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Moving house? Got a million and one things on your mind? At Sirelo, we know how overwhelming moving can be. We have therefore created this moving house checklist, outlining all the things you need to remember. No matter how near or far, if you are moving within the UK, this page has got you covered. Completing an international move? Check out our moving abroad checklist instead.
House removals are long and often a bit complicated, there’s so much to keep track. However, the process does become easier and less stressful when you have a nice guide to help you through the process. Fortunately for you, Sirelo is here to keep the hair on your head with our moving house checklist, click below to download it!
You might be glad to hear that as of 24 February, most government guidelines relating to moving house during COVID-19 pandemic have been withdrawn and the focus is now on living with COVID-19.
The first stages of every move are the same, planning. You need to start thinking in advance about where, when, and how you’ll be moving. If you haven’t researched the area, be sure to do so in order to be able to navigate easily and find emergency items for your home such as screwdrivers, drills, and food!
It’s also important to consider the timeline. If you have kids, you’ll need to research schools early and organise their transfer. It’s best to aim for the during the summer holidays, however, this is also more expensive.
You might also want to start making headway through our who to notify when moving house checklist as you’ll benefit from updating people and institutions early, and you’ll be able to relax sooner after your move, which is always welcome. Moving is tiring!
With the chaos that comes with moving house or more the annoyance that comes if you have to search through perfectly packed boxes, be sure to gather all your important documents in one place, birth certificate, marriage certificate, deed or rental agreement, insurance documents so that they are easily accessible at any point of your move.
If you’re considering moving house alone, that’s fine if you have a 1-bedroom apartment and are only moving down the street, trust us!
For anything larger, we recommend finding a removal company, hence why we’ve included it in our moving house checklist. Your back will thank you for not breaking it.
With your move slowly approaching, you’ll find that your moving house checklist requires more action, and this step is the start. We recommend that you look through all the items in house and start deciding whether to keep them or toss them while also creating a list of all the items you own.
This list of items will be a godsend as you can keep track of what’s been packed and what’s to be packed. You should use it to identify items that can be packed early and potential storage when moving.
Of course, if you need help packing to move house then you should read our guide full of essential tips and tricks to get your move rolling smoothly!
While the last thing you may want to do might be scrubbing the floor, it’s best to leave your house in a nice clean condition and also spend some time cleaning your new home before all your belongings arrive. It’s hard to do a thorough clean after all your items have arrived and been placed. Of course, you can also hire an outside company to do the cleaning for you.
If you’re not just moving house, but buying and selling, there are a few more items to add to you moving house checklist. We’ll keep it short here, so it doesn’t become an overwhelming amount of information, but you can read more on our removal costs page. 😊
A great place to start our who to notify when moving house checklist is with something that you’ll naturally tend towards. Prior to your move, you’ll likely find it difficult not to tell everyone that you’re moving house, it’s so exciting!
However, it’s a good idea to make a list of all those closest to you, family and dear friends, and ensure that you inform them personally. Otherwise, you can make posts on social media or hope the news spreads through word of mouth.
Naturally, it’s possible that you’ll have forgotten someone, or they won’t remember. In that case, should they have the tendency to send you cards, you can use the mail redirection service offered by the Royal Mail. Any moving checklist list in the UK would be remiss not to mention this service, since it comes in useful for other mail, such as bills. Granted, it’s better to pay rather than be repeatedly fined!
If you’re currently renting, you’ll need to add your landlord to your who to notify when moving house checklist as you’ll be leaving your accommodation. The notification period could be 1-2 months depending on your rental agreement, so check that with plenty of time to spare so you don’t lose your security deposit.
On the other hand, if you’re selling your home, be sure to contact an estate agent to help you find a buyer. Just be aware that on average it takes 6 weeks to find a buyer in the UK. Granted, it could be a lot sooner or longer depending on where your house is, so plan according to the insights your estate agent gives you.
This is no joke, the last thing that anybody wants is to be fined by the Government for such a small reason as an incorrect address. Thus, on the top of your post moving house who to notify checklist should be the HMRC and your local council, new and old. The last thing you need after moving is a headache about taxes. 😐
If you happen to have a car, be sure to contact the DVLA to update your change of address on your driver’s license and vehicle log book (V5C). We really want to stress the importance of this since you could face a £1,000 fine for leaving the DVLA off your who to notify when moving house for the UK.
