Our moving checklists
4 - 2 Weeks before Moving
Start packing/sorting.
If you are doing the packing yourself start as soon as you can, and certainly no later than two weeks to go. The trend lately is to exchange and
complete sometimes within the same week. This means if you wait until you exchange before starting to pack you can find yourself with a mountain to climb. We know that until you do exchange you cannot be certain that the move will go ahead.
So what about clearing out the attic, packing up your summer or winter clothes, in the kitchen the items you hardly use e.g. toasted sandwich maker, fondue set, soda stream (remember them, it's probably right at the back of your cupboard) even books and videos how often do you watch/read these? This will give you a chance to sort through your possessions and have a good clear out and also ease the stress when you get the call to say they want to complete in a few days time.
Change of address.
Remember to let companies know of your new change of address. IamMOVING.com is a Free online service that makes it simple to change all
your address details in one go. Iammoving.com also allows you to stop services at your old address and start them at the new one, perfect for stuff like electricity and gas supply. For more information visit www.IamMOVING.com
Take your views with you when you move.
When you move house, make sure you don't lose your right to vote. Unless you inform the local council that you've moved, you
may not be able to vote in future elections. Moving to a new area? Make sure you take your views with you - register to vote at your new address www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
Land/Mobile phones.
Contact providers including Internet account and advise them of your change of address and the date that you wish your new number to operate from.
If you are no longer going to use the same service provider then you MUST give them a months notice, sometimes in writing. If you do not then you will be billed for a service that you are no longer using. Make sure that if your phone is to be disconnected that you have a
way to contact your solicitor and estate agent on moving day incase of any problems.
Car.
Have your car/cars serviced, particularly if you are moving a long distance away.- DVLA. If you have changed address, you must tell the DVLA to update both your:
Driving Licence
* DVLA no longer issues paper licences. Photo card application packs are available from your Post Office.
Vehicle Registration Certificate
Parking.
If you have any parking restrictions at either your present or your new address, you will need to contact the local authorities to arrange for a suspension of the
parking restrictions outside your property on your moving day. Remember that a removal van can be the same size as a double-decker bus and needs extra space to be manoeuvred into position. For optimum loading and unload the rear of the van needs to be directly outside your front door and if your house is on a hill then facing downhill. If in doubt about the size of vehicle your removal company is sending, contact them and they will let you know how much space they require.
Junk Mail.
If you want to stop receiving all addressed direct mail from companies or charities that you have not dealt with before, you can register your details free-of-charge
with the Mailing Preference Service (MPS). By doing this you can remove your name from up to 95% of direct mail lists in the UK. To request a registration form, please phone 0845 703 4599 or register online at www.mpsonline.org.uk
Bank.
Notify your bank/banks of your change of address and maybe consider transferring your accounts to a branch nearer to your new home. If you have anything
retained for safe keeping with your bank or solicitors please don't forget these.
Credit/Store cards.
When you receive your statements, fill out the change of address form. This is usually on the reverse of the statement. Don't forget to notify any card
protection insurers that you may have.
N.B. If when you are sorting through your credit cards and bank statements and you decide to throw some away, we would highly recommend that you shred them. Don't throw the shredded paper away just yet, instead keep it to use as packing around fragile items.
Schools.
Let your child's school know when you intend them to be leaving, and advise the new school when you intend your children to start.
HMRC.
When you notify your local tax office you will need to quote your reference number, this can be found on your pay slip/P60/code notification.
Insurance's/Pensions.
Contact your broker or the individual companies for your Life, Motor, Medical, Pet and Contents insurance. When contacting your house contents
insurers, check with them to see what cover you have regarding moving house, you may find that you are fully covered and have no need to take out extra cover with your removal
company.
Landlord/Tenants.
Give the appropriate notice to quit or tell tenants of any change of landlord.
Doctor, Dentist & Opticians.
If you are moving out of the local area you will have de-register with them and register with new ones in your new area. Check with your
hospital if you are undergoing regular treatment as an out patient. If you have your contact lenses delivered directly to your door it is really important to let your Opticians know your
new address so that your next three month pack arrives in the right place at the right time.
Hotels.
