Moving house can be stressful, but there’s a lot you can do ahead of time to help it go more smoothly. A thorough moving checklist is a great place to start – here’s ours, which you can copy into a file and edit as you require or print out as-is to keep you organised and prepared

Contact your chosen removals firm (we recommend CityVan, of course!) and let them know your moving dates, exactly how much stuff you’ve got and what the special considerations are. Have a look at our post about the things that affect a man and van quote first, so you know what you need to consider.
Order all the boxes and packing materials you’ll need, with consideration for proper packaging of fragile items.
Hand in your notice to your landlord if you have one, and book the required days off work.
Decide who will need to be around for moving day – helpful friends and family, someone to look after any pets – and get in touch with them to make the arrangements.
Start decluttering. Use this as an opportunity to streamline your possessions – there’s no use moving things you don’t need!
Make the necessary arrangements to pick up the keys to your new home.

Get in touch with all your bills and utility companies: gas, electricity, broadband, mobile, television, etc.
Fill in the Post Office mail redirection form for any straggling letters that come after you’ve moved on.
Let your doctor know you’ll be moving, and if necessary start having your files transferred to a new GP surgery. This can take a while, so it’s better to get started sooner rather than later.
Book a cleaning firm to make your end-of-tenancy clean as smooth as possible, and potentially another to make sure your new space is ready for you.
Begin the process of packing up non-essentials; anything you can live without for the next two weeks. Packing is much less stressful when you take it slowly!

Make sure your employer and/or university know that you’ll be moving and have your new address.
Let the council know and make sure you’ve sorted out the council tax situation at both properties.
Get in touch with the DVLA and update the address attached to your driving licence, as well as your vehicle log book and any motor insurance.
Inform all your other insurance providers – health, care, pet, home & contents – that you’re moving, and update your records with them.

Update your address with your bank, and make sure all the details on your bank accounts and credit cards are up to date.
Finish the last of the packing before moving day arrives – you’ll have plenty of other things to worry about then!
Prepare a specific box of moving day essentials (pyjamas, cutlery, medication, snacks – anything you’ll need if you only open one bow that evening!) and keep it apart from the others, so you can find it easily.
Message your movers and your cleaners for a final confirmation that everything is in order.

Check round the whole space for anything you might have forgotten, strip down the beds, and do a final sweep of your kitchen cupboards.
Make sure you have a phone charger handy – you’ll need to be in frequent contact with your movers, as well as anyone else involved in the process.
Pack your moving day essentials box into the van last, so that it’s easily accessible when you arrive.
Take final meter readings from your old home.

Take initial meter readings for your gas and electricity, and get in touch with your providers to log them.
If permitted, look into having the locks changed.
Make sure all the relevant friends and family have your new address.
Locate the stopcock, and boiler and the fusebox, so you know where they are before you need them.

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