Moving Planning
Moving Checklist: How to Plan Your Move Step by Step
A move becomes easier to manage when decisions are made in the right order. This checklist takes you from the first survey to the first days in your new home and can be adapted to both small and large households.
Eight to twelve weeks before the move
Define the basic framework: moving window, addresses, household size, floors, lifts and carrying distances. Review tenancy documents and record notice, handover and preparation requirements without making assumptions about unclear clauses.
Decide which tasks you will handle and where professional support is useful. Accurate quotations require a realistic inventory and, for larger projects, often a survey.
- Create a room-by-room inventory
- Set the preferred date and a fallback
- Coordinate leave, childcare and helpers
- Compare quotations on the same scope
- Collect documents for both properties
Six to eight weeks before
Declutter before ordering boxes. Selling, donating or disposing of confirmed items reduces volume, carrying work and space requirements.
Discuss lift use, building rules and protective measures with the landlord or property manager. If a temporary parking restriction is needed, local approval and correctly timed signs may be required.
- Review utilities and internet arrangements
- Organise school, nursery and care
- Check the new floor plan and furniture measurements
- Clarify parking and access at both addresses
- Plan materials and specialist handling
Four weeks before
Pack items that are rarely used. Label every box with destination room, a short contents note and a number linked to a simple inventory.
Prepare address notifications for authorities, employers, banks, insurers, subscriptions and personal contacts, timed to the actual move.
- Obtain strong boxes and protective material
- Prepare address and mail-forwarding lists
- Gather tools and labelled fitting bags
- Plan personal transport for valuables and documents
- Arrange meter-reading and handover appointments
Two weeks before
Reconfirm times, access, contacts and scope. Report changes in volume immediately; an added cellar or unexpected dismantling can affect the plan.
Arrange calm, safe care for children and pets away from carrying routes. Keep food, medication and familiar essentials accessible.
- Use up chilled and frozen food
- Return borrowed items
- Inform neighbours where appropriate
- Check every key
- Confirm cleaning and handover
Final week and day before
Finish all non-essential packing and keep screws, fittings, controls and cables clearly assigned to their furniture or device.
Your essentials bag stays with you, not in the load. Include identification, medicines, keys, chargers, toiletries, clothing, drinks and handover documents.
- Seal boxes and clear walkways
- Photograph electronic connections
- Prepare appliances to manufacturer guidance
- Carry jewellery and original documents personally
- Charge phones and retain contact numbers
Moving day
Walk through the property before work starts and agree sequence, protection and excluded items. Keep children, pets and bystanders clear of loading areas.
After loading, inspect every room, storage area, garage and outside space. Record meter readings, keys and property condition.
- Keep contacts available at both addresses
- Direct boxes to destination rooms
- Use the furniture plan
- Document handover
- Record concerns factually
Ten weeks before: contracts and time
Check notice periods, any overlap between tenancies and the agreed return condition. Entitlement to paid moving leave depends on the employment arrangement and circumstances, so confirm leave with the employer rather than assuming it applies.
Compare moving companies against the same scope. Totals are not comparable when packing, assembly, materials, carrying distances or parking arrangements are treated differently.
Checklist
- Record notice and access dates
- Agree leave or other time off
- Request comparable scopes of work
- Arrange a survey or digital inventory review
Three weeks before: services and notifications
Coordinate electricity, internet and telephone changes with the actual move. Connection appointments may require lead time, and a confirmed date is more useful than an informal request.
Create an address list for banks, insurers, employers, schools, childcare, associations and other providers. Registration requirements vary, so use the competent official authority for the destination.
- Schedule mail forwarding
- Collect meter and account references
- Review insurance and address changes
- Notify school or childcare
- Prioritise essential senders
Two days before
Close nearly all boxes and keep immediate needs separate. Medicines, identity documents, keys and valuables remain under personal control.
Prepare tools, cleaning products and the first-need box so they can be unloaded first. Prepare refrigeration appliances in line with manufacturer instructions.
Checklist
- Document wallet complete
- Medicines and aids accessible
- Tool and essentials box marked
- Food and drinks arranged
- Contact numbers stored
The day before
Reconfirm the time, addresses, access and contacts. Check that loading areas are usable, lifts are reserved and any authorised temporary parking restriction is correctly in place.
Pack a personal overnight bag. Children and pets need familiar items, food, medicines and safe care away from loading routes.
- Charge phones and batteries
- Keep cash, jewellery and identification with you
- Sort keys by property and purpose
- Separate bedding, clothes and toiletries
- Provide water and simple food
Property handover
Inspect the property together in adequate light. Record condition, outstanding work, meter readings, the number of keys and the date in writing. Photographs can support the record.
Do not accept unclear additions under time pressure. A competent tenancy adviser is more appropriate for disputed legal questions than a generic online answer.
Checklist
- Check every room and storage area
- Record electricity, gas and water readings
- Count keys individually
- Describe visible differences neutrally
- Ensure both parties retain a copy
The first week after moving
Prioritise registration, working utilities and the rooms needed for daily life. Check numbered boxes, furniture and delicate items in a controlled sequence.
Install name labels, update contact details and report missing or damaged items clearly and promptly.
- Set up beds, bathroom and kitchen
- Check official registration duties
- Monitor mail forwarding
- Keep transport and handover records together
- Assign dates to open actions
The first four weeks
Finish address and service changes and review initial bills. Return, reuse or correctly dispose of packing materials according to the arrangement.
Retain quotations, the order, handover records, meter readings and receipts together. A final action list prevents small tasks from becoming permanent.
Checklist
- Confirm utilities and providers
- Review insurer and bank details
- Track defects and follow-up work
- Reconcile all boxes
- Archive project records
Common mistakes across the move
Frequent problems include an incomplete inventory, unconfirmed access, packing materials ordered too late and essentials placed in the load. Unspoken assumptions between helpers, providers and building management also create gaps.
Update one central list whenever quantity, timing or access changes, and tell every party affected.
Checklist
- Do not keep tasks only in memory
- Compare the written scope
- Include every storage area
- Allow handover and travel buffers
- Never place documents or valuables in ordinary boxes
Frequently asked questions
When should I start planning a move?
Eight to twelve weeks is a useful lead time for a typical household move. Large or cross-border moves and restricted dates usually require earlier planning.
What belongs in an essentials bag?
Identification, keys, medication, chargers, contracts, toiletries, clothing, drinks, food and the documents needed for transport and handover.
Who arranges parking restrictions?
That depends on the agreed scope. Confirm early who applies for permission, supplies signs and places them within the required timeframe.
