Top Tips for Moving Home

Moving home is incredibly exciting, but it can also be stressful and overwhelming. You need to pack up your belongings, hire a removal company, plan where everything will go in your new home and deal with that long-neglected cupboard crammed with stuff. But don't panic! We've put together a checklist and a few helpful nuggets of wisdom to assist you on your moving journey.

Before you move

It’s a good idea to think about these actions a couple of weeks (or months, if you really like to plan) before you move house. 

Declutter

You’ll likely be paying a removal company to move your stuff, so now is a good time to think about whether you really need everything you’ve got. If you’ve never worn it, or if it’s been stored away in a box in the shed for years, then the answer might be no. 

Donate, sell or recycle the things you really don’t need. Moving into your new home without a load of clutter will make you feel a lot better. 

Book your removals

Whether you’re hiring a removal company or roping in friends with promises of pizza, get your helpers sorted early. Popular moving dates can book up fast, especially during the summer months and school holidays. 

Sort out your packing supplies

Stock up on sturdy boxes, packing tape, bubble wrap, sticky notes and markers. If your removal company isn’t supplying the packing materials, then some great places to enquire if anyone has boxes available for free are sites like Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree. You can also ask your local supermarket.

And if you think you’ve got enough boxes, you probably haven’t! It’s amazing how much you uncover when you’re moving. 

Start packing early

It might be tempting, but don't delay everything until the last minute. If it seems daunting, break it down to one room at a time, and start with the nonessentials, like books, DVDs, or clothes you won’t need for a while. Keep out everything you’ll still need day to day until close to moving time; that way you won’t have to keep scrabbling through boxes.

Using coloured post-its or tape is a great way to ensure all your boxes end up in the correct room in the new property. Use a marker pen to write what each box contains - really handy when you need to find the toaster on your first morning.

Redirect your post

Avoid important letters going astray by setting up a redirect via Royal Mail to your new address. You can arrange this up to 6 months before moving, and prices start from £39.50 for 3 months - with options also available for 6 months and 12 months. 

Arrange your phone line/broadband

It can sometimes take providers a couple of weeks to set up your new phone line or broadband service, so let them know your moving date a couple of weeks in advance.

On the day

Essentials box

Pack an ‘essentials’ box to take with you on the day. Good things to include are your kettle, tea and coffee, a few mugs, a packet of biscuits, a loo roll and a tea towel. A handful of takeaway menus might also come in handy over your first weekend. Make a note of emergency contact numbers and the removals company information in case your phone runs low on battery. On that note, it’s a great place to pack your phone chargers so you can easily get to them when you arrive.

Important documents

If you don’t have one already, buy a file, and while packing, put any important documents such as marriage or birth certificates, insurance documents, passports and bills into it. Pack this into your essentials box so it doesn’t get lost along the way.

Meter readings

Take final readings of your gas and electricity meters before you move out, and do the same for your new property to avoid any billing confusion.

Put down sheets or cardboard on the floorboards

The last thing you want is for your new house to get dirty or damaged when you’ve only just picked up the keys. Putting down a protective layer will not only prevent any scuffs or scratches on your floors or carpet, but it will also avoid dirty footprints getting all over your house. 

Check the lights work

It’s not unusual for sellers to take the lightbulbs with them when moving house. Checking early gives you enough time to pop out and pick any up - it’s much preferable to changing them in pitch black!

Unpack the essentials first

Start with the kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms; these are the most important spaces to get functional. Then work your way through the rest, box by box.

Make the bed

As soon as your beds arrive and you unload all the bedding from the truck, make them up. You’ll appreciate not having to wrestle with the duvet cover at night after a long and busy day.

After you’ve moved

Council tax and electoral roll

When you move into a new house, you need to register with your local authority to pay Council Tax and get on the electoral register so you can vote in local and national elections. 

Update your address

You’ll need to notify a number of people once you move house. Get in touch with:

• bank(s)
• credit card provider(s)
• insurance provider(s)
• pension provider(s)
• employer
• DVLA
• HMRC
• TV Licensing

We wish you the best of luck with your move. Let us know if you pick up any other great tips along the way!