Start eight weeks out and moving house stops being a scramble. Most of the stress people associate with moving comes from tasks that were easy in week eight and impossible in week one.
This is the checklist we give our own customers, whether you are relocating across Chester or moving to the other end of the country. Work backwards from your moving date and tick things off as you go.
Eight weeks before: lay the groundwork
- Confirm your moving date so everything else can be planned around it.
- Book your removals company. Good firms get booked up months ahead in summer and at the end of the month, so this is the one to do first.
- Arrange a pre-move survey. A home removals survey is how you get an accurate quote rather than an estimate. We look at what you have, how much of it there is and what access is like at both ends, then price the job properly.
- Declutter room by room. Decide what to keep, sell, donate or put into storage. Anything you are unsure about is a storage decision, not a bin decision.
- Notify your utility providers and arrange to transfer or close accounts.
- Sort your packing materials. We supply boxes, tape and protective wrapping if you would rather not chase them down yourself.
Tip: Decluttering early cuts the volume, and volume is what your quote is based on. Every box you do not move is a box you do not pay to move or unpack.
Six weeks before: get organised
- Start a moving folder, physical or digital, for contracts, quotes, receipts and reference numbers.
- Tell schools and your employer. School transfers in particular can take weeks to process.
- Book your utility disconnection and reconnection dates.
- Ask about eco-friendly packing if that matters to you. Reusable crates and biodegradable materials are both options.
Four weeks before: pack and confirm
- Begin packing anything you will not need before the move. Books, out-of-season clothes, spare bedding, decorations.
- Label every box with the room it is going to and roughly what is in it. Colour-coded labels make unloading much faster.
- Confirm the details with your removals company, including parking arrangements and any permits needed at either property.
- Check your insurance cover for valuables in transit.
- Start eating down the freezer. Frozen food does not travel.
Tip: If packing is the part you are dreading, hand it over. A trained team packs a full house in a day, and everything is wrapped to a standard that survives the journey.
Two weeks before: change of address
- Set up Royal Mail redirection and update your address with:
- Banks, credit cards and insurers
- Your GP, dentist and any other healthcare providers
- DVLA, HMRC and the electoral roll
- Subscriptions and online shopping accounts
- Pack a survival box with kettle, mugs, tea, toiletries, phone chargers, medication, a change of clothes and your important documents. This box travels with you, not in the van.
- Arrange childcare or pet care for the day itself.
- Dispose of anything that cannot be transported, including paint, gas canisters, aerosols and garden chemicals. Your local household waste centre will take most of it.
Tip: If you have a smart doorbell, cameras or a smart thermostat, note down the account details now and factory reset the devices before you leave.
One week before: final checks
- Deep clean the property you are leaving, or book a cleaner to do it after the van has gone.
- Dismantle any large furniture that is not part of your removal service.
- Defrost and dry the fridge and freezer. Give it at least 24 hours.
- Reconfirm timings with your removals company and your solicitor.
- Put your documents, keys and valuables together somewhere you cannot accidentally pack them.
Moving day
- Walk through every room, cupboard and the loft before the van leaves.
- Take meter readings for gas, electricity and water, and photograph them.
- Hand the keys over to the estate agent or the new owners.
- Stay reachable while the team loads and unloads, and tell them which rooms things are going into at the new house.
- Keep the survival box with you all day.
Tip: Ten minutes spent telling the crew how the new house is laid out saves an hour of moving furniture twice.
After the move: settling in
- Unpack the kitchen and the beds first. Everything else can wait.
- Test the heating, hot water and alarms, and find the stopcock and consumer unit.
- Update your driving licence and vehicle logbook, and register with a local GP if you have moved area.
- Say hello to the neighbours. They know which bin goes out when.
Moving soon?
Britannia Cestrian handles house moves across Chester, Cheshire, the Wirral and North Wales, with packing services and secure storage on the same site. The earlier you book, the more choice you have over dates.
Get in touch to arrange your survey and we will give you a firm quote.
