Moving house: the checklist to finish before the van arrives

Moving day is easier when the decisions have already been made. The boxes are only part of it: somebody needs to know when the van can park, where the keys will come from and which bag contains the charger you will need that evening.

Use this checklist as a sequence, not a promise that every move can be organised in four weeks. Start earlier for a complicated move, limited access or a busy removals period. If your date is uncertain, prepare what you can and check cancellation or rescheduling terms before committing to bookings.

First, make one moving list

Create a single place for the address, contact numbers, quotations, access details and outstanding tasks. Give every task an owner. “Sort broadband” is easy for two people to assume the other is doing; “Sam to confirm the new installation date” is a task someone can finish.

Walk through the home and decide what is coming with you. Check lofts, sheds and cupboards you rarely open. Set aside time for items that need selling or donating, and make a separate plan for anything requiring specialist disposal.

If furniture is leaving, measure it and the access route before advertising it. Our guide to selling furniture before a move explains how to make collection easier to arrange.

Before booking the van or removals team

Build a moving budget as well as a task list. MoneyHelper's moving-cost guide includes removals, possible storage and smaller moving-day expenses. Compare written quotations and leave room for the costs your particular household will face.

Describe both properties accurately: stairs, lift size, restricted parking, long carries and large items. Ask what the quotation includes, who packs, what cover applies and what happens if the moving date changes. Keep the written response with the quote.

Check parking arrangements at both ends. A space outside a building is not necessarily available for a removal vehicle. Ask the relevant council or property manager what is needed, allowing time for any arrangements they require.

Agree how you will receive the keys and who will tell you when access is available. For a property purchase, follow your conveyancer's instructions; an anticipated completion time is not a reason to assume you can enter early.

Pack for rooms and for the first evening

Label boxes on the side with the destination room and a short description. “Kitchen: mugs and tea” beats “miscellaneous”. Keep heavy items in manageable loads and protect fragile pieces in accordance with the remover's packing advice.

Keep an essentials bag with you: keys, documents, medication, chargers, water, basic toiletries and a change of clothes. Add what your household needs for children or pets. Separately, mark a first-evening box containing bedding, towels, toilet roll, cups and whatever makes a simple meal possible.

Tell organisations directly

Make a list of utilities, council tax, banks, insurance, employer, healthcare contacts and subscriptions. Confirm dates and account details using each organisation's own process. Check broadband lead times before assuming the connection will be ready when the boxes arrive.

Royal Mail redirection can help catch post while you update senders, but it does not change your address with them. If you drive, use the DVLA address-change checklist: your driving licence and vehicle log book are separate updates where applicable.

Record the handover and leave a useful home behind

Take dated meter photographs at both properties where you have access, keep the readings and tell the relevant suppliers. Follow the agreed inventory or fixtures-and-fittings arrangements. Leave any promised instructions, labelled keys and helpful operating information together.

Before the final journey, check every room and storage space. At the new home, locate essential controls and make the first night comfortable before trying to unpack everything. A functioning bedroom and a clear route to the bathroom are a better first target than perfect shelves.