Moving House Checklist

There’s a lot to remember when you’re moving home. Use our handy moving house checklist to make sure you get everything covered.

Angela Kerr Director, Editor

Moving house checklist

Your moving house checklist can be broken down into three main areas:

• What you need to do after an offer has been accepted,
• What to do between exchange and completion, and
• What you need to do on moving day.

So read on to find out how to prepare for moving house.

1. What to do once an offer has been accepted

When you’re moving house, getting from an offer being accepted on a house or flat to the finish line of completion day can be hard work. So make these items on your moving house checklist your priority:

Sort the legal side

You’ll need a conveyancing solicitor to handle the legal side of buying and selling a house. If you haven’t instructed an conveyancer yet, do it ASAP. Find the right conveyancing solicitor for you – compare quotes & ratings instantly. But if you have instructed your conveyancer, do everything you can to avoid unnecessary delays. Read our guide How to speed up conveyancing.

Book your survey

Speed is of the essence in all aspects of your purchase so arrange your survey promptly. Read our guides on House survey types and How much does a survey cost? Depending on what the survey reveals, you may want to renegotiate or even reconsider the purchase. The quicker you can do this the better. For more advice, read our guide What to do after a bad house survey report. Get instant quotes from chartered surveyors with our find a local surveyor tool

Arrange your mortgage

Once you’ve had your offer accepted on a house, complete your full mortgage application without delay. Find the best mortgage for your needs with fee free mortgage brokers L&C.

Compare buildings insurance quotes

Buildings insurance covers the repair or rebuilding of your house, in case there is major damage, such as a fire or falling tree and its usually a requirement of your mortgage. You’ll need this in place from exchange of contracts, so add shopping around for the best deal beforehand to your moving house checklist. However, if you’re buying a leasehold property, your freeholder will typically arrange this and you’ll pay for it in your service charge. You won’t need buildings insurance if you’re renting. Read more in our guide Home Insurance: What type do I need?

Declutter

There’s no point moving items you no longer need.  Donate them to a charity shop or if they’re valuable, try selling them online, at an auction or sell to a second-hand furniture dealer.  If you’re looking to have items safely and conveniently disposed of, take a look at our rubbish removal partner LoveJunk. 

Research removals companies

Getting removal quotes 4-6 weeks before you hope to move is an important thing to tick off your moving day checklist. You should ask at least two removal firms to do an at-home survey so you can get accurate quotes. Check if any packing materials are included in the quote, if not ask about the costs and compare this with cost of buying them elsewhere. See our advice guide on questions to ask and how to Find the right removals company Bear in mind moving house on a Friday and in the school holidays is always busier.

Get instant quotes from quality removal companies in your local area now

2. Moving house checklist between exchange and completion

Once you exchange contracts, your completion day is fixed. So here’s what you need to tick off your moving day checklist at this point.

Confirm your removals

Contact your chosen removals company and book them in asap. And make sure your possessions will be insured during the moving process. Find out more in our guide Insurance when moving house.

Sort your utilities

Energy suppliers: Tell your existing energy supplier that you’re moving home; give at least 48 hours’ notice and your new address. Check who your new energy supplier will be so you’ll know who to contact as soon as you move in. This information should be in the TA6 form you get from the sellers.

Water supplier: You’ll need to tell your water company when you’re planning to move out and your new address. If you have a water meter, give at least 5 working days’ notice so they can arrange a final meter reading.

Council tax: You’ll need to tell the council at the address you’re leaving and register for council tax at your new address. If you don’t know who to pay tax to in your new home, this government webpage can tell you.

Sort your broadband: Moving home can be a good time to review your service if you are considering a change. See our guide on broadband and moving house, as well as, broadband speed, what to consider and the best providers for more advice. But don’t book your broadband switch until you exchange contracts because at the point your completion day is fixed.

Find out more on all of these in our guide How to take over utilities when moving house.

Start packing

Unless you’re using a packing service this can be a major job so start early. It’s a good idea to keep a box of essentials for when you move in with kettle, cups, milk etc so you can at least have a cup of tea when you get there. For more advice on how to pack for moving house, see our guide.

Your moving house checklist should also include:

• Arranging your contents insurance for your new home and ensuring you have the right level of cover so that it starts as soon as you move in.
• Collecting all the keys to your home, including those left with neighbours, nannies and relatives, and give them to your solicitor or estate agent.
• Organising your post redirection. You can use the Royal Mail’s redirection service when you move house to any UK or overseas address for up to 3, 6 or 12 months from £39.50.
• Cancel any milk, subscription boxes and newspapers deliveries.
• If you are moving to a different area, notify your GP and register with a new one.
• Give your house a thorough clean ahead of the move.

Get ready for moving day. Get instant quotes from quality removal companies in your local area now.

3. Moving day checklist

On the big day, your moving into a new house checklist should include:

• Taking meter readings and submitting them to your old energy supplier. Also, take readings at your new house.
• Once your furniture and belongings have been removed, it’s likely that your old home could benefit from another clean before you leave.
• Have a final walk around your house to check you’ve left nothing behind.
• Collect the keys for your new house from the estate agent
• Travel with the removals company or make sure someone will be there with the keys to let them in.
• Ensure that all items that were included in the sale such as carpets, curtains and any white goods are there. If there is anything missing, contact your solicitor.
• If you notice any serious faults in the building that were missed in the original survey, alert your surveyor immediately.
• Check that the phone, security alarm, smoke alarm, electricity, gas, central heating and water all work.
• It’s advisable to get the locks changed on your new property – you never know who the previous owners may have given spare keys to.

Change of address checklist

There is a long list of people and organisations you’ll need to inform of your new address – so be sure to add this to your moving day checklist.

Your change of address checklist may include:

• HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC)
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)
• Electoral roll This is important so you don’t lose your right but also for your credit rating.
• TV Licensing
• Employers
• The schools your children attend
• Friends, family and colleagues

Moving into a new house checklist: What to buy

If you’re planning to install shutters into your new home, ideally arrange this after exchange to avoid a delay once you move in. But you’ll need to either have the measurements or be able to arrange a time to measure up with the sellers in order. And if you know you’ll need to order furniture for your new home and want it as soon as possible, you can add ordering this to your moving house checklist. But again, you’ll need to be clear about the measurements.

Moving into your first house checklist

If you’re moving into your first house, or you’ve owned property before but you’re currently renting, your new homeowner checklist will be a bit different.

Give notice: You’ll need to follow all the steps above but if you’re renting you’ll need to add giving notice to your landlord to your moving day checklist.

Save a house deposit: If you’re at the start of the process of buying a house, you’ll need to start saving a deposit. You’ll usually need at least a 5% deposit, but the bigger your deposit the easier you’ll usually find it to get a mortgage and you’ll usually get better mortgage rates too. Read our guide on How to save for a deposit. Also, read our guide on First time buyer schemes that are designed to help you buy a house.

Research mortgages: Researching first time buyer mortgages is vital, read our useful guide Mortgage advice for first time buyers. Also, it is possible to get a mortgage with no deposit. Read our guide on How to get a mortgage with no deposit.

To find out about all your mortgage options as a first time buyer, get fee-free mortgage advice from our partners at L&C.

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