Few things cause stress and excitement in equal measure, like moving house. While the joy of finding your dream home can be hard to beat, the wealth of jobs, planning, and organisation required to complete the process can feel daunting.
With so many different responsibilities and considerations, many home movers need help to organise their tasks efficiently. That’s why we’ve put together this moving house timeline, offering expert advice to prepare you for every stage of the moving process.
Three to six months before moving
Secure a mortgage in principle
According to the Personal Agent, the average time to buy and move into your home ranges between 26 and 36 weeks. This is based on factors such as:
- Finding the right property (6-12 weeks)
- Receiving and accepting a mortgage offer on an existing home (2-4 weeks)
- Conveyancing and finalising contracts with sellers (16 weeks)
- Completing the sale and moving in (2-4 weeks)
One of the biggest challenges when looking for a new house is establishing how much you can borrow on a mortgage. Whether it’s the size of your deposit, your credit rating, or your annual salary, all of these things play a part in the level of mortgage you can get
Securing a mortgage in principle is a great way to get a clearer picture of your options. A mortgage, in principle, is an official estimate from a mortgage lender on how much money you can afford to borrow when taking out a mortgage.
While not legally binding, most estate agents and mortgage companies hold these estimates in high regard as they give them an accurate, credible picture of how much you can afford.
Arrange to sell your current home (if applicable)
If you’re selling your current home, you should arrange this at the same time as, or preferably slightly before, you start looking for new places.
Having a fee agreed for your current home helps ensure you have the funds to follow through with any offer you make on a new house. Also, certain estate agents will only consider you a ‘proceedable buyer’ if you’ve already accepted an offer on your house.
An estate agent can provide you with a home valuation, which you can use to inform buyers about your asking price. From here, you can start hosting viewings.
Search for your new home
Once you’ve secured your mortgage in principle and a buyer for your current home, you can step up the search for your new one.
While the excitement of purchasing your new home can make you want to rush into things, be sure to take all the time you need to choose a home that’s right for you.
Some things you may want to consider when searching for a house are:
- Is there enough living space?
- Are there enough bedrooms?
- Are the main facilities in good condition, or will you have to pay for updates/renovations?
- Is there easily available parking (if needed)?
- Is there a good speed of internet available in the area
- What is the EPC rating?
- What is the council tax band?
- What are the neighbours/neighbourhood like?
Make an offer
Now you’ve found the ideal property for you, it’s time to make an offer. When making your offer, you should consider numerous factors to decide on an appropriate bid, including:
- The market value of the house
- The location/area
- Your budget
- How competitive the market is for the house
If you’re unsure of these facts, you can hire a broker or an estate agent to advise you accordingly.
Two to four months before the move
Apply for a mortgage
You can start applying for a mortgage immediately after your offer has been accepted. Researching providers ahead of time will allow you to review the number of banks and lenders willing to fund your purchase and make an informed choice.
Hire a conveyancer
Conveyancers specialise in the process of transferring the ownership of a property from one person to another, such as drafting the contract, assessing the terms, and ensuring relevant financial and legal requirements are met.
They also perform a series of legal property searches on your home to make sure there are no unidentified factors you should be aware of when buying. From here, you can discuss any considerations and how they affect the current contract.
In some situations, you may reconsider whether the home is right for you or whether you want to renegotiate the price.
Have your new home surveyed
A surveyor assesses the land and structure of your new home to identify any potential issues that could affect safety or reduce property value. These include:
- Assessing the roof for potential leakages or structural damage
- Checking the floors for damage and warping
- Assessing the land for risk of subsidence/stability issues
- Checking energy systems and fireplaces for risk of fires and leaks
- Assessing the water system for risks of flooding
In some cases, the surveyor may identify issues that could affect property value or result in increased costs down the line. If this happens, you may want to renegotiate your original offer.
Complete the move and arrange a move-in date
With your offer accepted and your new house assessed by professionals, it’s time to complete the move and arrange a moving date with the seller.
Typically, it takes between two to four weeks for a home move to be completed after exchanging contracts, so the date you set is likely to be an ‘agreement in principle’, leaving room for delays and readjustments if necessary.
