Moving House Checklist

Take the hassle out of moving day with our handy checklist for the big day.

Moving house can be a stressful time. When you aren’t packing away books, you’re busy trying to remember whether you cancelled the electricity bill. 

Stay organised and keep on top of your to-do list with our moving house checklist. 

Before you move

Before you move

With the big day fast approaching, it can seem like there’s a mountain of tasks to get through. Here are some top tips on what to think about while you’re getting ready to move. 

Packing

It’s no surprise that moving your things to your new home is the biggest task on your moving day checklist.

When you’re packing, it always takes longer than you think, so try to start as soon as you can. If you’re doing any online shopping in the months before you move, save the boxes and use them to pack with.

Get a head start on unpacking by labelling up your boxes by room name – for example, put all your bathroom stuff in one box. This can make it easier to unpack, so you don’t have to open every box to find out where everything goes. 

Who to notify

Before you move, you’ll want to notify a range of companies of your plans. You’ll likely need to update addresses, cancel bills or close accounts. Here are some of the services and people you should contact: 

  • Energy, water and internet providers. If you can’t swap them over to your new house, make sure you close any accounts with your utility providers. 
  • DVLA. Be sure to change the address on your driver’s license when you move.
  • Local councils. You’ll need to update your council tax information and register on a new electoral roll for your new address.
  • Employer and pension provider. Make sure your employer and pension provider have your new address. 
  • Banks, lenders and building societies. Be sure to update your details for your bank or building society.  
  • Television licence. Fill out the TV licencing online form to confirm whether you’ll need a TV licence at your new home. 
  • Insurance. Update your home insurance details, if you’re switching it over. If not, cancel your cover and arrange a new provider.  

Updating addresses 

You also need to give your new address to lots of other people, including:

  • Family and friends
  • Online subscription services
  • Online retailers and grocery delivery services

For a small fee, you can take advantage of the Post Office’s Redirection service. This will make sure any post is forwarded to your new address. 

Doctors and dentists 

Don’t forget to register your details with the following:

  • Doctors
  • Dentist
  • Optician
  • Vet 

On moving day

On moving day

The big day is finally here. Along with getting your furniture and boxes loaded and on their way to your new home, there are still a few things you should think about before leaving your house behind. 

Final checks

Check over your home one last time to ensure you’ve not left anything important behind. Don’t forget to double check you’ve switched everything off, locked all windows and doors and taken final meter readings.

Clean up 

No one wants to move into a dirty home. Make sure your old house is clean and tidy, ready for its new owners.  

Book care for kids and pets 

Curious children or excited pups and moving day don’t mix. If you’d rather not manage the kids and pets on moving day, consider asking family and friends if they’d be happy to take them for a few hours. 

Keep essentials separate  

You’ll want to keep essentials like car keys, wallets and phone chargers separate. This is so you can find them easily when you arrive. You don’t want to run out of phone battery before you can order a celebratory takeaway.

It’s also worth having a bag of basics, such as loo roll, milk and a change of clothes, so you can at least have a cuppa before the unpacking begins.  

Helpful reminders 

Create a helpful cheat sheet for the person you’ve sold your house to. Add useful information such as where to find the meters and when the bins go out for collection.  

Don’t forget to hand over all the keys and any additional paperwork to the new owners of your old home.

After you’ve moved

After you’ve moved

Well done, you’re in. Once you’ve moved, unpacked and arranged your furniture, you’re well on the way to completing your checklist. However, there are still a few things to consider: 

  • Changing the locks. Just to be on the safe side, consider getting new locks fitted on your doors and windows and having a spare set of keys cut.
  • Checking the property. Check your new home for leaks or damages that weren’t in the original survey.
  • Testing plugs and utilities. Double check all the plugs, the boiler and taps are working as they should.
  • Checking and submitting meter readings. You don’t want to be charged for power you’ve not used. Check your meter and submit the latest readings with your new provider. 
  • Introduce yourself. Pop round to the neighbours and say hello.
  • Recycle your boxes. If you don’t need your moving boxes anymore, consider recycling them, or donating them to someone that will use them. 

The content on this page is for reference and does not constitute financial advice. For impartial financial advice, we recommend government bodies like MoneyHelper.

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