Your Essential Charlottetown Moving Day Checklist: Simplify Your Island Move!

Moving, whether it’s across Charlottetown or relocating to beautiful Prince Edward Island, is a major event! It’s exciting to think about settling into your new Island home, exploring the historic streets, or enjoying the coastal scenery. But let’s be honest, the process can also feel overwhelming.

To help make your transition smoother, whether you’re moving to, from, or within Charlottetown, we’ve created this comprehensive moving checklist. Let’s get you organized!

Phase 1: The Early Weeks (4-8 Weeks Before Moving Day)

• ☐ Set Your Budget: Determine what you can spend on movers, truck rentals, packing supplies, storage, and potential cleaning services.
• ☐ Declutter Ruthlessly: Moving is the perfect excuse to downsize! Go room by room. What do you really need in your new Charlottetown space? Sell items online (Kijiji, Facebook Marketplace), donate usable goods to local Charlottetown charities (like Habitat for Humanity ReStore or Value Village), or schedule a trip to the Island Waste Management Corporation (IWMC) disposal site for items that can’t be salvaged.
• ☐ Research & Book Movers/Truck: Get quotes from reputable Charlottetown moving companies or reserve your rental truck well in advance, especially during peak moving season (summer months are busy on PEI!). Confirm their insurance and understand their policies.
• ☐ Inventory Your Belongings: Especially important if using movers or for insurance purposes. Note high-value items separately.
• ☐ Need Storage? Plan Ahead: Moving often involves gaps between leaving one place and getting into the next, or maybe you just need to declutter while staging your home. Consider a self-storage unit.
  • Look into local options: Storage Inn Charlottetown, conveniently located in the Royalty Power Centre area (180 Minna Jane Drive), offers features perfect for Island life:
    • Climate-Controlled Units: Essential for protecting furniture, electronics, and documents from PEI’s humidity and temperature fluctuations year-round.
    • Secure Facility: Look for features like 24-hour surveillance, alarmed units, and secure access. Storage Inn Charlottetown provides these.
    • Drive-In Loading Bay: A huge plus! Unload your belongings protected from rain, snow, or wind – a common occurrence with Island weather.
    • 24/7 Access: Get to your things when you need them.
    • Variety of Sizes: Choose a unit that fits your specific needs.
  • Book your unit in advance to ensure availability.

Phase 2: Getting Closer (2-4 Weeks Before Moving Day)

• ☐ Gather Packing Supplies: Collect sturdy boxes (check local stores or online groups in Charlottetown), packing tape, bubble wrap, markers, and packing paper. Storage Inn Charlottetown may also sell moving supplies.
• ☐ Start Packing Non-Essentials: Begin with items you don’t use daily (off-season clothing, books, decorative items, spare linens).
• ☐ Label Everything Clearly: Mark each box with its contents and the destination room in your new Charlottetown home. Use a system (e.g., colour-coding, numbering). Mark boxes with fragile items clearly.
• ☐ Notify Important Parties:
  • Submit your Change of Address with Canada Post.
  • Update your address with banks, credit cards, insurance providers (home, auto, life), subscriptions, loyalty programs, and your employer.
  • Contact Access PEI to update your PEI Health Card, Driver’s Licence, and vehicle registration if applicable (especially if moving from out of province).
  • Update your address with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
• ☐ Arrange Utility Transfers: Schedule disconnection at your old address and connection at your new Charlottetown address for:
  • Maritime Electric (Electricity)
  • Charlottetown Water and Sewer Utility
  • Internet/Cable/Phone providers (Eastlink, Bell Aliant, etc.)
  • Heating oil/propane provider, if applicable.
• ☐ Transfer Records: Arrange for school, medical, dental, and veterinary records to be transferred if needed.

Phase 3: The Final Countdown (1 Week Before Moving Day)

• ☐ Confirm Movers/Rental: Double-check arrival times and details. Confirm parking arrangements at both locations, especially if dealing with downtown Charlottetown streets.
• ☐ Pack an “Essentials Box”: This box travels with you, not the movers. Include:
  • Toiletries, basic first-aid kit, medications for a few days.
  • Phone chargers, essential tools (screwdriver, utility knife, scissors).
  • Important documents (lease/mortgage papers, mover contract, passports, IDs).
  • Snacks, water bottles, coffee/tea supplies (and mugs!).
  • Change of clothes for everyone.
  • Pet food, bowls, leash, medications if applicable.
  • Paper towels, garbage bags, basic cleaning supplies.
• ☐ Finish Most Packing: Focus on daily-use items now. Keep valuables and important documents separate and plan to transport them yourself.
• ☐ Prepare Appliances: Defrost and clean the refrigerator/freezer. Ensure the washing machine, dishwasher, and stove are ready for moving (disconnect lines if necessary and you’re comfortable doing so, or arrange for professional help).
• ☐ Plan Meals: Use up perishable food. Plan simple meals for the last few days.

Phase 4: Moving Day!

• ☐ Protect Floors & Doorways: Use mats or old sheets at both locations.
• ☐ Final Walkthrough (Old Place): Check every room, closet, cupboard, shed, and outdoor space before the movers leave or you hand over the keys. Ensure nothing is left behind. Turn off lights, lock windows and doors. Check thermostat settings.
• ☐ Supervise Loading/Unloading: Be present to answer questions and direct movers where boxes should go in your new Charlottetown home. Check items against your inventory list if applicable.
• ☐ Key Handover: Return old keys, pick up new keys.
• ☐ First Night Setup: Unpack the essentials box. Set up beds. Locate toiletries and basic kitchen items. Order takeout – you deserve it!

Phase 5: Settling into Charlottetown

• ☐ Unpack Systematically: Start with essential rooms like the kitchen and bathrooms. Don’t try to do it all at once!
• ☐ Break Down Boxes: Flatten boxes as you empty them for recycling (check IWMC guidelines) or offer them to others moving in Charlottetown.
• ☐ Update Local Information: If new to PEI, get familiar with local services, waste sorting schedules (IWMC), and explore your new Charlottetown neighbourhood!
• ☐ Leave Reviews: Provide feedback for your movers and storage facility.
• ☐ Relax and Enjoy: Welcome to your new Charlottetown home!

Moving is a process, but with careful planning and a good checklist, you can navigate it successfully.