Moving House Checklist: Everything You Need to Know

Moving homes can be stressful. In fact, scratch that. Moving homes IS stressful! And if you’re currently in the process of moving house, you’re no doubt starting to feel the pressure.

With so much to do, don’t you wish you had everything you needed in one place? Well, you can thank us later. Here’s the moving home checklist you’ve been waiting for, including all the things you might have forgotten about!

Two to Three Months Before Moving Day

1. Confirm your move date

The first thing you need is confirmation from the house sellers or landlord of when you can actually move into your new home.

If you’re renting, you might have a bit more leeway in terms of spreading your moving day across a period of days. This is definitely a great option if you’re able to do that, as it makes the process a whole lot easier.

Setbacks can and do happen, so make sure you’re always in the loop should any changes occur with your move in date. There’s nothing worse than being amped up, anxious and prepared to move in, only for it not to happen on the day you expected!

2. If you’re renting, give notice to your landlord

If you’re currently renting a home, you’ll have to give your landlord a head’s up that you’re moving out. And more specifically they’ll want to know the exact date you’ll be leaving.

Make sure you’ve read over your contract to find out how long your notice period is, as this is what you’ll need to adhere to, unless you have a break clause in your contract.

3. Start decluttering

You might not be looking forward to this one, but it’s better to get a head start as you’ll have to get to it eventually! After living somewhere we tend to build up a lot of clutter, or accumulate things we don’t actually want or need to carry over to our new home.

It’s best to start the declutter process some time before you actually start packing up your things for the house move. Find out how to declutter before a house move to make your life easier!

4. Contact your utility providers

All of your utility providers will need to know that you’re planning to move house, including:

• Electricity
• Gas
• Phone and broadband

You may simply be planning to move your phone and broadband supplier over to your new home. If that’s the case, make sure to give them as much notice as possible, as the process may take some time.

One Month Before Moving Day

5. Get quotes for removal costs

It’s always good to choose a few removal companies and see how much they charge, as it'll depend on your budget and how much stuff you’ll be moving. Hiring a removal firm definitely takes away some of the stress of moving day. However, a cheaper option may be to rent a van for the day and get family and friends to help you move your stuff to your new home. Or choose Stashbee’s affordable pick-up & store option.

Whether you choose to hire professional movers or do it yourself, make sure you’ve got all your valuables and important documents in a safe place. We’d even recommend keeping them on you at all times.

It’s always handy to find out if there are any parking restrictions at your current home and your new home that may hinder your moving day.

6. Inform people and companies you’re moving

Now it’s time for a bit of admin work. Your friends and family might already know you’re moving house, but you’ll need to contact the following to let them know your address will be changing:

• Your workplace and HMRC
• Your bank, home insurance, pension and credit card companies
• The council and electoral roll
• TV licensing
• Doctor and dentist
• DVLA
• National insurance/DSS offices
• Redirect your mail at the Post Office

Don’t forget to change the address on your accounts with online retailers when you next order from them. You don’t want your parcels to end up at your old address!

Also, depending on how far away you’re moving, you may even need to register with a new GP and dentist.

7. Get to know your new home

You’re going to need to know where all the important stuff is for your new home. Don’t wait until something goes wrong to figure it out! Ask the sellers or landlord of your new place to show you where everything is, including:

• Stopcock (the valve that controls the main water supply)
• How to use new appliances that come with the property
• Gas and electricity meters
• Thermostat
• Fuse box

When selling or moving out of your current home, create a list for the new owners or tenants listing the whereabouts of the above. It’ll be a huge helping hand for them!

One to Two Weeks Before Moving Day

8. Start packing up

This is when the real action starts. Get boxes, bags, containers, whatever you can use to start packing up your possessions. At this point you would have already decluttered, so this should be straight-forward.

Start with the things you won’t need to use in the short term and continue to pack things up as the final days go on.

Label boxes as you go and create a checklist so you know where everything is after you’ve moved in.

You might not know straight away if you have enough room in your new home for certain things. If there are things you want to keep, but aren’t necessarily important for when you first move in, rent a storage space and store them there until you have the time to sort them out.

9. Cleaning up and disconnecting

You’ll have to use up all the food you have remaining in your fridge and freezer. Of course, if there are things you don’t think you can get through or won't use, consider passing them along to neighbours, friends or family. Once your fridge and freezer are empty, you can defrost them.

On your final day in the house, you’ll want to disconnect your appliances so they can easily be removed from the house and ready to transport.

Dismantle any shelves, pictures etc, and start disassembling any furniture that you will be taking to your new home.

Clean up any mess, and make any necessary repairs before you leave the house. Leave your current home in great condition, just how you’d expect your new home to be once you arrive!

On Moving Day

Time for the final touches, remember to:

• Pack your boxes strategically in the van (the removal company will do this if you’ve hired one)
• Make a final check around the house to make sure you have everything
• Make sure the house is secure, all doors and windows are closed and locked
• Take images as proof of the condition you left the house in
• Don’t forget to take final meter readings and pass it onto your supplier. Keep a note of the readings and the date you took them (or take a picture), just in case you don’t agree with your final bill
• Pack your box of essentials:
  • Phone, laptop and chargers
  • Toilet roll
  • Duvet and bedding
  • Cleaning products
  • Kettle, mugs, tea, milk, coffee and sugar
  • Temporary furniture like deck chairs, beanbags etc
  • Television, radio, books etc
• Deep clean your new property once you move in and unpack room by room

And remember to reach out to family and friends whenever you need help. Moving home is a stressful and busy period, it’s completely normal if you’re feeling anxious. In fact, there’s a few things you can do to help manage anxiety and stress when moving house. It’s important to take care of yourself during this period and hopefully this moving house checklist will help to reduce some of those anxieties!