If you need hotel accommodation during your removal, book your hotel well in advance, especially if you are moving within the summer months.
Council Tax.
Notify the relevant authorities in both your current area and the area you are moving to. for more info go to www.voa.gov.uk
Pets.
Check out our pet moving advice page for helpful advice. If you are intending to book your pets into Kennels/cattery do so now. Arrange for the transfer of your pet's
records to the new vet.
1 week before moving day
Take your views with you when you move.
When you move house, make sure you don't lose your right to vote. Unless you inform the local council that you've moved, you
may not be able to vote in future elections. Moving to a new area? Make sure you take your views with you - register to vote at your new address www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
TV Licence.
Did you know that your TV Licence does not automatically move with you when you move house? If you don't notify TV Licensing of your new address, you
could end up being unlicensed in your new home, even if you paid for a licence at your old address. Anyone who watches TV without a licence risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1,000, so make sure you're covered.
Changing your address details.
Remember to change all your utility services. IamMOVING.com is a free service that allows you to change your address details online, stopping services at your new address and starting them again at your property. www.IamMOVING.com
Electricity.*
Contact your existing and new electricity companies. Advise them of your new address and date of removal. Give at least 48 hours notice.
Gas.*
Contact your existing and new gas companies. Advise them of your new address and date of removal. Give at least 48 hours notice.
*The gas and electricity markets are now open to competition and you can choose your supplier.
Water.
At least 48 hours notice is required by both your existing and your new authority to arrange for disconnection and re-connection of supply.
Library.
Now is the ideal chance to return any library books that you find, no matter how long you have had them. Also advise them of your new address.
Subscriptions.
Notify all organisations, charities and magazines which you subscribe to of your new address.
Newspapers/Milk.
Settle all outstanding accounts and cancel them all.
Soft Furnishings.
If you have arranged to have carpets / curtains etc delivered to your new address, confirm that the companies have the correct delivery address, date and
time. If you have to have your carpets fitted on the day of the removal remember that you will have removal men walking in and out of your new house so tell your removal company and arrange for the carpets to be put down as soon as you receive the keys.
Borrowed or loaned items.
Return any items that you have borrowed from friends and neighbours.
Children.
If possible arrange for the children to be looked after on removal day
3 days until moving day.
Pack a bag.
Fill this with a change of clothes. Include a survival kit for the other end; include things like, toilet rolls, light bulbs, candles, a few tools, matches, cash and a list
of important telephone numbers. Include anything that you think you might need for the couple of days after moving day. You can put jewellery and valuables in this bag, and on the day of the removal, lock it in the car.
Laundry.
Do a last minute laundry. Have you arranged for a plumber to disconnect the washer? Some removal companies will do this for you but only as a favour most will
not and cannot as they are not insured to do so.
Keys.
Please check that the keys to your new home are going to be available and that you know what to do with your own keys. Any spare keys should be clearly labeled and
left where they will be seen when you leave the house on moving day. Please remember not to leave them in direct view of any window. The kitchen work top is usually good as its normally the first room the new people will head towards and organise first.
Parking.
Check with neighbours and resolve any parking problems. The average removal van is the same size as a double decker bus. You need to leave room for the
lorry to manoeuvre into position. The removal team will usually want to have the back doors of the wagon as near to the access point as possible and if on an incline the lorry will want to be facing downhill (this stops everything falling out when they open the doors).
2 days until moving day.
Fridges/Freezers.
Empty, defrost and dry out your fridge / freezer, this is most important if your furniture is to go into store or over a long distance. If you don't do this
it will defrost on its own in the back of the removal van, leaking over everything around it. Please remember food stuffs cannot be moved into store. If you have been quoted to have your freezer moved with the contents still inside (will only apply to short distances) put the contents into polythene bags so they can be lifted out while carrying the freezer and placed back inside with the minimum of fuss.
Kitchen cupboards.
Go through the kitchen cupboards and throw out anything that is out of date, also while you are there check to make sure all the packets, bottles and jars
are sealed tightly to avoid spillage.
Valuables/documents.
Pack valuables and documents and put in a safe place
Split Deliveries.
If some of your furniture is to be delivered to more than one destination, confirm with the receiving parties the delivery date and time.
