The Final 24 Hours Before Your Move: A Checklist

It is 6pm the evening before the move. The sitting room is full of half-taped boxes, the fridge still has soup in it, and you cannot find the phone charger. Almost everyone feels this. The good news is that the last 24 hours can be run like a short, simple checklist, and a calm evening here saves the next morning.

This guide assumes you already have a truck or pickup van arranged and most of your packing done. If you have not started packing, begin with packing fragile items for a same-day move.

The evening before: confirm and clear

1. Message or call the driver. Confirm the pickup time, the exact address, a landmark and your phone number. Mention anything new, like a gate that closes early.
2. Check access. Is there an estate pass needed? Will the gateman know to expect the truck? Our guide on getting past the estate gate covers the usual questions.
3. Clear the path from the front door to the vehicle. Move shoes, bags, plant pots and stray boxes out of the corridor and the stairs.
4. Decide where the truck will stand. If parking is tight, ask a neighbour or the gateman to keep the space free.
5. Charge your phone and a power bank. You will use both all day.

Empty and switch off the appliances

• Defrost the fridge and freezer, and wipe them dry. Leave the doors slightly open overnight so they do not smell.
• Disconnect the washing machine and drain it.
• Turn off and cool the gas cooker. Close the cylinder valve.
• Unplug the TV, decoder and sound system, and take photos of the cable layout.
• Take down curtain rods, mirrors and shelves that need tools.

Put the screws and fittings for each item in a small labelled bag, and tape it to the item or to the box marked "tools".

Pack an essentials bag

This bag travels in your own car or with you, not on the truck.

• Phone, charger, power bank
• IDs, tenancy papers, keys for both homes
• Medication and a change of clothes
• Water, snacks, and cash for small expenses
• A torch, in case the power is off at the new place
• Toilet paper, soap and a towel
• Chargers for laptops and tablets

For more ideas on what stays with you, see what to carry in your own car when the truck goes ahead.

Label and sort

Number each box and write the room it belongs in. Put "last on, first off" on anything you will need on arrival, like a kettle, bedding and a few plates. Keep valuables, documents and cash out of the general load.

Take photos of any furniture that already has scratches. If something is damaged later, photos help you and the driver agree on what happened.

Plan the morning

1. Wake early. Eat something real before the truck arrives.
2. Do a last walk through the home. Open cupboards and check behind doors.
3. Read the meter readings, if you pay by meter, and note them down.
4. Ask who will help with loading and agree it with the driver before you accept an offer, so nobody argues on the day.
5. Keep cash or a transfer ready for helpers, if agreed.

When the vehicle arrives, check the plate and the driver against what you were told on the app, load the heaviest items first, and keep your essentials bag with you.

Sleep

This sounds soft, but a tired person drops boxes, forgets keys and loses patience. Finish packing by a sensible hour. Anything not packed by then can go into one box marked "loose items" in the morning.

How to do this on Sphere

On Sphere you request a truck or pickup van, describe the load and propose a price. Drivers accept or send counter-offers, and you pick the one that suits you. In your request, add the access notes and the floor you are loading from, so the driver knows what to expect before you accept. The night before, confirm the details with the driver by call or in the app. For house moves, see house moving in Lagos.