Moving house: the complete 8-week checklist

Moving day itself is chaos; the weeks around it are where everything is won or lost. This checklist runs from eight weeks out to the week after, so you can hand over the keys and sleep in the new house the same night.

8 weeks before

Book the essentials

• Book your removals - good firms book out weeks ahead; get three quotes
• Tell your mortgage lender you’re moving (if you’re porting the mortgage)
• Check your buildings and contents insurance - arrange cover from completion day
• Book any school/GP/dentist visits you need before the move

4 weeks before

The address-change blitz

• Redirect your post with Royal Mail - do this early; it takes effect in days and lasts up to a year
• Utilities and broadband: give notice, get final readings, book the new connections
• Council tax: tell both councils (moving date + new property details)
• Update your details: bank, employer, DVLA (V5C and licence), HMRC, pension, insurance, subscriptions, gym, GP
• Register to vote at the new address (separate from council tax)

2 weeks before

Pack with a system

• Pack room by room, labelling every box with room + contents
• Prepare an “essentials box”: kettle, mugs, tea, loo roll, chargers, first-aid kit, a change of clothes, pet supplies
• Take meter readings at the old property (photo them - date-stamped)
• Defrost the freezer, drain what needs draining
• Arrange pet and child care for moving day itself
• Confirm the removal time and the parking situation at both ends

Moving day

• Do a final walkthrough of the old home - every room, cupboard and loft
• Take final meter readings as you leave
• Hand over keys at the agreed time (keys to the new home come via the estate agent or your conveyancer - know who, where and when)
• Give the removals crew the essentials box last in, first out
• Check the new home for damage or missing items before the crew leaves - note anything on the inventory

The week after

• Read the new meters and tell the suppliers (or they’ll estimate - and overcharge)
• Update your address with anyone you missed (post redirect catches most)
• Check insurance actually went live - claim windows are unforgiving
• Find the stopcock, fuse box and boiler controls - before you need them in an emergency
• Introduce yourself to the neighbours - it’s how you learn the bins, the parking rules and the good plumber

Source: Citizens Advice - moving home — Moving checklist and responsibilities checked August 2026