Introduction
A little suddenly, but I moved not long ago.
I couldn’t really come up with a blog post idea today, so this will be a lighter post, but I thought I’d write a bit about the things I try to keep in mind when preparing for a move.
To be honest, I’m not really sure how much demand there is for this kind of post on Dev.to. Still, if even a few people find it interesting, I’d be happy if you read it casually.
1. Make a list in advance of what you need to do on moving day
I’ve never really liked doing things in a completely ad hoc way, not just when moving. Especially with something like a move—where there are a lot of things to do and unexpected things can easily happen on the day—I’m the type of person who prefers to prepare as much as possible in advance.
On days like this, when there are a lot of things to do, simply writing down what needs to be done on the day itself can make things much easier. Moving day often involves long travel times, and in places like airports, you have to pay close attention to your luggage. On top of that, things like meals and bathroom breaks get mixed in along the way, so it’s easier than you might expect to feel mentally overloaded.
In that kind of situation, if you start figuring out “what to do next” on the spot, it can become surprisingly easy to get confused. That’s why I try to set things up in advance so that, on the day itself, I can focus less on “thinking” and more on “following what I already wrote down.” Just not having to rebuild the plan in real time makes a big difference in reducing the mental load.
The key is not to do this right before the move, like the day before, but ideally to have the list mostly ready about a week in advance. The reason is that if plans change or adjustments become necessary at the last minute, it is much easier to revise things if you prepared early.
This time too, I made the list fairly early, and while I was still settled in my old place, it was very helpful to simulate the general flow of the day in advance.
2. Write down not just the tasks, but also the “steps”
I think it’s important not just to write things like “go to the airport” or “check in,” but also to write down what exactly you need to do at each point.
For example, if you have a check-in, it helps to note the address, the scheduled time, what you need to prepare, and what you need to do after arriving.
What matters here is the level of detail in each action.
For example, an item like “get a SIM card at the airport” may be enough if that is already clear enough for you to act on without problems. But if there are a lot of uncertainties involved, it may be better to break it down into smaller steps.
For example, something like this:
- Find the mobile carrier counter at the airport and get a SIM card
- If I can’t find one:
- Connect to the airport Wi-Fi
- Use an online eSIM service It also helps to decide in advance which company you will use, the URL, and the plan
- Since eSIM can be relatively expensive and not ideal for long-term use, use it temporarily and then get a local SIM card later after checking in or on another day
This is just one example, but leaving yourself notes at this level of detail can make it much easier to respond when something unexpected happens.
In my case, this move involved relocating across countries, so I left detailed lists and notes especially for the following:
- What I needed to do when traveling from home to the airport, and from the airport to the new place (such as booking an Uber)
- Things to prepare at the airport (wrapping suitcases, doing a final luggage check, etc.)
- Things I might need for immigration (visa-related documents, passport, ticket, etc.)
- Things to do after arrival at the airport (getting a SIM card, withdrawing cash from an ATM, etc.)
- Checking in
- Things to buy on the day of arrival (daily necessities, food, etc.)
In particular, planning out details like how I would handle the SIM card at the airport and how I would secure cash in advance made a big difference in how reassured I felt.
3. Use a task management tool so you can always check the list easily
In my case, I use TaskChute (Tasuma) to organize the flow of moving day.
One thing I personally like about Tasuma is that it works offline, so I can still access it even during parts of the trip when my SIM is not available yet.
It also lets me assign times in the app, so I can arrange everything in chronological order. That makes it less likely that I’ll lose track of what I’m supposed to do next on the day itself.
Of course, the specific tool does not really matter. A memo app or a checklist is probably more than enough. What matters is not trying to manage everything only in your head.
Tip: Prepare with the assumption that unexpected things will happen
So far, I’ve been writing about the importance of listing things out and preparing in advance, but there is one more point I think is important.
That is: no matter how well you prepare, unexpected things can still happen on the day.
It’s completely normal for things not to go exactly as planned on moving day. This is especially true when international travel is involved, since unexpected checks or procedures can come up. That’s why I think it’s important not to plan with the assumption that nothing will go wrong, but instead to prepare with the expectation that some trouble or confusion may happen.
To me, the point of preparing in advance is not to make everything go perfectly according to plan. It is to create a situation where, even if something unexpected happens, the whole day does not fall apart.
In my case, this may not be the “correct” way to use TaskChute, but I use Tasuma while intentionally leaving some buffer time. For example, on a trip like this, I enter the things I absolutely must do at the airport as tasks in advance, but I deliberately do not fix in place things that I may or may not do, and I also try to leave a certain amount of extra time in each section.
For example, I might get a little hungry at the airport and decide to go into a restaurant, but I do not schedule that in advance. If it actually becomes necessary, I add it on the spot as an interrupting task.
Thinking this way—separating “things I must do” from “things that may happen depending on the situation”—helps me avoid being overly constrained by the plan while still making sure the important things are covered.
The same idea applies to emergency tasks as well. For example, I might realize that I forgot my passport at home, or that some unexpected confirmation is suddenly needed. Even in cases like that, if I have already built in a reasonable amount of time buffer from the beginning, the entire schedule is less likely to completely collapse when something unplanned comes up.
Of course, it’s impossible to predict everything that might happen. But I’ve found that simply preparing with the mindset that “unexpected things will happen” makes a big difference in how reassured I feel on the day itself.
Conclusion
Personally, I’ve moved quite a lot over the past few years, and each time I’ve been experimenting and adjusting things. In the end, the conclusion I’ve reached is that it helps a lot not only to prepare the luggage itself, but also to decide in advance how I’m going to move through the day.
If I take time beforehand to think things through and organize them, the burden on the day itself becomes much lighter. I especially feel that this kind of preparation matters even more when the move involves a lot of travel or international relocation.
This is not limited to moving: whenever I have a day with a lot to do and a high chance of confusion, simply organizing the flow in advance can make things much easier. If this gave you even a little inspiration, I’d be glad.
Thank you for reading.
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