Hong Kong moving checklist: week by week

By the Brothers Moving crewUpdated 2026-10-2414 min read

Before you start: the three things that set the timeline

Most Hong Kong moves are driven by a fixed date you don't control: the end of a tenancy, a completion date or a key handover. Work backwards from that date, and from the dates the new flat is actually free. If there's a gap of a day or two, you'll need somewhere for your things, or a move that runs straight from one flat to the other on the same day.

The second fixed point is your building. Many estates and managed buildings ask residents to book the lift or register a move with the management office, and some only allow moves during set hours. The third is utilities: some accounts need notice in days, not hours, so they belong early in the plan, not the night before.

The week-by-week checklist

Use this as a working list. If your move is in two weeks, not eight, do the same steps in the same order, just closer together.

1. 6–8 weeks before: dates, measurements and clearing out

   Confirm your move-out and key-collection dates in writing. Measure the new flat (room sizes, door widths, the lift and any stairs) so you know what will fit; our will-it-fit guide shows how. Then start clearing out: every item you don't move is one less thing to wrap, carry and find a place for. If you have a lot to get rid of, our sister company's decluttering guide goes room by room.

2. 4–6 weeks before: get a fixed moving quote

   WhatsApp a mover your item list or a few photos of each room, both addresses, the floors, whether each building has a lift, how far the truck can park from the entrance, and your date. The more accurate this is, the more accurate the price. With us, the price is agreed before moving day, and the booking is confirmed once the deposit is paid. Please note our deposit is non-refundable, so book once your dates are firm.

3. 3–4 weeks before: talk to building management at both addresses

   Ask each management office: Do I need to book the lift or register the move? Which hours are moves allowed? Is there a form, a deposit or a lift-protection requirement? Where can a truck stop to load? Is there a service lift or loading bay? Pass the answers to your mover, because they change how the day is planned.

4. 2–3 weeks before: electricity, gas, water, internet and TV

   Arrange to close or transfer the accounts at the old flat and open them at the new one. Electricity is CLP Power or HK Electric depending on where you live; gas is usually Towngas; water is the Water Supplies Department (WSD). Book the internet and pay-TV move too, since installation slots can be booked up. The utilities section below has the notice periods each company publishes.

5. 2 weeks before: pack what you won't need

   Start with books, out-of-season clothes, decorations and spare kitchenware. Label every box on more than one side with the room and what's inside. Our packing guide covers humidity, fragile items and what to keep with you. If furniture isn't coming with you, list it so it can be taken away on the day.

6. 1 week before: change your address

   Use GovHK's Change of Address Service to update several government departments and other organisations in one go. Check the two deadlines that carry a penalty: the Inland Revenue Department (within one month) and, for driving licence holders and vehicle owners, the Transport Department (within 72 hours). Set up Hongkong Post's Mail Redirection Service, and update your bank, insurers, employer, schools and online shops.

7. 2–3 days before: fridge, washing machine, essentials and the weather

   Use up frozen food, then switch off, empty and defrost the fridge the night before and leave the door open to dry. Drain the washing machine and check its manual for transport bolts. Pack an essentials bag: documents, chargers, medicines, toiletries, a change of clothes, basic tools, toilet roll and bin bags. Check the Hong Kong Observatory forecast, and agree with your mover what happens if a typhoon signal or rainstorm warning is issued.

8. Moving day: keys, readings and a last look

   Photograph the electricity, gas and water meter readings at both flats, with the date visible if your phone shows it. Keep cash, jewellery, important documents and other valuables with you rather than in the boxes. Walk through every room, cupboard and balcony before the truck leaves. With us, every move includes damage cover up to HK$2,000, so please point out any damage to the crew before they leave.

9. The first week after: settle in and close out

   Unpack the kitchen and bedrooms first. Check that all your post is arriving, chase any utility deposit refunds from the old flat, and keep the moving photos and meter readings until the final bills are settled.

Building management: what to ask, at both ends

Building rules aren't the same everywhere, and the management office is the only reliable source for yours. A ten-minute call three or four weeks ahead avoids the most common moving-day problem we see: arriving to find the lift isn't booked or moves aren't allowed at that time.

• Is a lift booking or move registration needed, and how far ahead?
• Which days and hours are moves allowed? Are Sundays or public holidays different?
• Is there a service lift, and does the lift need protective covering?
• Is a deposit, form or authorisation letter from the owner or landlord needed?
• Where can a truck stop to load, and is there a time limit?
• Are there areas the crew can't use, such as the main lobby or a podium garden?
• For walk-up buildings: how wide is the staircase, and are there any tight turns or gates?

