The Big Move

Moving house can leave you with a big headache, but with a little planning you can make it as stress free as possible. Our Moving home guide will help you plan the weeks and days before your move.

Packing and Planning

When you start looking for your next home, moving day seems a long way off in the future. Some people will leave their packing and organisation until they have exchanged contracts. It?s a much better idea to start packing non-essentials as soon as possible. You can never over estimate how long it will take to pack up your entire home.

The added bonus of starting to pack early is the effect on how your house looks to potential buyers. Decluttering rooms will make them look larger to potential buyers and the longer you give yourself to pack and plan, the easier the whole move day will be.

Packing advice

Before you start, give back any borrowed items. You have enough to pack of your own!
Keep a couple of boxes to one side to put all your unwanted belongings in them for charity.
Pack a room at a time and mark each box with its contents and what room it will be moved to in your new home. Also write on the box whether you can stack other heavy boxes on top of it. You don?t want to stack your heavy books on top of your fragile ornaments by accident.
Make sure only small boxes are used to pack heavy items such as books. Remember you or your removal firm will have to pick up and carry all those heavy boxes and you don?t want any back injuries.
On the moving day make sure the boxes containing the things you use least often are packed in the van first.

Moving timetable

4 weeks before
Book a day or two off of work for the big day Contact removal firms and get quotes and book one, as they tend to be booked up in advance. This way you will ensure you can move on the day that you want. Also check the insurance cover of the removal firm as things may get broken in the move. Start using up your freezer food. Order new furniture or carpets for when you move in.

2 weeks before
Arrange for your mail to be redirected to your new address. Royal mail provide this service for a fee Arrange from someone to look after the kids and pets during the move. Send out change of address letters to friends and family Arrange a date to collect the keys to your new home Cancel all deliveries e.g. papers, milk Inform your doctor, dentist, optician and research new ones if moving to a new area

2 weeks before

Arrange for your mail to be redirected to your new address. Royal mail provide this service for a fee
Arrange from someone to look after the kids and pets during the move.
Send out change of address letters to friends and family
Arrange a date to collect the keys to your new home
Cancel all deliveries e.g. papers, milk
Inform your doctor, dentist, optician and research new ones if moving to a new area

1 week before
Change address details, e.g. bank, work, DVLA, credit card company... Lots of local authorities have information for those moving into their districts on their web sites. Just search for your council name and the term ?moving house?. They will have advice on local parking permits (will you need one especially on the move day?), contact details for Council Tax offices, refuse collection days and other local information.

1 week before

Change address details, e.g. bank, work, DVLA, credit card company...
Lots of local authorities have information for those moving into their districts on their web sites. Just search for your council name and the term ?moving house?. They will have advice on local parking permits (will you need one especially on the move day?), contact details for Council Tax offices, refuse collection days and other local information.

3 days
Pack your family?s personal overnight bags Do a last clothes wash Check you know how you will be obtaining the keys to your new house and what you should be doing with the ones from your old house.

2 days
Empty and defrost your fridge and freezer, if it will travel a long way Make sure the removal vehicles have enough space to get to both houses. So your not carrying heavy boxes further than you need to. If moving into a flat check to see if you will have lift access.

Day before
Finish packing the overnight bags for each family member so you don?t have to worry about unpacking on the first night. Make up a survival kit box with essential items such as first aid kit, painkillers, cleaning equipment and a small tool selection for reassembling furniture. Toilet roll, hand towel, paper plates cups and cutlery. snacks, drinks, t-bags, milk, note pad and pen and a list of all the essential phone numbers you will need. Get a good nights sleep

Day before

Finish packing the overnight bags for each family member so you don?t have to worry about unpacking on the first night.
Make up a survival kit box with essential items such as first aid kit, painkillers, cleaning equipment and a small tool selection for reassembling furniture. Toilet roll, hand towel, paper plates cups and cutlery. snacks, drinks, t-bags, milk, note pad and pen and a list of all the essential phone numbers you will need.
Get a good nights sleep

Moving Day
If you have small children get your family or friends to look after them for the day. Not only will it be dangerous having small people rushing around and being tripped over but you will need all your attention for the job inhand. If you haven?t got anyone to look after your kids, make sure you have a few toys, colouring books etc and find a nice quiet space in your new house for them. The same applies to pets. Make the first room that has had its boxes delivered and won?t have the door opened for a while, a safe haven for your pets. Food, water, a litter tray, toys and a bed will help occupy them. Take meter readings in your old and new homes. Confirm that the removal firm know where they are going. Once all boxes have been moved out, do a last sweep of every room to make sure you haven?t forgot anything. Be at the new house before the removal firm. Offer the removal men tea and plenty of biscuits. Don?t try to unpack everything at once, try to relax and start to enjoy your new home.

Moving Day

If you have small children get your family or friends to look after them for the day. Not only will it be dangerous having small people rushing around and being tripped over but you will need all your attention for the job inhand.
If you haven?t got anyone to look after your kids, make sure you have a few toys, colouring books etc and find a nice quiet space in your new house for them.
The same applies to pets. Make the first room that has had its boxes delivered and won?t have the door opened for a while, a safe haven for your pets. Food, water, a litter tray, toys and a bed will help occupy them.
Take meter readings in your old and new homes.
Confirm that the removal firm know where they are going.
Once all boxes have been moved out, do a last sweep of every room to make sure you haven?t forgot anything.
Be at the new house before the removal firm. Offer the removal men tea and plenty of biscuits.
Don?t try to unpack everything at once, try to relax and start to enjoy your new home.