Unless you happen to be an electronics minimalist, you likely have a TV or other device that can stream. Fortunately, you can update your TV license online, which is very convenient. Just be sure to check if even need one in the first place!
The last of the government-related moving house address change checklist items: voting. An important civic duty that you’ll want to partake in, to ensure that your interests are best represented by your local politician, which can only happen if you vote. Therefore, be sure to update your voter registration!
While it’s great that your family and friends will know where to find you, you’ll also want to make sure that your banking information (think new bankcard and pin) will only reach you too. If you don’t want your hard-earned cash going to the new residents of your old house, make sure your bank is on your who to notify when moving house checklist for the UK.
Speaking of money, it’s important not to forget to add any public of private pension funds to your who to notify when moving house checklist! It’s in your best interest to keep the address up to date so you don’t miss any important news about your pension!
If you won’t be benefiting from the utilities, be sure to cancel their services. Fortunately, you can plan to end the supply before your move. However, you might prefer to transfer your utilities to your new address rather than having to find a new supplier!
Unless you happen to be remaining in the same area, you’ll need to inform your GP, dentist, and optician that you’ll be leaving. Tell them before you go so, they can prepare your medical and dental records and prescriptions for your new healthcare providers. Doing it early means less hassle later.
Of course, if you have pets, don’t forget to tell their healthcare provider too. Your veterinarian will surely miss caring for your adorable furry friend, but their new vet will appreciate knowing their medical history! For the sake of your furry friend, be sure to add your pet’s vet to your who to notify when moving house checklist.
Should you or your dependents be enrolled in an institution, you will certainly want to inform them of a change of address or school. Otherwise, important information might be sent to the wrong address! Also, they’ll need to know if there will be a change of school so they can prepare all the necessary documents for the transfer. The sooner you inform them, the smoother it’ll be.
Everybody likes their belongings, and we imagine that you do too. If you want to see that they still retain their insurance protection, be sure to inform your insurance provider about your change of address. This is doubly important when it comes to home insurance as there will need to be an evaluation of your new home to adjust your premium. It wouldn’t be ideal to have insurance for the residents of your old home and not your own!
That was a lot, so here’s a quick recap of the most important institutions to add to your who to notify when moving house checklist in the form of an infographic!
If you were not at least a little stressed about your move, you wouldn’t be human. Therefore, next on our moving house checklist are ways to make sure your moving day is no more stressful than it needs to be.
First of all, congratulations! Moving house is no easy task, but we knew you would make it. Even though the hard part is over, there are unfortunately a few things still to organise once your move is completed. But make sure you have a well-deserved rest before you move onto this part of our moving house checklist.
Once your move is complete, it’s time return to normal. Therefore, you’ll need to tidy your house and rehouse a lot of packing material. However, before you throw it call in the bin, you might find that you can sell or give away the boxes and material you used to move house, it’s always ideal to reuse material to have a more sustainable move.
If you can’t find someone to who needs them, be sure to recycle what you can!
While it’s very unlikely that a stranger will have a set of keys for your new house, we recommend getting a locksmith to change your locks so that you, and only you, have a unique set of keys.
This might be a tad too obvious point in this moving house checklist and you’ll need to unpack unless the idea of living out of boxes tickles your fancy. But don’t worry, this should be the fun part! Put on your favourite tunes and start decorating and organising your new home. We recommend unpacking room by room to keep yourself organised.
We know that tax is not the word you want to hear, however this does not mean you can ignore it. If you have bought your new property and it costs over £125,000, you will have to pay stamp duty within 30 days.
Final, your move is truly over. If you’ve covered everything in our moving house checklist, then you can sit back and relax with a nice cuppa and enjoy your new home!
However, if you’re desperate for one more task for your moving house checklist, we recommend that you go out and meet your neighbors and become familiar with your new area. New friends and excitement await you!
You have now covered our what to do when moving house checklist. Wahoo! Now all there is to do is to enjoy your new home. Learn the ins and outs of your local area, sample your local cafes and bars and of course, throw your housewarming party!
We hope that this page has been helpful in providing a step-by-step moving house checklist and has provided some reassurance that you are not alone. We have faith that you are going to thrive in your new home. If you’re still in the midst of organising your move, we recommend read the pages we have linked below for you. 🙂
