Moving House Checklist: Week by Week Checklist for Moving Home

Checklist for moving house: What you need to plan

It feels like there are thousands of things to do before moving house. A great way to keep on top of al the various house removal tasks is with a house moving checklist. Our in-depth list of things to do when moving house splits the work into manageable chunks, minimising the stress of your move.

Before you start with anything, you’ll need to organise a safe place to keep together all important house moving documents and records related to your move.

It’ll help you to keep together and track information such as:

• House buying and selling contracts
• Price estimates
• Insurances
• Quotes
• Inventory of moving items
• and of course your house move checklist.

Once you have found your new accommodation you can start to prepare for your upcoming move. The exchange of contracts means you have passed the point of no return, and the move is surely on. Things to tick off your house moving checklist include:

• Confirming the date of your move with your solicitor or estate agency.
• Choosing the way you want to move:
  • Order a full removals service including packing service
  • Rent a van for your DIY move – moving yourself is tough and takes longer than you expect.
  • Hire a man with a van. With this option you need to pack and prepare everything to be ready to move, as you hire man or men with van service to do all loading, transport and unloading. Plus you save up to 50% on your move comparing to full removals service.
• Create an in-depth budget for your house move.
• If you are moving abroad, plan the way of transporting your car if you don’t want to do long drive.
• If you planning a long distance move to an unfamiliar area you can do a little bit of local research. Check newspapers or website communities to get closer with new environment.
• Update new contact list in your mobile including addresses of: nearest stations, banks, doctors, schools, shops, pharmacies and all other services. This will help you within the first few days before you’ll get closer with a new topography. Also keep a  list of these records in your safe briefcase for any emergency.
• Find a school for your children’s and arrange records to be transferred from old to the new one.
• Transfer or cancel your membership contracts such as: gym, health clubs, groups or any other organisations you belong.
• If you are in accommodation that is rented, simply give notice to your landlord.
• Try to approach friends, family and ask if you can leave children or pets in their safe hands, out of the way during the move.

Prepare an inventory list, as now it’s time to go through every room of the house. It will help your removal company to estimate your moving cost. Also you will need it for insurance purposes. Other items to tick off your things to remember when moving house:

• Create your own inventory list on our website
• Decide what furniture you want take to your new house. Don’t pay for moving unwanted items? Consider giving away unwanted items to family, friends, charity or sell it on eBay, Gumtree.
• Try to get a measurement of doors and corridors of your new property, to estimate whether your furniture will fit into your new home during your move.
• Create floor plan and consider where your furniture will go in your new home.
• If you need new furniture in the house, order it now to be delivered to your new home.
• Assess if you will need to book storage facilities and get estimates if needed.
• If you have any valuable belongings, take them to an expert for assessing the exact figure to be sure you have adequate insurance.
• Consider whether you want to arrange additional insurance for your move.
• Get an estimate for your move – get a free quote.
• Assess van size you might need, consider parking space for removals van in both addresses – for larger moves sometimes is cheaper to have 2 Luton Vans instead of one 7.5 tonne truck.
• Check insurance details with moving companies, checking their feedbacks and any discounts they might offer.
• Choose the moving company you are going to use.
• Find out about payment method with your moving company – if cash, card payments, bank transfer, deposit or in full.
• Arrange date of your move with your moving company and book your move. Early booking saves you lots of stress and helps to save you money.
• Get an estimated quote for your move through our website or contact us directly.
• Most of the house moves happen on Friday, to give you the two-day weekend to get straight, but a few extra days before moving day may be advisable, especially when you are moving from a big property.

This is the best time to declutter and decide whether what you want to take or to leave behind. Going through this step you might be surprised how many unwanted items you being stored. Consider adding these to your to do list for moving house:

• Start to collect or order online packing materials such as moving boxes, bags, tapes, packing paper, mattress / sofa covers, wardrobe boxes, markers, stickers to label the boxes, etc.