Send the answers, and a photo of any notice about moving rules, to your mover in the same WhatsApp chat as your quote. It all ends up in one place for the crew.

Utilities: electricity, gas, water and the rest

GovHK's moving-home page notes that most utility companies let you close, transfer and open accounts online, and reminds you to claim back any deposit when you close an account you won't reopen. Here is what each provider publishes.

Whether you're with CLP Power or HK Electric depends on where the flat is: HK Electric serves Hong Kong Island and Lamma, and CLP serves Kowloon, the New Territories and most outlying islands. If you're not sure, the previous bill or the meter cupboard will show it.

Change of address: the deadlines that carry a penalty

Most address changes are just good housekeeping. Two have legal deadlines:

• Inland Revenue Department: tell the IRD within one month of moving (section 51(8) of the Inland Revenue Ordinance). You can do it through eTAX, GovHK or form IR1249.
• Transport Department: if you hold a driving licence or own a vehicle, you must report a change of address within 72 hours. You can use form TD559 or GovHK's Change of Address service. The 1823 FAQ says failing to do so can lead to a fine at level 1 (HK$2,000).

For everything else, GovHK's Change of Address Service can update several government departments and other organisations in one go; some departments need iAM Smart to confirm who you are. Hongkong Post's Mail Redirection Service will forward your post for a period while everyone catches up.

Moving day, hour by hour

On the day, your job is to make decisions and keep the crew moving: what goes where, what stays, and what's fragile. Clear a path at both flats, keep children and pets out of the way of the doors and stairs, and have the lift booking details to hand.

• Before the crew arrives: we'll call or WhatsApp you before arriving. Strip beds, empty drawers that are coming apart, and unplug electronics.
• While loading: show the crew anything fragile, valuable or not coming. Keep your essentials bag and valuables with you.
• Before you leave the old flat: check every cupboard, the balcony and the top of the wardrobes, then photograph the meters.
• At the new flat: tell the crew which room each piece goes in. Beds and wardrobes are reassembled before we leave.
• Before the crew leaves: walk round, check your furniture and point out any damage then and there.

What affects the cost of a move

We don't publish a price list, because two moves with the same number of rooms can be very different jobs. These are the factors that change a quote, so mention every one of them when you ask for a price:

• How much you're moving: the item list or photos are what the price is built on.
• Access at both addresses: floor numbers, walk-up stairs, small lifts, and lift changes.
• How far the truck can park from each entrance, and any loading restrictions.
• Distance between the two addresses.
• Furniture that has to be taken apart and put back together.
• Whether you pack yourself (boxes supplied) or want the crew to pack.
• Timing: building moving hours, and how long the job needs.
• Items you want taken away instead of moved.

Public charges are separate from the move itself. For example, Towngas lists an account deposit of HK$300 for public housing and HK$600 for private housing. With us, the price you agree before moving day is the price you pay, with no hidden fees and no tips. Changes on the day, such as extra items or stairs we weren't told about, may cost extra.

Questions people ask

Sources

Checked October 2026. Rules and charges change, so confirm with the source before you rely on them.

• GovHK: Preparations for moving home (Change of Address Service, WSD 14 days, mail redirection)
• Inland Revenue Department: Notification of change of address
• Transport Department: Proof of address and change of address
• Towngas: Open or close an account
• CLP Power: Apply for an electricity name transfer
• HK Electric: Account services
• Hongkong Post: Mail Redirection Service
• Labour Department: Code of Practice in times of Typhoons and Rainstorms

More moving guides

• 13 min read

  How to pack for a Hong Kong move

  Supplies, room-by-room order, fragile items, labelling, and keeping boxes dry in humid and typhoon weather.
• 12 min read

  Will it fit? Lifts, doors and stairs

  What to measure, the diagonal trick, when to take furniture apart, and why the staircase must stay clear.

Services that help

• Home moving

  Flats and houses of any size, wrapped, moved and set up again.

• Furniture wrapping & packing boxes

  Wrapping included on every move, and we supply the boxes.

• Furniture disassembly & reassembly

  Beds, wardrobes, desks and shelves taken apart and put back together.

• Furniture take-away during a move

  Old furniture you don't want, taken away on moving day.