A Moving House Checklist

Moving House Checklist

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Moving house is one of the most stressful experiences that you can undertake. With all that stress and the countless worries, it’s easy to forget the important tasks that you have to do before moving.

That’s why I’ve put together a comprehensive moving house checklist. Whether you’re looking to sell your house fast or just need a hand remembering everything you need to do before moving day, we’ve got you covered. Use the navigation below to jump to where you’re up to before the big move, or print this list off to make sure that you don’t forget anything.

2 Months | 1 Month | 2 Weeks | 1 Week | 1 Day | Moving Day | Once You’re In | Who to Contact | Useful Apps

2 Months Before The Move

The key to a stress-free move is starting early. We advise beginning to start the house move process two months before moving day. Here’s what you should start with:

De-clutter.  Begin systematically working through each room of your house and decide what can be thrown out and what you want to keep.

If you’re renting.  If you’re renting the property, make sure you confirm a moving date with your estate agent or landlord.

Research.  Get to know the place you’re moving to if you haven’t already. Research where local amenities are and the best routes to work so you’re fully prepared.

Boxes.  You’re more than likely going to need a lot of boxes. Start collecting them from supermarkets, charity shops, and wherever else you can get your hands on them.

Selling your property.  If your current property is still on the market and your moving day is looming closer, look for local companies who can typically buy your house fast, like Olivia Rose Estates.

Buy a file.  You can use this to organise all documents related to the move. Paperwork, phone numbers, appointment times – they’re all too easy to lose or forget so keep them safely in one place.

 

1 Month Before The Move

This is when the reality of the move really starts to set in. No need to panic though, there’s still plenty of time to get everything sorted. Here’s what you need to do 1 month before moving day:

Removal company.  Now’s the time to search for a reliable moving company and book in.

Changing details.  Start moving details over. Contact HMRC and your new local council to inform them of your new address. Don’t forget to check your new Council Tax Band either.

Change your address.  Contact friends, family, and any other companies that need to be alerted to your change of address.

Mail redirection.  You can set up mail redirection really easily online and it’s highly recommended.  Visit the Royal Mail website for further information – https://www.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirection

Inventory.  Take an inventory of all the belongings that are going to the new house.

What’s going where.  Ask for a floor plan from the estate agent and use this to figure out where each item of furniture on your inventory is going. It’ll make unpacking and moving day a lot more structured.

Cleaning.  Arrange a cleaner to clean your property you are selling, for the period after you’ve left and before the new owners move in.

The route.  If you are moving your own belongings it is wise to research the best route to take for the moving van to your new property. Also check if there are any parking restrictions at the new house, too.

 

2 Weeks Before The Move

Child & pet care.  Children and pets often get in the way during a house move. I would recommend arranging care for moving day.

Perishables.  Start looking at eating any perishables and frozen goods so that they won’t need to come with you on moving day.

Settle outstanding bills.  If you have any outstanding bills with window cleaners, gardeners or other local services, settle them now.

GP & Dentist.  If you are moving to another area now is the time to unregister from your current GP and dentist and look at signing up with a new one near your new house.

School records.  If you have children, request their school record from their current place of education and send it onto their new school.

Book a storage unit.  If you’re going to have too many belongings for your new property or you don’t want to take all the items you own, book a storage unit to use as an extra space.

 

1 Week Before The Move

Only one week left to go before you move! You’re probably getting super excited but don’t get ahead of yourself, there’s still a lot to do before moving day:

Important documents.  Gather all the important documents in the property into a folder so it’s all in one place for moving day.

Contact a locksmith.  It’s wise to arrange for a locksmith to visit your new property and change all locks.

Begin packing.  Start packing away all the items you can before moving day. Dispose of any plants you won’t take with you and don’t forget any outdoor furniture.

Dismantle.  If there’s any furniture you can dismantle without help, do so now. Also, take any wall furniture like shelves or pictures down.

Key handover.  Arrange a time to give in the keys for your current property and collect the keys for your new one.

Borrowed items.  If you have any borrowed items from friends and family, now is a great time to return them.

 

1 Day Before The Move

Tomorrow is the big day! You’ve almost done everything that needs to be completed ahead of the move. There are just a few more tasks that need to be sorted:

Defrost fridge & freezer.  Empty out both the fridge and freezer and begin defrosting it before you move.

Charge your phone.  You might need to make some emergency calls on moving day, so make sure you have a fully charged phone before you begin the day.

Pack a night bag.  Get everything you’re going to want for the first night in your new home ready so that you don’t have to rummage through bags and boxes.

Final packing.  Finish off any packing that you haven’t yet completed. Systematically work through each room to ensure nothing gets left behind.

Fragile items.  Mark any boxes that require careful lifting and unloading as fragile. Label all other boxes assigning them to a room to make unloading and unpacking easier.

A good night’s sleep.  Moving day is more often than not a long and potentially stressful day.  Make sure you have a decent night’s sleep beforehand.

 

Moving Day

The big day is finally here. You’ve packed, prepared the moving van, and any children are with family and/or friends. So what needs doing on the big day?

Clear the bedding.  Remove the bedding and pack away into the correct box.

Have one last check.  Go through each room of the house to ensure you haven’t left anything behind.

Secure windows.  Make sure all windows are closed and locked. Make sure all utilities are switched off.

Leave keys.  Take all your keys for the current property and leave them for the new homeowners or estate agent.

The movers.  Give them a copy of your inventory, a map to the new property, and emergency contact details.

 

Once You’re Moved In

You’ve done it! The hardest part is out of the way, now all you really need to do is unpack and start enjoying your new home. But first, here are a few things to do once you’re in:

Make your bed.  That way, once you’ve finished your long day of unpacking you don’t have to worry about doing it.

Check the boiler.  You’ll probably want a shower after a day of unpacking boxes. Make sure your boiler is on and working properly.

Check the removals van.  Before you wave goodbye to your helpful movers, ask if you can give the van a final check to make sure nothing has been left behind.

Relax.  The house isn’t going to be sorted in one afternoon. Do what you can and then put your feet up in the evening; don’t worry about the rest of unpacking until the morning.

 

Who To Contact Before You Move House

This is a quick checklist of the different authorities you may need to contact before moving house. 

  • TV license 
  • Council Tax
  • Electoral Roll
  • DVLA
  • Banking Provider
  • Pension Service
  • Utility Suppliers (Gas, Electric, Water) 
  • Mobile Telephone provider
  • Broadband provider
  • Television provider
  • Doctor & Dentist
  • Car lease
  • Car recovery
  • White goods guarantee
  • Insurances (Life, Critical Illness, Travel, Business)
  • Any other subscription service you may have

 

Apps That Will Make The Move Easier

There are many mobile phone apps available nowadays that will help to make moving house easier. We’ve whittled the endless options down to those that provide you with the best service: 

Magic Plan.  If you can’t get a floor plan from the estate agent, take this app to your new home. It will let you create your own floor plans by just pointing the camera and taking pictures. It’s always better to get a confirmed floor plan from the estate agent, but this app helps you to get an understanding of the space you’ll be moving in to and allows you to begin thinking about any furniture you may have.

Dulux Trade Paint Expert.  Decide on your new house’s colours before you even get there with this app. Test colour schemes and combinations to find your perfect match-up.

Trello.  Trello is a workflow app that will help you organise every step of the move. From checklists to contact details you can keep it all within the app. 

 

I hope the above is useful to you, should you be in the middle of moving house or planning to in the future.  If you would like further information or advice on anything you’ve read, please contact Olivia Rose Estates today.

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