Start sorting and decluttering

• Sort your documents, bills, drawers with the treasures.
• Arrange a documentation box for new owners with all instructions, warranties. Attach your contact details in case they might want to contact you about any post on your name.
• Declutter shed, garage, loft – tools, clothes, shoes, etc.
• Label each box. Write on the top and side, or print out a label to stick on. Use a specific colour labels in each room. It will facilitate efficient arrangement in your new home.
• Describe what’s in the particular box, where the box is going and its number.
• Fragile, delicate items pack carefully and label as FRAGILE.

Separate valuables

Separate valuables in separate box and keep them within reach and in view. Take it with you when you’ll be moving to your new home.

• Use your safe briefcase to keep important documents within reach and in view as, inventory list, moving estimate, contracts, etc.
• Separate valuables in separate safe box and keep them within reach and in view. Take them personally with you on the moving day.

To prevent the last minute packing, there are few things to add to your house move checklist to help the leaving home day itself run smoothly.

• Start to pack everything you won’t need until you move in to the new home.
• Start dismantling your carefully crafted home, room by room.
• Pack the items that are non-essential like ornaments, books, out of season clothes, toys and mark the boxes with what’s inside and what room it will need to end up.
• Prepare an essential tool box that you may need for your furniture disassembling and assembling task.
• Dismantle larger furniture or let us know if you want to give up with this task and let us do it for you. We provide a full packing service as well.
• Prepare garage sale or try to sell some items online.
• Drop unwanted items to the charity.
• Call the city council and arrange collection of items you want to throw away.
• Reconfirm when you will get the keys to your new property.
• Arrange parking suspension for the removal van.
• Book a slot to change the locks in your new house as soon as you arrive.
• Arranged cleaning and disconnecting of your appliances like a washing machine, electric cooker.
• Arrange Move In / Out cleaning.
• Started to run down your fridge-freezer, minify shopping of food.
• Arrange day off with your office work, so you can look after your move.

Now you can start to spread the news about your imminent house move. You will be happy of everything you tackled ahead of time as now you need to start the process of contacting everyone in your address book, both utilities and personal.

We've created a simple moving house checklist of who to notify so you can start the process of updating everyone about changes of your address details from the specified date.

• All financial institutions: pensions, bank, and loans, saving accounts, investments, credit cards.
• Buildings insurance needs to start on your new house from the day when you exchange contracts.
• Notify the insurer of moving content and arrange to move the cover to the new home address from the day you move in.
• Remember other policies including: medical; motor; pets; life.
• Let your HMRC department know your moving details, and also inform the tax office if you are self-employed. Most tax councils have websites, so visit yours for the submission of details about moving to a new house.
• Transfer or arrange new contracts for utilities such as; electricity, gas and water suppliers for the new home address from the day you move in.
• Arrange your phone and broadband to be transferred to your new home address from the date you move in or shop around for a better deal.
• Update the records for any social security payments you may receive.
• For the electoral registration, go online to update your details to get the right to vote.
• Complete the form online or to follow the manual process to notify TV licensing of your new home address.
• Notify all the deliveries such as newspapers and milk that you are moving and the exact date to which you would like the service to take.
• Send an email or text message to your friends and relatives about your new details, as sending cards by post can be costly.

Collect the keys from your estate agent for your new property, to be sure there will be no delay with your move by negligence by the estate agency as it happens often. Consider these items as part of your moving house plan:

• Inspect your new home to check if everything is in a good and working as electricity, gas, heating, hot water, toilet flush, showers, doors and window locks. Make sure there are no leek marks on the walls and ceilings.
• If there are any issues please report to estate agency what needs to be fixed.
• Continue with reminded packing task.
• Make sure to not pack any flammables or hazard goods as your moving company will not transport them, so try to dispose safely.
• Arrange any other disposal you may require for unwanted items.
• Return books from the local library.
• Arrange new prescriptions and make sure you have enough medication for the next few weeks after your move.
• Make sure you can leave young children and pets in safe hands with your family, friends or nanny on the day of the move, and see if, out of the way.
• Label boxes with valuables which you will take personally to your new property on the moving day.
• Also visit the post office or complete the online form about leaving current residence and register for post redirection.
• Return or collect borrowed things from your friends.
• Make sure to service your vehicle and do a check-up, especially if you are moving for longer distance.
• If you expect any problems with parking space on the move day, inform your neighbours about your move and try to negotiate extra space for the removal van.
• Consider using protective materials on the floor and door frames. Please advise your removals company if needed.
• Arrange carpet and curtains to be cleaned in both addresses.

