Move house

A week-by-week moving house checklist for the UK, from booking removals eight weeks out to settling in after the move.

  • Prompts

77 steps · 8 weeks· the UK

Move house

  • 8 weeks before
    • Date and budget agreed

      +3 more steps

    • Removal firm booked

      +4 more steps

    • Clutter cleared

      +4 more steps

  • 4 weeks before
    • Packing started

      +4 more steps

    • Address changes started

      +6 more steps

    • Utilities and broadband arranged

      +4 more steps

  • 2 weeks before
    • Moving day confirmed

      +4 more steps

    • Packing mostly done

      +4 more steps

  • 1 week before
    • Essentials ready

      +4 more steps

    • Home emptied

      +4 more steps

  • Moving day Day 56
    • Old home left properly Day 56

      +4 more steps

    • New home settled Day 56

      +4 more steps

  • First week after Day 63
    • Admin finished Day 63

      +4 more steps

    • Home safe and set up Day 63

      +4 more steps

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About this plan

Moving house is a lot of small jobs with hard deadlines. This plan puts them in order, starting eight weeks before the move: the date and budget, removals, packing, address changes, utilities and moving day itself.

Each step is small enough to finish in one sitting. Where a rule or a fee varies by council or supplier, the step says where to check rather than guessing.

Copy it into Tatask and the dates are set for you. Change them to match your own moving date and tick things off as you go.

What's in this plan

See every step
  • 8 weeks before
    • Date and budget agreed
      • Set a total moving budget

        Include removals, packing materials, deposits and a buffer for things you forgot.

        Paste this into an AI assistant if you want a starting list.

        Prompt to copy

        List the costs I should budget for when moving house in the UK, in the order I am likely to pay them. I am <renting or buying> and moving <distance>. Do not guess any prices. Tell me where to look up each figure.
      • Confirm your moving date with your solicitor or agent

        Your completion or tenancy start date is agreed by the people handling the sale or letting, so ask them before you book anything.

      • Check the notice period in your tenancy or contract

        Many contracts set how much notice you must give. Read yours before you tell anyone.

    • Removal firm booked
      • Get 3 removal quotes

        Ask each firm for a written quote based on the same inventory so you can compare them fairly.

        Paste this into an AI assistant to draft the request.

        Prompt to copy

        Write a short, polite email asking a removal firm for a written quote. I am moving from <old town> to <new town> on or around <date>. The home has <number> bedrooms. Ask what is included, what insurance they carry and how much notice they need. Leave the details I have not given you as blanks.
      • Check each firm's insurance cover and reviews
      • Book the removal firm and get the booking in writing
      • Ask your council about parking for the removal van

        Rules and fees for suspending parking vary by council, so check your council's website.

    • Clutter cleared
      • List the rooms to clear, starting with the loft and shed
      • List items to sell online
      • Book a charity collection or a tip slot
      • Donate clothes and furniture you no longer use
  • 4 weeks before
    • Packing started
      • Buy boxes, tape and marker pens
      • Pack the rooms you use least

        Books, spare bedding and out-of-season clothes can go first.

      • Label every box with its room and contents #packing
      • Photograph the back of your TV and router before unplugging them

        The photo tells you which cable goes where at the other end.

    • Address changes started
      • Book a Royal Mail redirection for your post

        Redirection is a paid service. Book it on the Royal Mail website with a start date that matches your move.

      • Tell your bank, card providers and insurers your new address #admin
      • Tell your employer your new address #admin
      • Tell your old and new council about the move #admin

        Check your old and new council's websites for how to do this.

      • Update your driving licence address with the DVLA #admin

        Use the official service on GOV.UK.

      • Update your address with your doctor, dentist and optician #admin
    • Utilities and broadband arranged
      • Give your energy supplier your moving date #admin
      • Check who supplies water at the new address
      • Book your broadband move or a new installation

        New lines can take a while to install, so book as early as you can.

      • Update your TV Licence address #admin
  • 2 weeks before
    • Moving day confirmed
      • Confirm the date and arrival time with the removal firm
      • Confirm the key handover time with your agent or solicitor
      • Book the day off work
      • Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day
    • Packing mostly done
      • Pack non-essential kitchen items, keeping a few plates and mugs out
      • Take down shelves, pictures and curtain rails and bag the fittings
      • Dismantle large furniture and tape the screws to each piece
      • Cancel regular deliveries such as milk, newspapers and subscription boxes #admin
  • 1 week before
    • Essentials ready
      • Pack an essentials box: kettle, mugs, tea, first aid kit #packing
      • Pack a bag for each person with clothes, chargers and medication

        Keep this bag with you, not on the van.

      • Charge your phones and power banks
      • Withdraw some cash for tips and parking
    • Home emptied
      • Use up the food in your freezer, then defrost it
      • Finish packing every room except the bed and bathroom
      • Write down the new address on a card for the removal crew
      • Clean the rooms as you empty them
  • Moving day (day 56)
    • Old home left properly (day 56)
      • Take meter readings and photograph them

        Send these to your supplier so your final bill is accurate.

      • Walk through each room with the removal crew before they leave
      • Check every cupboard, drawer, the loft and the shed are empty
      • Hand over the keys and get a receipt if you can
    • New home settled (day 56)
      • Take meter readings at the new home and photograph them #admin
      • Check the boxes and furniture off against your list as they come in
      • Unpack the essentials box and make the beds first
      • Find the stopcock and the fuse box
  • First week after (day 63)
    • Admin finished (day 63)
      • Register with a local doctor and dentist #admin
      • Check your redirected post is arriving #admin
      • Send your new address to anyone still using the old one #admin
      • Check your broadband is working, or chase the installer
    • Home safe and set up (day 63)
      • Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarm
      • Take photos of any damage and report it to the landlord or builder if needed
      • Unpack one room a day, starting with the kitchen
      • Break down the empty boxes and book a recycling collection

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