The Ultimate Moving House Checklist

You’ve found your new home, and your moving day is just a month away! But where to begin? What do you sort first? We’ve compiled the ultimate moving house checklist to ensure that your move is as easy as possible.

Four weeks to go!

Your big day is a month away. Whilst four weeks might seem like a long time to get everything sorted, these weeks are sure to be a hive of activity for you and your family or housemates.

Double and triple check your moving date.

At this stage, you should be making sure that your moving date has been finalised with the owner of your new property. You certainly wouldn’t want to show up with your van full of furniture and discover that they’ve got their dates mixed up!

Start packing.

Yes, this might seem a tad premature – but it’s so worth it in the long run. Think of all of the items you’ve accumulated over the years! Chances are you’ll have an attic, garage or spare room full of files or clothes or boxes. Start your decluttering and box up anything you’re sure you won’t need over the next four weeks. This may include items like camping or hiking equipment, sportsgear or Christmas decorations – anything that you definitely won’t be needing in the weeks to come. Focus on cluttered spaces or the rooms that you use the least to make sure that you won’t pack anything that you’ll need to dig out again in a fortnight’s time.

Clear out any outside spaces.

It’s all too easy to focus on your inside areas when you’re getting ready for the move, but actually it’s often the garden spaces that can take up a lot of time. If you’ve got a garden shed, allotment or even a children’s Wendy House, you’ll need to start either dismantling or cleaning them out.

Book any overnight accommodation.

Moving far away? You might want to book a hotel for your first night if you’ll be arriving in the dark and don’t fancy assembling your bed as soon as you arrive. Hotels are more likely to be cheaper at this stage than at the last minute, so get any rooms booked now to ensure that your arrival is stress-free.

Sort out utilities and home insurance.

Most utility companies require a month’s notice to get all of your bills sorted. Notify all of your relevant companies and be sure to let your insurance provider know that you’re moving so that they can walk you through the process of changing your insurance policy.

Two weeks to go!

Arrange any child or pet care.

Moving house can be a stressful experience, particularly if you have to keep an eye on young children or pets running around during the process. If you’re moving in a fortnight, then now is the time to enlist the help of any family members, childminders or pet carers to help keep them out of the way on the big day! Give yourself and your happy helpers two weeks’ notice for this one, so that nobody is having to arrange childcare at the last minute.

Cancel any local services.

Make a list of any deliveries, services or regular subscriptions that you need to cancel. This may be a daily newspaper, a milk delivery, window cleaners, gardeners, or monthly magazines – anything that is linked to your current address – and ensure that they all know that you won’t be living there anymore.

Eat your freezer food!

This one might seem simple, but in these last couple of weeks it’s important to start running the food down in your kitchen and freezer. Start with the perishables and make sure that you won’t have any food left in your freezer by the time you come to move. Of all the tasks, this is possibly the most enjoyable. Ice cream, anyone?

One week to go!

Store up all your important documents.

Now that the big day is looming, it’s time to grab a sturdy box and gather up all of your essential documents. This may include wills, passports, insurance documents, house deeds, driving licenses – anything that needs to be kept completely safe. If you own any precious jewellery, then now is also the time to pack it up carefully so that nothing tangles and you’re not at risk of losing any important pieces.

Do as much packing as possible.

Whilst this might mean that you’re living a rather simple life for the next seven days, having as much of your furniture and possessions already boxed up will make you feel on top of everything. Colour code your boxes in reference to each room to make the unpacking easier.

Sort out your keys.

Not only is now a good time to book a slot for picking up your new keys from your estate agents, you should also spend this final week gathering up all of your current house’s keys. This is even more crucial if you’ve left spare keys with neighbours, friends or family, as they’ll all need returning in time for the next homeowners.

Keep out a bag for the night before you move.

This bag should be used as a night bag, with all the essentials you need for the big day. Make sure to keep your phone charged, and it might be a good idea to take out some cash for any emergencies. Store a mini toolkit in this bag so that when you move, you won’t be rummaging around trying to find the tools to help you unpack!

The BIG day

You’ve made it! Today is all about doing those final checks. Follow our mini checklist to ensure that you’ve got everything under control:

• Strip your beds and pack up bedding.
• Record all final utility meter readings for water, electricity and gas. The best thing to do is to take a picture so you have a proper record.
• Clearly mark any fragile boxes with the right labels so that nothing gets broken in transit.
• Give your movers several copies of emergency contact details and directions to your new house.
• Leave out all sets of keys for the new owners or estate agents.
• Double check that all windows and doors are secure.

And there you have it! You can arrive at your new home with a clear head and minimal stress. Good luck, and if you need any help or have questions, give our MoveNow team a call.