The day before the big move.
Packing.
Aim to finish the packing today, apart from a few essentials in the kitchen and bathroom. You will feel so much better when you can see the end is finally in sight.
"Don't forget to clearly mark the boxes with the room name you would like them to end up in".
Dismantle & Disconnect.
Unless you have arranged with the removal company, you will be expected to dismantle any self-assembly furniture that cannot be moved out in
one. Take down curtains and any fixtures you are intending to take with you. Make sure you have disconnected the washer and fitted the transit brackets to secure the drum. Defrosted the fridge / freezer unless you have arranged to have these moved with the food inside, if this is the case pack the contents into bags so they can be lifted out quickly.
Snack box.
Make up a box of refreshments for the next day, bearing in mind that your cooker may be disconnected or in the back of a removal van. Include tea, coffee, sugar
etc, and the most important item of all the kettle, you will have to keep the refreshments flowing as moving house is very thirsty work. A selection of cold drinks is also a good idea. Mark on the box "kettle things" or "brewing tackle" and it will be guaranteed to be last on, first off the van.
Toiletries box.
Make up a box in the bathroom and put in the toiletries that you aren't using. Leave this box open to put in all the other toiletries tomorrow morning after everyone has got up and cleaned their teeth, you can then seal it up.
Outside items.
Anything outside that you can move, try and put either inside the garage or in a dry place, there is nothing worse than putting soaking wet outside furniture into a removal van along with all your other furniture.
Parking.
If you have difficulty parking outside your house, it could be a good idea to park your own car or cars outside so that your removal van will be able to park outside. Remember the van needs more room than its own length to manoeuvre.
Draw a map.
Sit down and either write out some directions or draw a plan on how to get to your new address, including a contact number.
Mobile phone.
Make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged up for tomorrow, you are probably going to need it.
Moving day, Loading
Children.
Drop the children off or organise a corner of the lounge with some of their toys and a few treats. Older children may want specific tasks, like packing up their own
personal box or put in charge of making sure cupboards etc are empty.
Bathroom.
Finish packing the toiletries box, and then take everything out of the bathroom that you want to go. You can now put all the bits and bobs that you don't want
the removal men to take in the bathroom and shut the door.
Strip the beds.
Put the linen into a box that is clearly marked or bin liners, these usually end up being placed on top of your bed at the other end. If you are having the packing done just fold the linen and leave on top of the beds so they can be easily packed.
The van arrives.
The team leader/foreman will introduce themselves and their crew. Show the team leader around the house and tell them exactly what is to go and what
isn't. If you have emptied the bathroom of articles that are to go, tell him that there is nothing to go out of there and shut the door.
The kettle.
Most important, moving house is very thirsty work for everyone involved. Keep the kettle boiling and the biscuits flowing.
Check every where.
Once the van is loaded, take a walk around with the team leader to ensure that all the items to be moved have been placed on the van. This is your
responsibility to make sure nothing is left behind. Check behind doors, in cupboards and on the walls. You would be surprised how often people keep looking at a clock on the wall, but
never remember to take it down.
Wave goodbye.
Say goodbye to the removal van, hopefully with your directions to your new house. Now read all the relevant meters and load up your cars/car. Have a last
good look around for anything you might have forgotten. Check that all the windows and doors are locked when you leave.
Moving day, Unloading
Your new house.
Open up and have a look around. Inform your team leader of which
rooms are going to be which.
Direct traffic.
Once you are settled have someone stand at the main entrance that the removal men are using and direct them to the appropriate rooms. Remember all the
furniture and boxes are yours so don't expect the removal men to know where you would like things to go. If you are having boxes unpacked, the contents will usually be placed onto a table or appropriate surface for you to put away.
Check the van.
When the van is empty, have a look inside so you know there isn't anything left. If you can't find an item at least you know that it must be in the house
somewhere. Check around the house and if you need anything heavy moving ask the removal men they will be more than happy to help. But don't take advantage, and have them move everything again and again.
Make the beds.
The main thing to do tonight is to go to bed and get a good night sleep.
Sit down & relax.
Tomorrow you can start unpacking and sorting out.
