Moving house can create a long list of jobs, planning and organising, with lots to consider and prepare for. Our essential moving checklist pulls together the important aspects to arrange ready for completion day, to ensure things go as smoothly as possible. When planning these things, ensure your completion date is confirmed, and not just provisional.
1. Plan your removals.
Whether you’re using a removals firm, or doing it yourself, there are a number of things to plan for. Remember to get plenty of cardboard boxes, or plastic boxes for heavier items, bubble wrap, parcel tape, marker pens and bin bags - packing things into boxes based on which room they’re heading to in your new home will make unpacking much easier. Start with non-essentials, decor and out-of-season items, to continue living as easily as possible in your home.
Top tip - Use freezer bags to keep screws and bolts together for any furniture that’s being dismantled - these can then be tied to the furniture pieces.
2. Organise important documents.
Having a folder of important documents ensures that anything you may require urgently is on hand. This can include specific house moving documents, or anything that may be needed during or shortly after the moving process, such as home insurance, passports or financial records.
3. Check your utilities.
If you’re on a fixed rate energy deal, speak to your provider to see if you can transfer that onto your new property. You may also want to look at deals available for your new property in advance. Broadband can also take a number of weeks to set-up. If you’ve got a confirmed moving date, it may be worth speaking to your broadband provider to see if some of the set-up can be arranged in advance.
Don’t forget to take meter readings before you leave - you’ll need to send these to your energy provider.
4. Prepare your ‘go-bag’.
A bag of essentials for moving day will make things a lot smoother. Think about packing some essential cleaning products, snacks, phone chargers and any essentials for children or pets, so that they’re all easily accessible during the day. Sometimes a suitcase with pyjamas, clothing and toiletries for the following day can be useful too.
5. Update your address.
There are a lot of places that’ll need to know your new address when you move, either for security purposes or to deliver mail.
- Banks, pension and insurers
- Schools and nurseries
- GP and dentist
- HMRC, DVLA, Electoral roll
- Employers
- Royal Mail’s postal re-direction service ensures that your post still arrives at your new home even if it’s addressed to your previous address. This can be set-up for either 3, 6 or 12 months following your move, for a small fee.
6. Collect all keys together.
If you’ve got neighbours or family members with spare keys to your house, ensure these are left behind at the property when you move. If keys are in a lockbox at the property, make sure the estate agent has the code.
As long as your estate agent has a key ready to hand over, you can then post your key through the letterbox once you’ve left the property for the final time, saving you a visit to your estate agent’s office.
7. Check the important small details in advance.
Don’t overlook the little things. Parking may be important - if your new home is in a permit parking zone, you may need to look into how to get permits, so you’ve got them as soon as possible. It’s also worth checking when bin day is - you’ll likely end up with lots of rubbish and recycling from your move, so knowing when to put the bins out will be useful. You can find the bin day from your local council website.
For more advice on moving, speak to your estate agent - it’s always best to be prepared.