaning slots near popular handover dates fill up quickly.

Should the move-in clean happen before or after the movers?

Before. An empty home is much faster to clean, especially cabinets and wardrobes. Follow up with a quick vacuum and mop once the movers have gone.

What should go in a moving-day cleaning box?

Microfibre cloths, a mop and bucket, multi-purpose cleaner, toilet cleaner, dishwashing liquid, sponges, rubbish bags, toilet paper and hand soap. Keep it with you rather than on the truck.

When should I switch off utilities at the old home?

After the move-out clean is finished. A cleaner needs running water and lights to do the job properly.

Planning a move? Book your move-in and move-out cleans together so both ends are covered, or WhatsApp +65 8166 0891 with your moving date.