Moving house checklist: week by week
Start eight weeks out: book removals, serve notice if renting, and start decluttering. In the final month, tell utilities and both councils, set up Royal Mail post redirection, update the electoral roll, DVLA and TV Licence, and book broadband. On moving day, photograph meter readings at both homes. The admin most lists miss is exactly that: post, council tax, electoral roll, meters, TV Licence.
8+ weeks before
- Confirm your likely completion date with your solicitor or conveyancer.
- If renting, check your notice period and plan when to serve notice.
- Get at least 3 removals quotes (or plan a van hire for a DIY move).
- Start decluttering: sell, donate or bin what you will not take.
- If moving area with children, contact the new local authority about school places.
- Start a change-of-address list: every account, subscription and service you use.
- Gather important documents in one folder (ID, mortgage offer, insurance, warranties).
6 weeks before
- Book your removals firm. Confirm their insurance cover and what they will not move.
- Arrange buildings insurance so cover can start from exchange of contracts (for a purchase).
- Order packing materials: boxes, tape, bubble wrap, marker pens.
- Plan the Royal Mail post redirection. It can be set up in advance, so apply early.
- Check broadband availability at the new address and compare providers. Installation can take weeks.
- Use up freezer food and open jars.
4 weeks before
- Tell your gas, electricity and water suppliers you are moving.
- Tell your current council your moving date (council tax).
- Tell your new council you are moving in (council tax registration).
- Book time off work for moving day, and ideally the day after.
- Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day.
- Book a broadband installation date at the new home.
- Start packing rooms you rarely use. Label every box with room and contents.
2 weeks before
- Confirm the removals booking, arrival time and parking at both ends.
- Confirm the completion date and key arrangements with your solicitor.
- Activate the Royal Mail redirection from your moving date.
- Update your address with your bank, credit cards, pension and insurers.
- Update your driving licence and vehicle log book (V5C) address with the DVLA.
- Update your TV Licence to the new address.
- Register on the electoral roll at the new address. It also helps your credit file.
- Tell your GP and dentist; register with new ones if moving area.
- Update HMRC, DWP or child benefit records if they apply to you.
- Tell your employer, and update subscriptions and deliveries.
1 week before
- Pack an essentials box: kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, chargers, tools, bulbs, first-aid kit, snacks.
- Pack a documents bag to keep with you: ID, keys, mortgage and insurance papers, some cash.
- Defrost and dry the freezer.
- Dismantle furniture that will not fit through doors.
- Confirm where and when you collect the new keys.
- Charge phones and power banks; keep parking permits or cash handy for the crew.
Moving day
- Take meter readings (gas, electricity, water) at the old home, with photos.
- Take meter readings at the new home the moment you get in, with photos.
- Do a final walk-through of the old home: every cupboard, the loft, garden, shed.
- Leave keys, alarm codes, appliance manuals and any agreed items for the buyer.
- Check the removals inventory before the van leaves.
- Find the stopcock, fuse box and boiler at the new home.
After you move in
- Send both sets of meter readings to your energy and water suppliers.
- Confirm council tax is set up at the new address.
- Confirm your post redirection is working.
- Confirm the electoral roll registration went through.
- Test smoke and carbon monoxide alarms; fit new ones if missing.
- Check buildings and contents insurance are both live at the new address.
- Register with a local GP and dentist if you have not already.
- Work through anything left on your change-of-address list.
- Keep completion paperwork and meter photos somewhere safe.
Moving because of a purchase?
If this move comes with a new mortgage, the mortgage application checklist covers the money side stage by stage, and the first-time buyer costs budget sheet keeps the spending honest. Buying for the first time? Start at first-time buyer mortgages.
Common questions
When should I start preparing to move house?
About eight weeks before your expected completion or tenancy start date. The long-lead items are removals availability, broadband installation at the new address, school applications if you are changing area, and serving notice if you rent. Everything else fits into the last month.
What do people most often forget when moving house?
The quiet admin: redirecting post with Royal Mail, telling both councils for council tax, updating the electoral roll, photographing meter readings at both homes on moving day, and moving the TV Licence. None is hard, but each one causes a real problem months later if missed.
Why do meter readings matter so much on moving day?
They are the only proof of exactly what energy and water you used at each address. Photograph every meter at the old home as you leave and at the new home as you arrive, and send both sets to the suppliers. Without them you can end up billed for the previous or next occupant's usage.
Does moving house affect my credit file?
The move itself does not, but being registered on the electoral roll at your current address helps lenders verify you, so update it promptly. Keeping addresses consistent across your bank, electoral roll and credit accounts also avoids identity-check friction next time you apply for credit, including a mortgage.
Founder, MortgageExplained
Adam spent over eight years as a mortgage adviser at Just Mortgages, with further experience in commercial finance. He is CeMAP and CF qualified. He built MortgageExplained to do one thing well: explain mortgages in plain English, so you know where you stand before you speak to a regulated broker. Every page on the site is written by Adam.
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