Everything you need to know about moving house

Follow our checklist for a stress-free move – from who to inform of your address change to what to leave until the last day

Your offer has been accepted, conveyancing is in progress, and your new house is on the horizon. Having spent the past few months bogged down in paperwork, organising surveys, and swapping details with your mortgage advisors, it’s now time to start preparing for the big move. 
But the practical realities of upping sticks can often feel like the most stressful, from boxing up your belongings and booking movers to notifying services of your address change. 
To help make the process easier, The Telegraph has created the ultimate moving guide to ensure you avoid the common mistakes and pitfalls that others regularly fall into. 
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The very first thing is to ask how you’re going to move: with a professional removal service, hiring a van, or enlisting an army of family and friends to help? 
“You can book with professional removal teams provisionally, which will help you budget costs, and then firm up arrangements at the point of exchange to ensure they can move you on your completion date,” advises Rob Houghton, co-founder and CEO of reallymoving. “They should visit you free of charge before the move to assess the volume of items that need to be moved before providing a binding quote. Be honest about what you have, otherwise the company may arrive underprepared on moving day.”
If you do go with a removal company, be sure to ask what level of insurance they offer for goods in transit. The British Association of Removers offers accredited removals.
You will also need to enquire about the company’s policies for dealing with parking permits, both at your current and new home. Some arrange their own, others may ask you to sort it. 
“Once you’ve chosen a firm date, keep in touch with your removal company right up to exchange,” advises Houghton. “The busiest day to move is a Friday and the busiest month is August, so there may be stiff competition for your preferred slot. Moving mid-week or during quieter months can bring costs down.”
An average professional removal costs £700 in the UK, according to reallymoving. While hiring a van yourself can offer big savings, it’s not always that simple. Some vans have weight restrictions, limiting the amount you can transport in one trip, and shuttling back and forth can cost more in fuel. In addition, many home insurance companies only cover belongings moved by professionals. It pays to do your research.
The less you have, the less you’ll pay to move it all. 
Start with the big things: your furniture. “Using the estate agent’s floorplans, draw your furniture on to scale, to be sure what will fit and what won’t,” advises Julia Kendell, DIY SOS expert, and  interior designer for the London Homebuilding & Renovating Show. 
Bear in mind windowsill heights and door positions, and check the location of plug sockets to ensure appliances will fit where you want them to go. “The more you can plan for positioning, the easier moving day will be and the happier the removal people,” says Kendell. 
Consider setting up an account on eBay to sell smaller household items, while apps like Vinted and Depop will help you clear your wardrobe. Facebook Marketplace is a place to connect with people in your area who may be interested in buying your old homewares. 
Charities including the British Heart Foundation, Sue Ryder, the Salvation Army, Shelter, Cancer Research UK, and the British Red Cross offer free collection of high-quality furniture, offering a cheap way to get rid of old possessions and do good at the same time. 
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things you have, consider calling a professional. The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers (APDO) can help connect you to an expert who will offer guidance and physical decluttering assistance. 
It might also be worth hiring a professional cleaner to ensure the people moving in are fully satisfied with the property being handed to them. 
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While your friends and family will probably be the first to know that you’re planning to move, it’s easy to forget just how many people and organisations need to know your new address. 
“The top of your list should be getting your postal redirection in place,” says Lisa Rogerson, founder of HelpForMovers.uk, and a military wife who has navigated over 20 moves in her life. “No matter how prepared you are, you’ll forget someone, so make sure you get your postal redirection setup. It takes at least five working days, so do that first.”
Royal Mail offers postal redirection from £39.50 for three months. It requires at least five working days to arrange. You can set up redirection online here.
If you’re moving your children to a new school, you’ll need to apply with the local authority, or directly to the school if it has admission authority (academy schools, foundation schools and voluntary aided schools.) They must reach a decision within 15 school days. If you are turned down, you can appeal, or take your search elsewhere. 
Whether you’re moving within your council borough or into a new area, you need to update them of your address change to ensure council tax bills are correct. Most councils require 21 days notice of a move. 
Next, contact your utility providers. Normally they will need a minimum of five days’ notice that you intend to move, and will usually require you to submit a meter reading before you leave to ensure your final bill doesn’t include any energy or water costs from the people who are moving in. You can normally do this online or over the phone. 
Your broadband can be moved to your new address in most cases, as long as your provider covers that area. Remember that internet speeds may be different in your new address and a different provider may provide a more stable connection, so don’t be talked into signing onto a new contract before checking Broadband Speed Checker online here. 
In the interest of avoiding fraud, update your bank and financial institutions of your move in advance. Your insurance premiums may also change if you’re moving to a different area, so be sure to contact your home and contents insurance providers, as well as your car insurance. 
Speaking of your car, you must also inform the DVLA to update your driving licence, vehicle logbook (VC5), direct debit for vehicle tax, and any details for personalised car registration plates. You can do all of the above here.
You can also change the address of your TV licence up to three months before you move here.
