Moving House Checklist

Moving House Checklist

Four weeks before your move:

• Declutter – getting rid of things you don’t want or need anymore will make moving easier.
• Decide what furniture you’re going to take with you. You will need to let the removals company know so they can provide you with a quote.
• If you intend to donate furniture to charity, let the charity know and ask them to pick the items up in advance of the removal date.
• Are you intending to pack all your belongings yourself or get professionals to pack as well as transport your belongings for you? If you choose professionals they will bring the moving boxes and packing supplies and take them away for you once you have moved in.

Two weeks before your move:

• This is the best time to arrange for meter readings to be taken – contact your service providers – gas, electricity and water companies and notify them of your move.
• Redirect your mail to your new address through the Post Office’s mail direction service and don’t forget to leave your new address with your buyers in case anything ‘slips through the net.’ The Post Office service takes about 10 days to come into force and you can choose to pay for three, six or 12 months.  
• You will need to speak to telephone and internet providers to notify them of the move but also to ask about whether you can use the same services in your new area. If you don’t have the internet in your old home, you might want to consider it in your new place and there are quite a few deals around so it can take a couple of weeks to organise this.
• Take a look at our checklist of Moving House: Who to Inform which we hope will serve as a useful reminder of companies and organisations you may need to contact

Two days before the move

• Prepare a box of moving day essentials – toilet roll, tea, coffee, cups, longlife milk, snacks, screwdrivers in case you have to put furniture together.
• Set aside things you want to take with you.
• Label items and keys for the new owners – check the window keys are in place.
• Label where boxes and furniture should go in your new home.

Moving House Tips

• One of the most stressful aspects of moving is choosing what you’re going to do with the years of accumulated belongings – so many of us have attics and garages full of things we no longer want or need – and some of them we may not have seen for years. Choosing to throw away, donate or recycle items is really difficult – but give yourself plenty of time to clear out, ready for a fresh start.
• Don’t be afraid to ask family or friends to help with your move. Moving is physically and mentally exhausting and its helpful to have people to fetch and carry, make you a cup of tea when you need it and just to support you during the move.
• Moving house with a cat or other pet means thinking carefully about the arrangements on moving day. Pets, particularly cats, can be very upset by the move and it is worth asking your vet for advice. It may be best to leave pets with a neighbour whilst the move is taking place. Once you’ve moved, if your pet isn’t already ‘chipped’ it could be worthwhile doing so and if it is already ‘chipped’ then make sure that you have confirmed your change of address – if your pet gets lost, you don’t want it returning to your former home!
• Create a documents folder – keep all your important documents together along with digital copies – passports, insurance papers, housing and financial documents, medical records and any documents associated with your move.
• Try not to move on a Friday – it’s a busy time and often more expensive in terms of removal firms