Though moving dates are usually flexible, having one in advance provides a rough goal to enable you to plan ahead for the big day.
Pay stamp duty
After completing your move, you’ll need to pay any stamp duty you owe within 14 days. Stamp Duty is a land tax paid by buyers of residential properties in the UK. Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) is only payable on any fee exceeding £250,000, meaning homes of or less than this value pay no SDLT.
After this fee, the rates for SDLT are:
- 5% on any home purchase costs from £250,001 - £925,000
- 10% on any home purchase costs from £925,001 - £1.5 million
- 12% on any home purchase costs exceeding £1.5 million.
Sort out home insurance
With the move finalised, you can now focus on acquiring insurance for your new home. Buildings insurance will need to be in place from the day you exchange contracts with the seller. This is the day you become legally responsible for the property, meaning you’d be liable for any damage from now on.
If you have a home insurance policy in your current home, this can usually be transferred to your new property. However, it’s possible that the premiums may change when moving due to factors such as:
- The value of your new home
- The crime rate in the area
- Total population in the area
- The level of security at the new property
- The risk of adverse events like flooding
If your premiums are going to rise significantly, it may be better to cancel your existing plan and shop around for a better deal. Usually, most companies will allow you to cancel upon moving if you contact them explaining the situation. However, you should check your existing contract to see if this is true for you.
Four to six weeks before moving in
Arrange removals
With the house move finalised, it’s time to sort out transporting your belongings to your new home.
If you’re moving any expensive items like furniture, household appliances, or fragile items (e.g. artwork, musical instruments, etc.), make sure you have insurance that covers moving these goods from one house to another. While many contents plans offer insurance when moving house, some will only insure you if you use a designated removal company to move these items.
If your contents insurance doesn’t offer enough coverage, many removal companies offer removal insurance to cover you while your goods are in transit.
Pack
While it may seem excessive to begin packing four to six weeks before moving, this will pay off when the big day arrives. Packing is as much about deciding what you don’t want to keep as choosing what you do, so give yourself enough time to organise these tasks without causing unnecessary stress when moving house.
Two to four weeks before moving in
Inform relevant people of your move
To ensure your move is as smooth as possible, you should inform as many relevant people and organisations in advance. Notifying your local council and current energy and broadband providers will allow you to settle any unpaid bills in advance and prevent further charges down the line.
Additionally, changing your address on any mobile phone contracts, bills, or memberships will ensure your correspondence goes to the right place. This can prevent unwanted occurrences like missed payments and losing important information.
One to two weeks before you move
Clean up
With everything packaged and ready to go, it should be much easier to clean your current home and leave it in a good state for new arrivals. Whether you clean yourself or hire professionals, this will ensure the new occupants can enjoy a comfortable first few nights after moving in.
If you’re renting your current home, cleaning can ensure you get your whole deposit back, with no reductions from landlords.
Move in
Though the moving house process can feel endless at times, there are few better feelings than when it’s all done. We hope this timeline has set expectations on all the key areas to help you approach your move with confidence and peace of mind.
FAQs
How to cancel utility bills when moving house?
To cancel your electricity, gas and water bills before moving house, you need to inform your providers that you’re moving at least 48 hours before you leave. If possible, inform each provider before the expected move-out date to give them more time to cancel your service and prevent future payments.
If any bills need to be settled, the provider may allow you to settle these before you move. If this isn’t possible, they may send you a bill to your new address.
How much do house removals cost?
The cost of house removals can depend on an array of factors, including:
- The size of your home
- The amount of belongings you have
- The value of your belongings
- The distance between your current home and your new home
- The company you hire
- Whether you take out removal insurance
- Whether you pack yourself or pay for a packing service
According to Zoopla, the average cost of a home removal service in 2024 ranges from £420+VAT for a one-bedroom flat with no packing service up to £1,800+VAT for a 4-bedroom house with packing.
How to register on the electoral roll in the UK?
To be eligible to vote in your new house, you’ll need to sign up to the electoral register at that address. You can register online via the GOV website, entering in basic details before receiving confirmation via post.
It can sometimes take between two and six weeks to get your registration confirmed at your new address, so doing this early will help prevent a long period of being unregistered at your new address.
