Whether you’re stepping onto the property ladder for the first time or selling up and moving into your dream home, moving house is a huge moment in anyone’s life.
For many people, however, moving home can be a daunting process. The seemingly endless number of tasks and considerations to complete can take what should be an exciting situation and make it stressful.
Thankfully, with just a little organisation and preparation, you can reduce this stress and ensure your home move goes as smoothly as possible. That is why we’ve created this extensive moving house checklist, covering everything you need to complete your move with peace of mind.
Plan to leave your current home
As you prepare to buy your new home, you must also plan to leave your current one. If you’ve been renting a property, you’ll need to notify your landlord of the date you are moving out. While this won’t be necessary until you’ve sorted your new home, it’s important to be aware of any relevant tenancy terms (if you’re renting) or exchange terms (if you already own a property) so you can have a smooth exit when the time comes.
If you’re out of contract, you’ll usually have to provide a minimum of 30 days' notice before moving out to avoid being liable for another month of rent. If you’re still tied into a rental agreement, you may have to pay rent until the contract ends. In this case, it’s worth contacting your landlord to see if an agreement that works for both parties can be reached.
For existing homeowners looking to sell or let, you should use this time to shop around for the best estate agents. Ideally, you’d have an agreement to sell your current home before bidding for new ones, which will ensure you have the funds to proceed with any agreement.
A good estate agent can highlight the best characteristics of your existing home, encouraging potential buyers and renters to take on the property at a price that’s good for you.
When searching for the best estate agent, consider the following:
- Do you have a good rapport with them?
- Can they answer all your questions?
- Do they know your area well?
- Are they confident in selling or renting your home at your target price?
- Does their valuation match up to yours?
- Have they sold or rented out similar homes to yours previously?
- Are they well-reviewed online?
Asking these questions will help you find the right estate agent to facilitate the best outcome for you.
Find the home you want
Searching for your new home is one of the most exciting parts of the house-moving process. Despite this, there are many factors you need to consider to ensure the house you are viewing matches your needs.
Some of the key factors you should consider when viewing a house are:
- Is the house within my price range?
- Will the cost of the home leave me with any remaining funds to renovate/redecorate?
- Are there enough rooms in the house to accommodate the number of people living there?
- What are the transport links like to work, schools, and the town centre?
- What are the neighbours like?
- What is the crime rate in the area?
By considering these factors, you can vet out any unsuitable properties and focus all your attention on securing the right home for you.
Make an offer
Once you’ve found a home that ticks all the boxes, you can then make a formal offer for the house.
Properties are usually put on the market with a set asking price, and bidders often go above or below that price, depending on demand.
A good rule of thumb is to open negotiations with a bid between 5-10% lower than the asking price to try and get the best deal possible. However, if there are many bidders, you may need to go above the asking price to secure the house.
When bidding for a house, you should consider the following:
- Does the asking price align with similar homes in the area?
- Does the price fall within your budget?
- How much are you likely to need to spend on the house after buying it to get it the way you want it?
- Are there other homes on the market that offer more value for a lower price?
Once you’ve had an offer accepted for a house, you can compare mortgage deals to find a payment plan that works best for you.
Hire a conveyancer and arrange a survey
Once your offer is accepted, it’s time to hire a conveyancer. A conveyancer will assess the contract agreed between you and the seller, identifying any legal issues and ensuring that the contract represents good value for money. You can use this advice to redraft or renegotiate certain terms where necessary.
Hiring a surveyor is another key aspect of the home-moving process. Having your new house surveyed will help identify any damage or structural problems that could cause issues later on. This can help you mitigate against these problems and save you considerable money in the future.
Surveyors can also assess whether any of these problems may affect the property's potential value, allowing home movers to reconsider their options and organise a revised price with sellers where relevant.
Compare deals on conveyancing solicitors and receive detailed advice on getting a house valuation today.
Research your move
The real work starts once you’ve found your new home and an offer has been accepted. With most moves taking anywhere from eight weeks to six months to complete after an offer has been accepted, you have plenty of time to get everything you need in order.
Take this time to research your new area. Learning about everything from the local amenities to the best schools and main social spots will help you become familiar with your surroundings. This will speed up the rate at which your new house feels like a home.
This is also the time you should look to set up home insurance. Making an inventory of your assets and possessions will help insurers provide a quote that considers the value of your new home and possessions. From here, you can shop around and find the best home insurance deal, as well as individual plans for buildings insurance and contents insurance.
Finalise the contract and arrange a move date
After you’ve surveyed your new house and addressed any issues, you can now focus on finalising the contract with the seller. Ensure you get a solicitor to check over your contract before signing to identify any terms that may cause problems down the road.
Once you’re happy with the contract, you can arrange a move-in date. While you may be keen to get the move over and done with quickly, make sure you arrange a date that gives you enough time to manage the affairs of your existing home and fulfil all the required admin duties. This will ensure the transition goes as smoothly as possible.
