What is the first thing to do when moving house?

The Essential First Step: Your Moving Timeline and Checklist

The very first thing to do when moving house is to establish a comprehensive moving timeline and create a detailed checklist. This foundational organisational effort is paramount, setting the stage for all subsequent actions and ensuring a more efficient and less stressful relocation. Without a clear plan, the myriad tasks involved in a house move can quickly become overwhelming.

Building Your Timeline

Effective planning typically begins 8–12 weeks before the intended moving day. This generous lead time allows for thoughtful decision-making, proper budgeting, and avoiding any last-minute scrambles. It is far easier to make adjustments to a well-considered plan than to react to unforeseen issues closer to the move date. Key actions to schedule early within your timeline include:

• Conducting an initial decluttering pass through your current home. Deciding what to keep, donate, sell, or dispose of significantly reduces the volume of items to be moved.
• Researching and obtaining quotes from man and van services or professional removal companies. This step is crucial for understanding costs and availability. Consider using a service to Compare man and van companies online.
• Notifying landlords or estate agents, if applicable, of your moving intentions.
• Budgeting for all moving-related expenses, from packing materials to removal costs and potential cleaning services.

What Your Checklist Should Cover

Your detailed moving checklist should act as a step-by-step guide, breaking down the entire process into manageable tasks. A good checklist covers everything from the large, logistical elements down to the smaller, easily overlooked details. For a comprehensive guide, refer to the URemovals Moving Checklist. Essential categories within your checklist should include:

• Inventory and Decluttering: A room-by-room inventory helps track possessions and highlights items for decluttering.
• Removals Logistics: Booking your chosen removal service, arranging parking permits if needed (especially for city centre moves), and confirming access at both properties.
• Packing Strategy: Planning how and when you will pack, including securing packing materials.
• Administrative Tasks: Notifying utility providers (electricity, gas, water, internet), updating your council tax details, arranging mail redirection, and informing banks, doctors, and other essential services. A separate guide on who else needs your new address can be particularly helpful here.
• Essential Day-Of Items: A "first night box" with immediate necessities for arrival at the new property.

Avoiding the Last-Minute Rush

Starting with a timeline and checklist alleviates much of the pressure associated with moving. It allows you to tackle tasks methodically, rather than facing a mountainous pile of chores a week before the lorry arrives. This proactive approach ensures that by moving day, you're merely executing a well-rehearsed plan, rather than scrambling to complete overlooked essentials. No one wants to be frantically searching for the transit bolts for the washing machine when the removal team is at the door.