Start earlier than you think
The single biggest mistake people make: starting too late. The moment you know your move date, start. Not the week before — now.
Declutter first, pack second.
Before a single box gets taped shut, go through your things. Sort everything into four piles:
Sell — Things with value you no longer need — Marktplaats, Vinted
Give away — Things that still have use but aren't worth selling
Throw away — The rest
Move — What's actually coming with you
Invite a friend over for the give-away round. Put things out, let people take what they want. Whatever's left: take to the kringloop, or bin it. Moving is the best possible reason to stop carrying things you've been meaning to get rid of for two years.
On packing.
Once you've decluttered, packing can actually be enjoyable. You go through old things, find things you forgot you had, and get to decide how the new place will look. Start immediately — don't wait until the week before.
- → Label every box and bag as you go. You will not remember what's in what.
- → You don't need to buy moving boxes for everything. Supermarket boxes are free. Trash bags work fine for clothes, bedding, and anything non-breakable.
- → Set aside a survival kit — charger, toiletries, a change of clothes, coffee. Don't pack this away.
Sort the admin — before it sorts you
The paperwork side of a move is easy to forget until it bites you. Getting it done early removes a lot of stress from the weeks after the move.
Before you move:
Give notice on your current place
Check your contract — most rentals require one month's notice, some require three. Miss the date and you pay for it.
Book your internet
Providers in the Netherlands can take several weeks to install a new connection. Book it the day you know your move date.
Reserve a parking permit or moving lift
Some municipalities require a street permit (straatvergunning) when blocking the road. If your new place needs a moving lift, check with your moving company first — many arrange this themselves. If not, you'll need to book it separately.
Around move day:
Update your address with the gemeente
You're legally required to register your new address within 5 days of moving. Do it online via DigiD or bring your passport and rental agreement to the loket.
Notify your utilities
Gas, electricity, water — inform current suppliers of your end date and set up new contracts. Don't let the old ones keep billing you.
Forward your mail
PostNL's mail forwarding service is free and takes five minutes online.
Also: bank, employer, health insurance, DigiD/BRP, GP and dentist if changing area, car insurance, subscriptions.
Moving day
Moving day doesn't have to be the hardest day. It tends to feel that way because it comes at the end of weeks of logistics, when you're already tired. The best thing you can do is set it up so it isn't a solo effort.
Get people involved.
Ask friends to help. Most people are happy to show up if you ask directly. Have snacks, have something to drink, put on music. Moving goes faster with people around — and a day that could feel exhausting can actually end up being a decent one. You've earned it.
- → Defrost and drain your fridge and washing machine the night before. Easy to forget, messy if you do.
- → Disassemble large furniture in advance — see the section below.
- → Do a final walkthrough before you leave — windows closed, nothing left behind, appliances off. Take photos.
- → Arrange childcare or pet care if needed.
Furniture disassembly
The disassembly is easy. Finding the right bolt three days later is not.
Many moving companies handle disassembly and reassembly as part of the service — if yours does, skip this. If you're doing it yourself, one thing matters above everything else: keeping the hardware organized.
Label the pieces.
Use paper tape and a marker to label each part as you disassemble — left side, right side, top, which unit it belongs to. Thirty seconds per piece, saves genuine confusion later.
Get a bolt organizer.
Plastic bags taped to furniture look like a fine idea until they fall off in the van. A cheap bolt organizer — a few euros, small compartments — keeps everything in one place. Label each compartment to match the furniture piece.
The moving company
Who you move with matters more than people expect. Handing your belongings over to strangers is a strange feeling, especially on a day that's already stressful. The difference between a company that communicates clearly and one that doesn't is significant — not just in efficiency, but in how the whole day feels.
What to look for:
Direct contact — with the people doing the move, not a dispatcher or call centre
A fixed quote upfront — not an hourly estimate that expands on the day
No deposit required — a company that takes payment after the work is done knows they need to earn it
If you're organized on your end — boxes labelled, furniture disassembled, a clear plan for where things go — a good moving company will have your place set up faster than you'd expect.
Once you're in
The move isn't over when the last box arrives. Give yourself permission for the new place to not be perfect immediately. Unpack the survival kit first, get the essentials running, then take it room by room over the following days.
- → Check that all utilities are correctly transferred and working.
- → Take a meter reading on day one — gas, electricity, water — and keep a copy.
- → Introduce yourself to neighbours, especially in apartment buildings.
- → Confirm your address update with the gemeente if you haven't already.
That's the plan. Follow it and moving day becomes something you can actually look forward to — or at least something you walk away from feeling good about.
If you need a hand with the move itself, we're based in Eindhoven and cover all of Noord-Brabant. Fixed quotes, no deposit, and you deal directly with the people showing up.