Update your address and inform the right people
With everything set for the big date, you can now update your address and start informing all the relevant people.
While updating your address may sound like a straightforward process, it can be tedious as you’ll have to inform all of the people and companies that you have bills, contracts, and obligations with. Failure to do this can result in key information being sent to the wrong address, leading to missed payments, security breaches, and a string of avoidable consequences.
Making a list of all the relevant places to inform and ticking them off as you go is a great way to keep on top of this process. As a start, some of the places you’ll likely need to inform are:
- Utility suppliers for your previous home (e.g. gas, electric, water, broadband)
- Local council/electoral roll (for council tax purposes)
- Banks and insurance providers
- Doctors and dentists
- Your company/workplace
- Schools (if you have kids)
- TV Licencing
- DVLA
- National insurance/DSS officers
- Providers of any personal contracts (e.g. mobile phones, vehicles, products paid for on finance/monthly instalments)
Informing these places ahead of time reduces the risk of lost correspondence and allows you to prepare for your move with peace of mind.
Set up utility providers in your new home
To avoid moving house stress and uncomfortable nights when you first arrive, you should make sure all of your utility providers are set up in advance.
Typically, if you move in without having set up a new deal, you’ll be placed onto a ‘deemed contract’ by the providers of the previous occupants. This means that you’ll continue receiving their service, but likely at an inflated price compared to what you’d get if you negotiated a new contract with the provider or shopped around elsewhere. Therefore, sorting out a new package before moving in will ensure you’re paying a fair price from the off.
When shopping around for new providers, searching for the best deals in your local area can pay huge dividends in the long run. You can use Uswitch to compare deals on the best electricity, gas, and broadband packages in your area to get one step ahead of the game.
Pay remaining bills
Paying any remaining bills before moving allows you to budget easily when planning your move. Paying off outstanding balances on things like water, council tax, and energy bills allows for a smooth transition between you and the next occupant, preventing you from receiving any unexpected bills in the future. Once this is ticked off your moving house checklist, you’ll be able to focus on getting set up in your new place.
Plan the logistics of moving
With all the right people informed about your move, you’ll now need to plan the logistics of moving your belongings from your old property to your new one. The size and cost of this job will depend on numerous factors, including:
- The size and volume of possessions being moved
- The amount of help you have from friends and relatives
- The company you hire to transport your belongings
If you’re moving large furniture items like sofas and wardrobes, you’ll probably need to hire a removal company to transport these goods for you.
While it may be cheaper to transport your belongings by yourself or with the help of friends, this can sometimes amplify the stress of an already hectic time. If this is the case, shopping around for a company that can move your belongings without breaking the bank can save you a headache when the big day comes around.
As well as putting plans in place to move your belongings, there are other logistical aspects you can sort out in advance, including:
Decide what things you aren’t taking with you
While planning to move the things you’re keeping, it’s easy to forget about the stuff you’re not. Deciding on the things you’re not taking to your new home before moving is an equally important part of getting organised.
By clearing out surplus items, you’ll better grasp how much you’re taking to your new place. This allows you to assess the available space and plan for any new items you want to bring into your home.
Make a list of where key things are located in your new home
One of the main frustrations of moving into any new place is getting familiar with where everything is. Whether it’s the central heating dial you can’t find on a cold night, the boiler controls when the hot water has turned off, or the fuse box in the event of a power cut, not knowing these locations can result in a minor problem ruining your entire evening.
That’s why making a list of these things before moving in can be so helpful in the long run. If it’s not possible for you to visit the house and find out for yourself, you should ask the current occupant to send you details on the locations of the following:
- Gas and electricity meters
- Various appliances and their instructions
- Fuse box
- Thermostat
- Stopcock (valve controlling water supply)
Take measurements of the rooms in your new home
Getting measurements for different rooms in your new house will allow you to plan for the types of furniture and appliances you may want to add. By having a clear grasp of the available space, you’ll be able to buy items appropriate for various rooms in your house. This will prevent you from buying something that either doesn’t fit or takes up too much space.
If you can’t access your new house to do this yourself, asking the existing occupant or a surveyor to do it for you is a great way to get this information.
Pack your belongings
After you’ve cleared out what you’re not taking, it should be much easier to pack your belongings ahead of your move.
Organising everything into logical groups (e.g. electricals, clothing, etc.) and labelling the boxes will make it much easier when you’re ready to unpack and settle in your new place.
Make a list of everything you want to take with you and tick them off as you’ve packed them. This will help make sure nothing important gets left behind and will prevent any panic or confusion while you’re packing.
Prepare to leave your old house
As you approach the end of your moving house checklist, it’s time to make the final preparations to leave your old house. In the week before you move, you should ensure that the home you’re leaving is in suitable condition for new residents to move in.
