How to Plan a House Move: The Complete Timeline and Checklist

Why a Timeline Matters More Than a To-Do List

Most people write a list. What they actually need is a timeline. The difference matters because moving house involves dozens of tasks that must happen in a specific order — book removals too late and you'll pay a premium or find no availability at all; notify your bank too early and mail goes to the wrong address before you've even collected the keys.

This guide gives you a week-by-week structure from eight weeks out to moving day itself. Use it as a master document alongside your Property Passport UK account, where you can store the completion paperwork, warranties, and utility agreements you'll accumulate as you go.

Eight to Six Weeks Before Moving Day

This is the planning phase. Your goal is to lock in the big decisions before everything gets busy.

**Confirm your moving date.** Exchange of contracts gives you a completion date. That is your moving day. Everything else in this list flows from it.

**Book your removal company.** Removal firms in popular areas fill up quickly, especially on Fridays and at the end of the month. Get at least three quotes and book as soon as you have a confirmed date. Read our separate guide on hiring a removal company for what to ask before you sign anything.

**Start decluttering.** Every item you don't move is money saved and stress avoided. Begin in the rooms you use least — loft, garage, spare bedroom — and work your way through systematically. See our decluttering guide for a practical framework.

**Notify your employer and key contacts.** HR departments often need several weeks' notice to update payroll and correspondence addresses. Get this done early.

**Research your new area.** If you have children, check school catchment areas and admission processes now. Register with a GP as soon as you know your new address.

Five to Three Weeks Before Moving Day

The logistics phase. This is where most of the organisational work happens.

**Order packing materials.** Double-wall boxes for books and breakables, wardrobe boxes for hanging clothes, bubble wrap and packing paper. You will need more than you think — most people underestimate by around 30%.

**Start packing non-essentials.** Books, seasonal clothes, decorative items, tools, spare bedding. Label every box on the top and at least one side with the destination room and a brief description of contents.

**Begin your change of address notifications.** DVLA, HMRC, your bank, pension providers, insurance companies, subscriptions. Our separate change of address checklist covers every organisation you need to contact.

**Arrange a postal redirection with Royal Mail.** It takes up to five working days to process. A 12-month redirection costs around £36 per person and acts as a safety net for anything you miss.

**Take meter readings at your current property.** Photograph the gas, electricity, and water meters. These are your final readings for billing purposes at your old address.

**Confirm all utilities at the new property.** Contact suppliers for your new home to arrange transfer or set up new accounts. See our utilities guide for the full process.

**Notify your contents and buildings insurer.** Cover at the old property typically ends on completion day. Check that you have cover in place for the new property from that date.

Two Weeks Before Moving Day

**Confirm everything with your removal company.** Check the time they will arrive, whether they are bringing packing materials, how payment works, and what their policy is on delays (common in chains).

**Arrange childcare and pet care for moving day.** Moving with young children or pets underfoot is dangerous and exhausting. Arrange for them to be elsewhere for as much of the day as possible.

**Pack a moving day essentials box.** This should travel in your car, not the removal van. Include: kettle, mugs, tea and coffee, phone chargers, toilet roll, a change of clothes, basic tools (screwdrivers, Allen keys), any medication, important documents, and snacks.

**Defrost the fridge and freezer.** Do this two to three days before the move so everything is dry and odour-free by moving day.

**Photograph your current property.** Room by room, including the condition of walls, floors, and fixtures. This protects you if there are any deposit or dilapidations disputes later.

Moving Day

**Do a final walkthrough before you leave.** Check every room, cupboard, loft hatch, and garden shed. Check the garage, outbuildings, and the meter cupboard. Don't forget items that are easy to miss: keys on hooks, items in the airing cupboard, things hanging in the utility room.

**Hand over all keys.** Leave them with your estate agent or solicitor as agreed.

**At the new property, take meter readings immediately.** This is your starting point for billing and should be photographed and stored — your Property Passport UK account is a good place to keep these alongside your completion documents.

**Check the condition of the property.** Walk through every room before the removal team starts bringing items in. Note anything that needs to be raised with the seller's solicitor.

**Make one room liveable first.** Before the van is fully unloaded, set up the bedroom with bedding and the bathroom with essentials. At the end of a long day, having one functional space makes an enormous difference.

The Week After Moving Day

Update your driving licence and vehicle registration documents with DVLA. Register to vote at your new address on the government's website. Check that your bank and building society have the new address on their systems. Chase any organisations that haven't confirmed receipt of your change of address.

Store your completion statement, title register, and any warranties or guarantees from the move in a secure, accessible place. Property Passport UK lets you upload and organise these documents by property, so they're always to hand when you need them — whether for an insurance claim, a remortgage, or a future sale.

A house move is one of the most logistically demanding things most people ever do. A clear timeline, booked well in advance, turns it from a source of chaos into a manageable project.