It’s incredibly exciting moving home, but it’s essential that you are organised and forward plan to make one of life’s most stressful events run smoothly and stress free!
Six weeks before the move, or as early as possible
- Confirm your moving date with your agent. It’s not always going to be possible to secure a midweek date, but if you can, bear in mind it will be quieter than a Friday, weekend or bank holiday and you will find it easier to book a date with a removal company.
- Order new furniture at least six weeks in advance of the move, as quite often you’ll have to wait for delivery of goods or in fact for your furniture to be made.
- Start getting quotes for removal companies as you’ll often have to book well in advance. Ask round family or friends for recommendations and if budget allows, get the chosen company to do the packing and moving so that it is less stressful for you, especially if you have kids as packing while entertaining can be hard work!
- If you have the time and energy, you could consider doing the moving yourself depending on the amount of belongings you own, furniture or size of house you are moving out of. Ask friends and family to help with the moving and see if you can find a reputable company to hire a van from. Often there will be local ads on online selling sites for a man with a van!
- If you have a young family, get in touch with schools and nurseries in the area to ensure that you register children as early as possible. You’ll also need to consider ordering new uniforms etc.
- You may have already had a clear out when you prepared to get your property on the market (if you were selling and buying), but if not, start to have a clear out. You could sell any unwanted clothes or belongings to make some extra cash or donate it to a local charity.
Four weeks before the move
- Start collecting packing materials such as large cardboard boxes, which can often be picked up at your local store if you ask a member of staff. You’ll also need tape (lots of it), newspapers or padding to wrap breakables in and a marker to write on each box what’s in it or what room it’s to go in when you arrive at the new house.
- Start to let people know you are moving house, not only family and friends, but also people like energy suppliers, credit card suppliers, doctors, dentists etc. and consider asking Royal Mail to set up a re-direct service for your mail to your new address?
- Check your items are insured for the move. It may be covered by your home insurance but important to check. The removal company may offer insurance for a small fee.
- You’ll also need to think about home and contents insurance for your new property. It might be covered within your mortgage agreement but not always so again, worth a check.
- Organise for someone to look after your kids and/or pets. It will make for a much less stressful day if you know your loved ones are being well cared for and you don’t have to worry about them escaping out the door on your moving day.
Two weeks to go
- Get in touch with Royal Mail now if you haven’t done so already, to re-direct your mail.
- Ensure you have contacted all your friends and family with your new address.
- Remember to cancel window cleaners, gardeners, newspapers or magazine subscriptions to your old address
- It is also a kind gesture to create a file of key documents to provide to whoever will be moving in to your old home. This can Include instruction leaflets, information on heating systems and appliances, details of rubbish collections and recycling schemes.
- If you have spare keys for the property or spares that were given to friends/family in the past, round them all up and pass these to your solicitor/agent.
One week to go
- Get in touch with your removal company to confirm not only your booking, but that they have the correct day, time and address of your new property where your belongings will be getting delivered to.
- You should be well underway with packing, so it should in theory just be items left that you use on a regular basis that have been left out. These can now be packed away. As mentioned previously, it’s a good idea to mark each box with a highlighter so that both you and the removal company have an easier job of sorting and unpacking at the other end.
One day to go
- Defrost the freezer and empty the kitchen cupboards.
- Pack a moving survival kit! Tea, coffee, biscuits, kettle, bed linens – all the essentials that you will need on your arrival at your new home.
Moving day has arrived!
- Walk the movers around your home, giving them specific instructions on what you want moved/left, and point our fragile items! Also set a pile aside to take in your own method of transport such as your move day survival kit and other essentials that you may need easy access to.
- Give the removal company a note of your mobile phone number incase of emergencies or unexpected hold ups and make sure you have theirs.
- Take a ‘last’ meter reading of gas, electric and any other relevant readings. Photographic evidence is also recommended so that you have a record of it and can refer to it at a later date.
- Take a last walk round the property ensuring everything is turned off and check all windows and doors are secured shut and locked.
- It is common courtesy to leave the property in a ‘walk in’ condition so make sure you’ve given the house a good clean. Think how you would want to feel walking into your new property. If the thought of cleaning seems a bit daunting, consider paying a professional company to do it for you.
- Carry out a final sanity check once the removal men have loaded the van to make sure everything has been taken with you, and don’t forget to check the garden, shed and garage.
- Finally, pick up the keys for your new home from your solicitor.
Arriving at your new home
- First thing to do is take a reading of the utility meters – again take a photo if possible.
- Change the locks – as you never know who has a spare key for your new property.
- Get the boiler serviced and the electrical wiring checked. You can sign up with your energy provider for breakdown cover with the first service so always a good idea. Nothing worse than a boiler breakdown during the winter months and it’s not always quick or easy to get an engineer out.
Get the bubbly cracked open & relax, you’ve made it, you’re in your new home!