If you have pets, it is a legal requirement to update their microchip with your new address. This can be done online or over the phone. There are several different microchip databases, so a vet can scan the chip to remind you which your pet is registered on.
You’ll need to update HMRC for services including income tax, self-assessment, National Insurance, State Pension, tax credits, and Child Benefit, but unlike those listed above, you can’t update your address with HMRC until after moving. 
Look online for tutorials on how to wrap fragile items. Your removal company may be able to help you source boxes, bubble wrap and everything else you need to pack properly. Begin working your way through your food cupboards and fridge so you have as little produce as possible to take with you.
Return anything you’ve borrowed from library books to lawn mowers and remember to retrieve anything you’ve lent to friends or neighbours. You’ll also need to collect any spare keys to give to the new owners of your property. 
“When packing boxes, label with what room they are intended for and where items will be housed,” advises Kendell. “If you’ve always dreamed of a crafting area, pack everything related to crafts together and think ahead what shelves or drawers/cabinets you will need for your perfect crafting space. It will make unpacking at the other end much more exciting.”
If you have any valuable items, particularly fragile ones “it’s worth taking photos of them for insurance purposes prior to the move in case there are any damages,” adds Kendell. “Keep valuables and vital paperwork in one file and move this yourself to keep a close eye on it.” 
As you get closer to moving day, put together a ‘last out-first in’ box with essentials you’ll need on move-in day: mugs, teabags, biscuits, toilet roll, light bulbs, cleaning wipes, a torch, a few clothes and a small first-aid kit. 
Depending on how big your move is and what help you’re getting, now might be a good time to book care for pets and children on the day of the move itself. 
“It can be unsettling for small children or animals and you don’t want them getting under the removal team’s feet, so make sure they have somewhere to go,” suggests Rogerson. 
“Once my children got a bit older, I preferred them to be involved and I found that was less unsettling for them,” Rogerson continues. “To leave a house and go back to another house and be told ‘this is your new home’ can be quite stressful. So I always got my kids involved in packing up their toys and sorting out their clothes in advance of the move.” 
Moving day might be emotional, especially if you’re moving from a long-time family home. 
“A lot of people will tell you that moving house is stressful, then you start expecting that which makes it worse,” says Rogerson.
“Before everything is packed up and in boxes, go around and take photos,” Rogerson advises. “If there’s a dent in the wall you remember the kids making, take a picture. Take pictures of everything you can that brings back memories and get it made into a photobook. That’ll help stop you getting too emotional on the day so you can concentrate.”
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When your move is just over the horizon, it’s time to start getting down to the nitty-gritty. Confirm a time to collect your new keys from the estate agent or landlord, and keep in touch with your removal company for any last-minute details. 
Get your final laundry loads done, then disconnect your washing machine and dishwasher. Unplug the fridge and freezer and give them a good wipe down. 
If you need to dismantle furniture, do it now (unless your removals company has confirmed in advance that they will do this for you). Keep labelled envelopes for nuts and bolts from disassembled furniture. Keep an allen-key in a safe place for when you get to the other side. 
Pack an overnight bag with toiletries, medication, and a change of clothes. Make sure your mobile is fully charged. 
To create some goodwill, you could write a quick guide for the new residents of your old home; no one will know better than you where the best local shops are, who offers the best takeaway, how far the doctor’s office is, and the names of all the neighbours. 
If you’re moving from a rented property, double check the inventory and make sure everything listed is where it should be, or at least as it was when you moved in. Give the property a deep clean, hoovering and scrubbing as you go. Fill in any holes from where you’ve taken down artwork. 
“I always do an online food shop for my new house,” suggests Rogerson. “You’ll have eaten all your cupboards down, you’ll have emptied your fridge, so when you arrive at your new house you may not have much. Do an online food shop in advance so you can concentrate on setting up the house without having to find the nearest supermarket.
“My other tip is to get on local Facebook groups, that’s where you’ll find out where to shop and eat, they’ll answer all your questions – they’re brutally honest,” says Rogerson. 
If you’ve hired professional removers, make sure beds are stripped and any clothes are packed up. Walk your removal team around the house and show them where everything is, giving a good idea of where you want it to be placed in your new home. Then let them get on with it. 
Remember that there will be some items you have to move yourself, along with your valuables, even if you have hired professionals. These include BBQ gas bottles, petrol powered tools, and firearms. 
Take a final meter reading as you leave your old place, and take a first reading as you arrive at your new property. 
Complete any final cleaning work and remove any rubbish. Don’t forget to leave all your sets of keys for the new owners, including any keys to garages, sheds, or interior doors. 
“Immediately once you’re in the new house, the first thing I do is make the bed,” says Rogerson. “You will be going like the clappers to try to get your house set up and you will be shattered and you’ll be really glad the bed is made up.” 
Remember to eat and drink properly throughout the day, and it never hurts to offer your moving team a cup of tea. “It’s thirsty work, you’ll build a rapport with them, that’s so important, it’s so easy to be distracted,” adds Rogerson. 
But as you climb into bed at the end of a long day, take heart. You’re settled in your new home and ready for the adventure to begin. 
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