• Confirm with estate agent if everything has been fixed in your new property.
• Do last minute laundry and make sure washing machine will be disconnected afterwards.
• If you are leaving some of furniture, check if there’s nothing in, underneath, behind or on top of it?
• Pack a bag for each family member containing their essentials: toiletries, nightwear, change of clothes and not forgetting towels and bed linen.
• Prepare mini toolkit with a screwdriver, key, knife, light bulbs and tape.
• Confirm babysitters, pet sitters

• To prevent the last minute packing, there are few things to do to help the leaving home day itself run smoothly.
• Organise a box for all the kitchen items containing mugs, cutlery, kettle, milk, tea and coffee for your first day when you move into your new property.
• Organise a travel bag for your car or to travel in the train.
• Prepare some tasty sandwiches and get soft drinks for tomorrow.
• Order meals delivery for your moving day, as you won’t feel like cooking.
• Make sure to withdraw some extra cash for any local expenses or you may want to tip moving guys.
• Is everything packed and clearly marked?
• Try to defrost the freezer before the time (recommended for longer distance moves).
• Keep all the important numbers with you such as the estate agent and solicitor. Use your safe briefcase.
• Put all the documents and valuables in a safe place.
• Keep a copy of the yellow pages, as you never know if you will need to call a glazier or a plumber.
• And also don’t forget to keep a pen and a paper.
• Charge all mobile phones and tablets for children during the night.

Once moving day arrives, wake up early in the morning to make sure you are ready when the movers arrive. Give your checklist for moving house one last glance and tick of these final items.

• Leave children, pets in safe hands with your family, friends or babysitters.
• Put in charge your older children to help with final packing their belongings.
• Remove bed linen.
• Empty Fridge/Freezer.
• Finish packing the toiletries box.
• Make sure you are available when the movers arrive so you can easily answer any questions they might have and also be there or someone till they finish their work.

• As movers arrive, take them through the house and explain what needs to be taken.
• Mention what needs to be dismantled and what need an extra care during the move.
• Protect floor and carpets.
• Offer a coffee and biscuits for the movers.
• Make sure you are available during the loading so you can easily answer any questions they might have and also be there or someone till they finish with loading.

• Make sure you have the movers contact details in case of any questions that might arise during transit.
• Make sure everything has been taken and nothing left behind.
• Check if movers have correct destination address.
• Take a picture of electricity, gas, and water meter readings just before you leave.
• Lock windows and doors and leave the keys in a safe place not on the window view.

• Take a picture of electricity, gas, and water meter readings when you arrive.
• Most moving companies will request payment before unloading, if you paid already show them payment confirmation.
• Instruct movers where they should unload furniture and boxes.
• If you used a specific colour labels to label your boxes for each room, than stick adequate colour labels on the door of each room in your new home, so the movers will put your labelled boxes in to appropriate room.
• Make sure your beds are assembled for the first night.
• Check with inventory list if you have everything.
• Check the condition of delivered furniture, and report if you find any damage, once movers leave the property there will be no way for you can complain or request insurance cover.
• Check the van if it’s empty, you responsibility to make sure everything has been unloaded.
• Tip the movers if you think they deserve.
• Begin unpacking necessary things in the kitchen and bathroom.

• Change door locks and make some copies of the new keys for each family member and your regular cleaner.
• Check if all utilities are connected and working.
• Make sure you have paid all utility bills at your previous address.
• Make sure all addresses changed, post redirected, old contracts cancelled or transferred to a new address. If not use our checklist “Who to Inform” and change all addresses as soon as you can.
• Start unpacking and decorating your house to make it your home.
• Write review for you moving company.

And that's it. We've taken you through every step of moving house - from exchanging contracts to a quick checklist for who to inform and what to do on moving day. If you're like help with the actual move, give us a call.