Home > Articles

The Complete Moving House Checklist for 2023

Free conveyancing quote
The Complete Moving House Checklist for 2023
Safia Anwar
Legally reviewed by: Safia Anwar Updated: In: Conveyancing

Moving House Checklist

Moving home doesn’t have to be stressful and scary.  A lot of the stress that comes with moving house can be alleviated with a solid plan. However, it’s important not to underestimate the scale of the job. Moving can be a huge endeavor, especially when going it alone to cut costs. This moving house checklist aims to set you up with a guide from the start to the end of the process so that you can move home as smoothly as possible.

Is the New Year a Good Time to Move?

The Christmas period often provides a time of reflection on what individuals want for the year to come. In many cases, this leaves individuals eager and ready to move into a new home for the upcoming year. If the Christmas period has you thinking about a new home, you are not alone. Each year sees a surge in searches for a new house from Boxing Day to mid-January. This is known in the industry as the ‘Boxing Day Bounce’. As a result, many people end up moving house from February into late spring or early summer.

Historically, the summer months see houses sell slower. This can be attributed to the summer holiday period slowing down the housing market. Additionally, with the current prices of heating a home, more people are looking to move in the winter, spurred on by the desire to move into a more energy-efficient home.

Assess the Cost of Moving

With the rise in interest rates, 1 in 3 Britons view the cost of moving house as the biggest deterrent. When it comes to moving, there are a lot of different financial factors to consider. This includes stamp duty, mortgage costs, surveyor fees, solicitor fees, removal costs, household bills such as energy costs and council tax, and much more.

Figuring out an estimate of these fees can help you determine how much you have left to put toward a property. A mortgage calculator can help you see how much your mortgage repayments will cost depending on the property purchase price, the deposit you can put down, the repayment term, and the interest rate. Knowing how much money everything will cost can allow you to budget accordingly. Making sure that you have enough money for the move can help avoid disappointment in having your mortgage application turned down and costs spiraling out of control.

Make a Plan of What You Want From the Move

Once you have a guide for how much you can spend on moving, you can start thinking about what you want from a property within your budget. You might want to consider factors such as whether will you move to a new area. It’s recommended to create a list of what is essential and not essential that you can refer to during house viewings.

There can be a lot to consider, and some forward planning may be required. If you are planning to start a family, you might want to look for a property near relatives and good schools. If you have pets, you might want to move to an area near some green spaces. If you work remotely you might want to check if the location has good broadband connectivity and coffee shops. Alternatively, if work away from home, you will want to check transport links.

Read more about factors to consider when thinking of moving here.

Although new builds are not for everyone, buying one can reduce some stress when moving. As you are at the top of the chain, you do not need to rely on the previous occupant to move out before you can move in.

Additionally, no surveys are required, saving some costs. You can rest assured that the property will be of a certain standard as everything is new, therefore avoiding unpleasant discoveries. A new build home will also be built to be energy efficient, making it cheaper to run. Moving to a new build house can save a household £2,600 on energy bills each year.

Get Your Home Ready

Before your moving date, it’s a good idea to start decluttering. Bringing unwanted items to your new house not only makes the removal process more difficult but can cost you money and time.

To stop the process from becoming overwhelming, allocate plenty of time to declutter. Start working room by room. By giving yourself a lot of time, you can have time to potentially sell items online, bring them to a car boot sale or donate them to charity. Additionally, a clean and uncluttered home will help when listing your house for sale.

Read more about what buyers might be looking for in your house. 

Arrange Experts to Help with the Move

When deciding to sell and buy a house, making sure you choose the right professionals can be a daunting task. Asking your friends and families which service they have chosen can be a good way to get a trustworthy service. Additionally, you can look at online reviews and client testimonies.

When it comes to hiring a removal company you will want to assess your situation. Do you know someone that could drive a large van? Do you have enough time to factor in some extra days for moving? Do you have any friends or family that could help with the move? If you do not, you may want to look into hiring a removal company to alleviate stress on the day.

