Moving House: Order and Checklist

A month out: the irreversible first

Plan in order of how hard something is to change. Movers book out quickly in busy periods, so secure that first. Contractual obligations matter too — if you owe your current landlord notice by a deadline, missing it is expensive. Long-contract services such as internet also take time to transfer, so start them now.

• Book movers, comparing two or three quotes
• Check any contractual notice deadlines
• Arrange transfer of internet and phone lines
• Start discarding — less to move costs less

A week out: addresses and packing

Now the focus is address changes and actual packing. There are more places to update than expected, so a mail redirection service is a useful safety net for the ones you miss. Pack room by room and label each box with its contents and destination room — it dramatically shortens unpacking.

• Set up mail redirection
• Update address with banks, cards and insurers
• Label boxes with contents and destination room
• Keep day-one essentials in one separate box

Moving day: settle the meters

Final utility settlement is the most commonly forgotten step. Take electricity, gas and water readings before leaving so usage is fixed and no dispute arises with the next occupant. Gas disconnection and connection must be done by a technician, so book it in advance. At the new place, photograph walls, floors, taps and drains before moving anything in — that record settles restoration disputes later.

After moving: the one that matters most

Registering your new residence is both the easiest step to postpone and the most important, since for a rental with a deposit it connects directly to the legal protection of that deposit. Do it as soon as possible. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, so confirm the current procedure with the responsible local office.

Where costs can drop

Moving cost tracks the volume of belongings and the date. Discarding in advance lowers the quote itself, and avoiding weekends or month-end changes the price for identical work. Compare a few quotes, but be wary of unusually cheap ones — same-day add-on charges are a known pattern, so get the terms in writing.