By doing a final clean and tidy of your current home followed by a spot check, you’ll ensure that the place is in good condition for new arrivals while limiting the risk of leaving important belongings behind.
For renters, the final clean can have financial benefits too. With a 2024 Home Let survey finding that 39% of tenants had their deposit withheld for cleaning reasons, a thorough final clean can help ensure you don’t fall into the same trap.
Also, hiring a cleaner for your new home ensures you will be comfortable when you first enter the house. Although it’s not guaranteed that your new place will be spotless when you arrive, hiring a cleaner will prevent any unwanted surprises when you move in.
Lastly, in the days before you move, you should ensure you have easy access to any essential items when you move into your new home. While it may be impossible to unpack or even move all of your belongings right away, having these items in an easy-to-access bag will ensure your first few nights are at least comfortable:
- Kettle, tea, coffee, and mugs
- Glasses, plates, bowls, and cutlery
- Cleaning products
- Toilet roll
- Duvet and bedding
- Laptop
- Chargers for electricals
- Temporary furniture (e.g. deck chairs)
Lock up and move out
Now, moving day is finally here, and there are a few things to make sure you’ve done before leaving. Take photos of the meter readings for your water, electricity and gas. This will prove the amount used before you left and prevent any disputes from occurring later on.
Before you leave, check that all windows are securely shut and any remaining utilities or electrical items are turned off. If you’re not providing the new occupants with keys yourself, ensure you leave them in a secure place and inform them of where you’ve left them.
Finally, ensure that the new occupants have contact details for you so you can help them with any issues as they get used to their new home. Similarly, keep hold of the contact details of the former occupants of your new home, as well as your surveyor, conveyancer, and solicitor. This will help you get a quicker resolution to any problems that occur after you’ve moved in.
Move in and check your new house
When you're moving house, it’s important to inform the removal company (or anyone helping move your belongings) of any specific requirements for certain boxes and items. For example, if there are boxes containing fragile items, being aware of this will help mitigate the risk of valuables being damaged during the move.
If possible, it's recommended that at least one person is already at the house before the removal company arrives. This will allow that person to direct workers on what rooms certain boxes and items need to go to, allowing for a smoother setup when you finally unpack.
Once your items have been moved, you should do a spot check on your new house, including:
- Check all utility meters and take photographs of the readings
- Test all electrical items for faults
- Inspect every room for scratches, structural damage, or broken/damaged items
- Take photos of all rooms and their respective items
Relax and enjoy your new home
If you’ve followed these moving house checklist steps to the letter, all the hard work is done. You’ll have everything in place to enjoy a comfortable first few nights and focus on doing what you need to get your new house the way you want it.
If you’d like help keeping track of your checklist as you go, check out our interactive moving house checklist below:
Read our comprehensive guides for more information on key home moving considerations like the cost of moving home and advice on home insurance.
Moving home FAQs
Who to inform when moving house?
Informing the right people is key to ensuring your home move goes as smoothly as possible. From close friends to workplaces and companies you have direct debits with, informing the right people early ensures that important communications reach you on time.
Some of the key people to inform when you’re moving house are:
- Friends and family
- Employers
- Doctors and dentists
- Utility providers (e.g. gas, electric, water)
- Local council
- Bank
- DVLA
- TV licence
- Providers of finance/contracts (e.g. car finance, mobile phone contract, broadband provider)
- Your children’s school (if applicable)
- National insurance/DSS officers
- Any clubs or organisations that you are a member of
While this list covers the general people and organisations most people should be informed about, there may be other important people or places personal to your life that should also be notified.
That’s why we recommend making time to collate a list in advance. This allows you to tick people and places off as you’ve informed them, allowing you to easily keep track of who is left to notify.
How to cancel council tax when moving house?
Once your moving date has been confirmed, you should inform the local council of your intention to leave your current home and the date that you’re leaving. This can be done either by calling them or filling out a moving form on the relevant council's website.
If you’re moving into a different council area, you’ll also need to inform that council of the date you’re moving into your new home. This will allow you to set up a payment plan for council tax for the correct dates and ensure you get sent the right documents to sign up for the electoral register.
How to take over utilities when moving house?
To ensure the payment process goes smoothly with utilities, you should take meter readings of your gas, electricity, and water as soon as you move in. This will allow you to keep track of how much you’ve spent and how much was from the previous occupants.
After you’ve taken readings, you should contact your current providers and inform them of the date that you moved in. If you don’t know who the providers are already, the people who lived there previously should be able to provide you with this info.
Your current utility providers will likely place you on their standard variable tariff to begin with. While this may not be the deal for you, you can negotiate with the provider on their contracts and offers for a better deal going forward. Alternatively, you can shop around and see if you can find a better package elsewhere.
