Moving House Checklist UK 2026: What to Do and When

The best way to move house without forgetting anything is to work backwards from your moving date: book the things with long lead times first (removals, broadband and, if you rent, your notice), tell organisations about two weeks before, and leave the week after the move for updating your address. The checklist below does exactly that.

Want it with real dates? The free moving planner asks six quick questions — including which UK nation you’re moving to and whether you’re renting or buying — and turns this checklist into a dated plan you can tick off.

8 weeks or more before

• Set a moving budget. Include removals, packing materials, cleaning, any overlap in rent or bills, and legal or letting fees. Our removal costs guide has current prices.
• Get quotes from at least three removal firms. For bigger homes, ask for a survey (in person or by video) so the quote is accurate.
• Declutter room by room. Sell, donate or recycle what you won’t take — less to move usually means a cheaper move.
• Renting? Give notice (see renting below).
• Buying or selling? Instruct a solicitor or conveyancer and check your mortgage offer’s expiry date.
• Children changing school? Contact the council (or the Education Authority in Northern Ireland) about places early.

6 weeks before

• Book your removal firm and confirm in writing what’s included.
• Order broadband for the new home. New connections can need an engineer, so this is one to do early — see moving house broadband.
• Get boxes, tape and labels. Start packing rooms you rarely use: loft, garage, spare room.
• Arrange childcare or pet care for moving day if you need it.
• Book storage if there’s a gap between moving out and moving in.

4 weeks before

• Arrange home and contents insurance for the new address, and check your belongings are covered in transit.
• Tell your energy supplier your moving date. Citizens Advice says to give at least 48 hours’ notice — earlier is easier.
• Check parking for the removal van at both homes. On permit-controlled streets you may need to ask the council to suspend a bay.
• Buying? Arrange buildings insurance from the point you become responsible for the property — your solicitor will tell you when.

2 weeks before

• Book Royal Mail redirection — at least five working days before you move.
• Tell your council, water company and TV Licensing. Our who to notify guide has the full list with official links.
• Tell your car insurer — your premium can change with your postcode.
• Order any repeat prescriptions to cover the move.
• Cancel or move local services — gym, cleaner, deliveries.

1 week before

• Confirm arrival time, both addresses, parking and a contact number with your removal firm.
• Finish packing everything except essentials. Label boxes by room.
• Pack a first-night box — kettle, mugs, snacks, toilet roll, chargers, bedding, medication, basic tools and documents. Our first home essentials checklist covers what else you’ll need.
• Run down and defrost the freezer at least 24 hours before.
• Renting? Book an end-of-tenancy clean and check your inventory for the standard expected.

Moving day

• Take meter readings at both homes — photograph gas, electricity and water meters with the date.
• Keep documents, keys, chargers and valuables with you, not in the van.
• Do a final check of every room, cupboard, the loft and the garden.
• Renting out? Attend the check-out and return all keys. Renting in? Photograph every room and report problems in writing straight away.
• Find the stopcock, fuse box and meters in your new home.

First week after moving

• Register to vote at your new address.
• Update DVLA (licence and log book), HMRC, banks and your employer.
• Register with a GP if you’ve moved out of your surgery’s area.
• Update your pet’s microchip details.
• Find out your bin collection days and test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
• Check your final and first energy bills use the readings you took.

If you’re renting

The rules depend on where the home is:

• England: from 1 May 2026, private tenancies roll on from month to month with no end date, and tenants can end them with two months’ notice, according to the government’s Renters’ Rights Act explainer. Your new landlord must check your right to rent before the tenancy starts.
• Wales: tenancies are now occupation contracts. Check your written statement for the notice you must give.
• Scotland and Northern Ireland: check your tenancy agreement for the notice period and how to give it.

Wherever you rent, give notice in writing and keep a copy, and check your new deposit is protected — in England and Wales your landlord must put it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days.

If you’re buying or selling

• Tax on buying: Stamp Duty Land Tax applies in England and Northern Ireland. Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax and Wales has Land Transaction Tax. Your solicitor or conveyancer will tell you how much to transfer and when.
• Scotland works differently: sellers provide a Home Report, and the sale becomes binding when the solicitors conclude missives rather than at exchange of contracts.
• Book removals for your completion or settlement date and check the firm’s policy if the date moves.

Make it your own

Every move is different — a two-bed rental in Cardiff needs a different list from a family house purchase in Glasgow. The moving planner builds your checklist from your answers, adds the right tasks and official links for your nation, and saves your progress on your device.