Create a Moving House Checklist for Move-in Day

The best way to reduce stress on move-in day is to plan.

By getting ahead and prepping for an hour, you can save up to five hours of unpacking.

Below are some tips to make moving house stress-free:

Make removal plans

In advance of moving house, you will want to decide if you are going to book a removal company or do it yourself. Going it alone could damage valuable furniture if not done properly and can take longer, although you can save a significant amount of money. Booking a vehicle removal service can be costly but can save time and effort. If you opt for a removal service, it’s important to factor this into the cost to avoid last-minute unexpected costs. If you are doing the move yourself, make sure you allocate more time as it will take longer without a professional removal company.

Take photos of your old home

If you want to recreate spaces in your new house, you can take photos of your current home before you start packing.

Remove clutter

Make sure you declutter so that you don’t want to pay to move unwanted things. If you start way in advance of your move, you will allow time to sell items online or at car boot sales.

Put together a “security box”

Phil Spencer, television personality and moving expert, recommends putting together a “security box.” This is a secure bag or box that has your important items and documents including items such as:

  • IDs
  • Money
  • Jewellery
  • Credit cards
  • Valuables
  • Heirlooms

It’s recommended that you give these to a trusted friend or family member. After you have moved you can collect these items. This can prevent important items from getting lost or damaged in the move.

Give your fridge/freezer time to defrost

A few days before you move you will want to empty your fridge and freezer. This will allow enough time for you to properly defrost and clean them before they need to be packed.

Pack properly

Packing properly can save a lot of stress when it comes to move-in day. Start by drawing up a plan for the new home and write down what moving boxes will be needed in each room.

The next step is to make sure you have the correct packing materials to avoid damage. Items like bubble wrap and good-quality moving boxes can be used. However, you can also utilise household items such as laundry baskets and suitcases.

Start in the least used room such as the garage or laundry room. This allows you to work room by room, so packing doesn’t take over your whole house but also allows you to keep the rooms that you need functioning for as long as possible.

Make sure not to fill your boxes so that nothing can move around and break. However, you also don’t want to overfill your boxes. You can use blankets and cushions to pad out extra space in the boxes.

When taking apart furniture such as beds, make sure to keep all the parts in a marked bag. You may want to go online and print any instructions for rebuilding that you might have lost.

Get your utilities in check

Before you move it’s important to get your utilities in check. Some examples are:

  • Notify your doctor
  • Update your address at the bank
  • Let utility companies know your move-in date
  • Set up a Royal Mail redirect

Have a box of essentials

Pack a box of essentials that will get you through the move day. Some items to include are:

  • Easy food and drink for the day
  • Medication
  • Phone chargers
  • Wallet
  • A change of clothes
  • Toilet rolls

What to Do on Move-in Day

On the day of your move make sure to not forget your security box and box of essentials.

If you are using a removal company, make sure to pass on your plans for where the boxes should go.

If you have kids, let them play at a friend or family house for the day. If you have a pet, either have a friend look after them for the day or make sure that their bed and toys are the last things that you pack. You will also want to update their microchip with your new address as well as their tag. Once you have made the move don’t wash your pet’s bedding for a few weeks, so they have a familiar smell in the new house.

When you get into your new property, make sure you know how the boiler and thermostat work. Additionally, locate the stopcock so you can shut off the water or gas in case of a leak.

In the next few days, you might want to change the locks in your new home. You never know who has access to the old locks.

Moving House with AWH Solicitors

If you are ready to buy a new property, then our expert conveyancing solicitors can help. Whether you are buying a house for the first time, moving home, or adding a property to your portfolio we know it can be equally stressful and exciting.

We are proud to hold and maintain a Law Society Conveyancing Quality Accreditation, and our years of experience allow us to assist you with a full range of conveyancing needs. We are also regulated and authorised by the solicitor’s regulation authority.

We have expert property solicitors ready to deal with all aspects of residential freehold and leasehold conveyancing. Contact us online today, call us on 0800 999 2220 or try our online conveyancing calculator.

Get in touch