With UK’s moving home season at its peak, new research conducted by us reveals that half of the population feel that relocating is more stressful than visiting the doctor (49%), going on a first date (31%), or starting a new job (29%).
Apart from the cost of moving (28%), which Barclays Bank suggests can top £11,000**, nearly one in five Brits (19%) have put off moving because of packing. Enduring the anxiety of selling a home and finding a buyer is also listed as one of the other main reasons (15%).
With Brits expecting to move home an average of six times over the course of their lifetime, we have launched a Moving House Checklist in collaboration with professional home organiser, Lucy Mansey (@organisedbylucy), to help people alleviate the stress.
A step-by-step 8 week moving home checklist
The 6 week countdown to moving day…
Create a budget
Moving can be overwhelming due to a range of factors including hidden costs. Creating a moving budget is the best way to track your spending and ensure you have the money to cover all the costs. These include moving packaging, removal fees, insurance, changing your service providers, and buying new items for your house.
Have a big clear out
There’s no point taking things you don’t want or need to your new property as they’ll simply stay in the corner and gather dust. Rather than throw them away, donate to charity or sell these items on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, or eBay. Decluttering also will help removal companies to provide a more accurate cost when getting quotes
Book a rental van or removals company
Source a minimum of three quotes before deciding which company to book. Booking this earlier allows you to have a timeline to work onwards. Make sure to read reviews before booking so you feel confident in the company.
Check any changes to your insurance policy
Check with your insurance company to see what changes may need to be made to your insurance policy. Ensure your new home is insured from the day you sign the contract.
4 weeks to go… let everyone know you’re moving
Inform key individuals and companies about the move
If your friends and neighbours don’t already know about your move, now’s the time to tell them. Also, let your bank, know as soon as a moving date is confirmed as failing to do so could leave you vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.
Inform your GP about your move and register for another GP in your new area. This is crucial if you are moving far from your old home.
Get your admin in order
Most utility suppliers need to be informed about your move a month in advance. Ensure you also arrange a re-connection at your new property. Don’t forget to move your TV and broadband provider. This is also a good time to compare prices and potentially switch energy, internet, and phone deals to ensure you’re getting the best deal. Check through the bank and credit card statements to make sure you haven’t missed any important suppliers
Sort out your mail
If you don’t know who is moving into the property you are vacating, use the Royal Mail’s redirection service to ensure that any bills or other mail you may have received to your old address still reaches you. If the mail isn’t redirected you will need to call the sender and either update your address or ask to be removed from the mailing list
Apply for a parking permit
If you are moving to a residents-only parking area, apply for a parking permit beforehand to save any hassle on your moving day. Contact your local council or concierge.
Three weeks to go… make moving day as stress-free as possible
Make a list of your inventory
Inventory lists are important because it clearly displays the contents of your house and what needs to be moved.
Purchase packaging materials
When buying boxes, consider its strength instead of just the price as you don’t want any issues on moving day, especially when packing heavy items. You will also need rolls of bubble wrap, packing tape, labels and marker pens for labeling boxes. You might even be able to get free boxes from Facebook Marketplace or your local retail store. We sell a range of durable boxes and other packaging materials. View range
Arrange for child or pet care
Moving is stressful enough as it is, but the added pressure of having children or the family dog running around while packing and arranging boxes on moving day can add to this pressure. Be sure to make arrangements in advance
Organise time off work
Consider booking time off work to accommodate your move and give as much notice as possible. Keep your employer updated if there are any changes to the moving date.
Begin cleaning and packing storage areas
When packing, start with the areas of your home that you use the least frequently such as the garage, attic, loft, shed or garden. Items that have been cleaned and packed can be ticked off your inventory list to help you stay organised and on top of what has been packed.
Look into booking a storage unit if you need to
By now you will begin to have an idea of how many items you will need to move and whether you have the storage capacity in your new home. Storage units are a great alternative for those who have items they want to keep but that have nowhere to store them. Plus, it can be used for seasonal belongings you don’t use all year round such as wool blankets, festive decorations or shoes, and clothing.
We have a range of units sizes and facilities across London in Bow, Marylebone, Harrow, and Beckton.
Two weeks to go… begin packing for the move
Update your council tax
Most councils will have an online form for you to complete when you are about to move home. This form will ask for the date you bought the property, the contact details of the new owners of your home and your new contact details and address
Book a time slot for the lift
If you live in an apartment, book a time slot with the building management to alleviate crowded lifts and make transporting your boxes a seamless task.
Note: not all flats and apartments offer this service.
Start packing non-essential items
This includes the likes of furniture in spare rooms, books, DVDs, décor, shelves, picture frames and light fittings.
Cancel delivery services and subscriptions
Make a list of all your subscriptions. This includes the gym, food boxes, newspaper and magazine subscriptions. Some of them can be moved to your new house whereas other ones that are local might need to be cancelled.
One week to go… you’re almost there
Collect the keys
Find out when you will receive the keys to your new home and organise collection. After all, you can’t move into your new home without the keys!
Deep clean your home
Deep cleans can often take longer than one day, especially when you are juggling multiple different tasks at one time, so start early to leave yourself enough time to clean and pack your items simultaneously. Alternatively, hire a professional cleaner to help out.
Dismantle large pieces of furniture
This includes dressers, beds, tables, and desks. If the piece of furniture is challenging to disassemble, consider hiring professionals so it doesn’t get damaged in the process. Look into platforms such as AirTasker to hire a local provider that can fit within your budget. Dismantling furniture will help it pass through narrow hallways and doorways during the move. Remember to store screws and bolts in zip lock bags and tape them to the furniture to keep them secure to avoid losing them. It’s a good idea to label them too.
Five days to go… try not to lose sleep
Finish or throw away freezer foods and other perishables
People often forget all about their freezer food when moving but no one wants to take a half-eaten bag of frozen chips to their new home, so try to finish off any food you don’t plan on taking with you. Also, don’t forget to defrost the fridge and freezer.
Do your laundry
Doing your laundry beforehand will save you the trouble of having a pile of dirty clothes to sort out when you get to your new home.
Organise valuables
Separate all valuable items such as jewellery, passports and important document as you can risk losing them during the move. Make sure you personally transport these to your new place so they’re in safe hands.
Find out where things are in your new home
Ask the owners of your new home about the key utilities including where the stopcock, instructions for appliances, location of the gas and electric meters, thermostat and fuse box. Although these things may be easy to find once you arrive at your new home, it will save time if you know exactly where they are located.
Pack essentials for moving day separately
When you move you will need essentials for the first night and it is best to pack these in a separate box away from other household items. Things you should consider packing include important documents, cutlery, dining wear, non-perishable foods, cleaning products, electronics, loungewear, toiletries, bedding and bin bags.
Moving day!
Before you drive off to your new home, here are still a few things that need to be done:
- Record final meter readings for your electric, gas, and water meters. Finish off packing before the removal company arrives
- Label any spare keys and remove all old house keys from your keyring to avoid confusion
- When loading the van, group the boxes by room starting with the rooms of least priority first and placing them at the back of the van. This will help when you arrive at your new home and want to unload the van
- Do a final check to ensure that you haven’t forgotten any items
- Make sure all windows and doors are locked
- Make sure you have a moving day survival kit: tea, coffee, sugar, biscuits, fruit, spare tape, soap, toilet roll and of course the kettle
- Drop off your old keys with the new owners/estate agent as agreed
And there you have it! You’ve made it through the move! Of course, the first week or two will be a little disjointed, but if you’ve followed your moving checklist, it should be plain sailing.
Posted on 15th July 2022 by Attic Storage | Last updated on 28th February 2024
