Moving house checklist

Hire a removal company

Once you’ve confirmed your moving date, you’ll want to hire a removal company as soon as possible. Try to give the company as much notice as you can so you can be sure they’re free.

Try to avoid moving on a Friday or a bank holiday as it’ll be harder and more expensive to book on those days.

Redirect your post

To make sure you still receive any important mail, use Royal Mail’s redirect service. You can apply for this up to three months before your moving date. If you’d rather wait, you need to give a maximum of five days’ notice of your new address to Royal Mail.

Order furniture

If you’re not taking your furniture with you, make sure you order new pieces with plenty of time. Big pieces of furniture, like sofas, can take up to 12 weeks to arrive, so try to make sure whatever you order coincides with your moving date.

Beds and mattresses can also take a while to be delivered – the last thing you want to do after a stressful day of moving is sleep on the floor.

Check your home insurance

Check your contents insurance to make sure your possessions are covered for the move. Most policies will cover you, but there may be restrictions.

Get your old house ready

Decluttering

There’s little point in moving items you don’t want into your new house. Be ruthless in getting rid of things you don’t think you’ll want or need, especially if you want a completely fresh start in your new home. 

Leave instructions

It can be helpful to leave instructions on various things for the people moving into your house. You’ll only want to do this for things like:

• How the boiler works
• How the alarm system works (if you have one)
• The location of the fuse box and stopcock
• Any other information you think might be useful for the next homeowners.

It’s also a good idea to label any keys you leave behind – front and back door, windows, shed, garden gate etc.

Pack ahead of time

If you can, try to pack as much as possible ahead of time. You should pack away any non-essential items (ornaments, picture frames, even seasonal clothes) as far in advance as possible. After that, you’ll only have to worry about packing everyday items a day or two before you move.

Contact utility suppliers

Make sure you tell the relevant utility companies about your move, otherwise you may end up getting bills for a home you no longer live in.

Which companies to contact:

• Gas
• Electric
• Water
• Council tax
• Phone/broadband
• Doctor/dentist
• DVLA (you will need to get the address on your driving licence changed)
• Schools
• Vet (if your pet has a microchip the address will need to be changed)
• Bank

Last-minute checks

The day before you move, do a last look around your house to make sure you’re not leaving anything important behind. 

And don’t forget the garden. Garden tools, which can be very expensive, are among the most common things left behind when moving house.

Check all your cupboards and wardrobes, as well as the loft or basement if you have either of those.

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