Ultimate Moving Checklist

Moving house can often be a stressful time in your life. Having a moving checklist helps you work through what you should be doing and when which will minimise the stress of last-minute things you haven’t done or are chased for.

What is a Moving Home Checklist?

Ashington’s Removals and Storage Moving Checklist will help you when you are moving home. We have over 10 years of experience in the removals and storage industry and know everything you need to know when it comes to moving home or business. We carry out local home and business removals as well as relocations and overseas moves.

Use our Moving Checklist and create your own moving plan with dates, a to-do list and files to keep all your documents together.

When Your Offer Is Accepted on a Property

It’s always a good idea to collate all of your property’s legal documents as soon as your home goes on the market so you have them ready when it sells. This means you have everything you need and no missing documents which you have to try to find or replace. The types of documents you will need can include:

1) 2 X Identity Documents which prove your name and address. These can include a recognised photo ID, either a driving licence or passport and a utility bill or bank statement from the last 3 months for your proof of address. It’s a good idea to be organised with this as most things are now online and you very often don’t get printed versions sent through the post now.

2) Leasehold/Shared Freehold Documents are needed but dependent on the type of property you own. If the property is leasehold, you will require your lease and a share certificate is needed for shared freehold homes.

3) Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) are now legally required in the UK when you are selling a property. Your estate agent can arrange for an EPC of your home before they market it as they now have to provide the energy efficiency of your home in its information pack for any potential buyers to see.

4) Property Title Deeds which are the original property title deeds. These official documents state the owners and ownership of your home. If you don’t have the original deeds then they are often digitally registered with HM Land Registry under your name, or some mortgage companies hold them.

5) Fittings and Contents Form (TA10) ensures both parties have a clear understanding of what will be included in the sale of your home. The form states if any, or which white goods, light fittings, wardrobes, curtain poles and curtains by room are included in the sale. This ensures thorough disclosure of the items you are leaving to the buyer. If you have a garden or any outdoor space then the TA10 will include the contents within these areas.

6) Property Information Form (TA6) is required when selling your property to provide your buyer with detailed information about the property. It includes everything from any current tenants, boundaries, as well as any ongoing complaints and disputes with neighbours which you are legally bound to disclose.

7) FENSA Certificates for Windows and Doors are the certificates supplied if you have had replacement doors or windows since 2002.

8) Boiler Certificates are needed if you or a previous owner has replaced the boiler. Gas safety certificates and service records are also needed to show the age of your boiler, any warranties and its service and safety records.

9) Electrical Certificates certifying that any electrical work (rewiring or electrical replacements) carried out in your property have been completed by a certified electrician.

10) Alterations and Extension Documentation are needed if you have an extension on your property, or if you have made any significant structural alterations. This shows your buyer that you obtained the required building regulation approvals before the changes were made.

Your solicitor will tell you what they need when you first instruct them and will include some of these documents early on in the process.

2 Months Before Moving

2 months before you move you should start your moving home checklist and at this point, there are a few things you should start to plan in and think about.

If you are currently renting a property it is normal that you would have a 2 months notice period, however, always check this in your contract as soon as you decide you are moving. If it’s 2 months then you should give your formal notice in writing by email and letter to your landlord or letting agent.

Start to get to know the area you are moving to, join local Facebook groups, have a wander around the area visiting restaurants, shops, supermarkets and leisure centres so you start to get a feel for the area. If you have children then it’s a great way to calm any nerves they may have about moving and if you’re close enough then join some groups so they can start to get involved with other children of their own age.

If they are school age then you will have hopefully already visited the local schools, applied for a place for them and been offered a place. Contact the school and ask if you can arrange some settling in days for them.

Go into each room in your home and make a list of the things you will take with you, the things you need to sell, anything that needs to go to the recycling centre and or charity shops and self-storage. It’s a good idea to have a really good declutter before you move so you start fresh with all the things you actually want in your new home and don’t pay to move the items that you don’t want to keep. When you’re doing this don’t forget the loft, garage and garden as these can often take people by surprise.

Start collecting sturdy boxes you can use for packing from friends, family, work colleagues, supermarkets and the recycling centre.

Arrange for removal companies to come and look at the items you want moving and ask for quotes for each level of service. Discuss access to your existing and your new home to ensure there are no concerns on your actual moving date. Ashington offer a bespoke moving service for their customers and the main level of services are:

Pack your own belongings in the weeks leading up to your move and we will load, transport and unload them into your new home to the room you want them in on the day of your move
We will come in the day before your move and pack everything for you ensuring we are ready to load, transport and unload on your move day
In addition to both of these services, we can dismantle any furniture and reassemble it for you at the other end on your moving day
We can also arrange for anything that you need to store to be transported to our purpose-built self-storage facilities on the day of your move

1 Month Before You Move

So you have 1 month to go until your moving day and at this point, if you are packing your belongings yourself you should start to pack the things you won’t need in the next few weeks. Don’t ever leave this job to the last minute as it always takes longer than you think and it’s very stressful if you get behind.

Start clearing and packing your loft, garage, shed and garden. Try to keep out only the essential items including, minimal kitchen items, clothes and belongings and this enables you to really make a good start with your packing.

Check your moving checklist to see how you are progressing with it

Ashington’s Packing Advice:

Use strong sturdy stackable boxes
Pack heavier items at the bottom of boxes
Wrap fragile items using soft furnishings to protect them if needed or wrap them in bubble wrap
Tape your box openings with strong tape
Pack boxes by room as this will help you when you are unpacking in your new home and always clearly label them by room

Ashington Removals & Storage can provide you with strong and sturdy boxes weeks before you move so you can get a head start or our team can come in the day before you move and do it all for you.

If you haven’t already then book your removal company and pay your deposit. Check with them what happens if they have staff absence on the day of your move, have they got enough team members to still move you, ask them what happens if your move date changes at a later date. All of these responses you should keep in writing. Using Ashington Removals means you don’t have to worry about any of this. The size of our operation means we have enough removal vehicles and team members to cover last-minute changes.

Research and purchase moving insurance to cover your belongings during the move. Ashington’s can help you with this.

Make plans to transfer your home and contents and car insurance to your new property’s address on the date of your move.

Contact your suppliers of services and insurance providers, including DVLA for your driving licence and vehicle logbook, breakdown cover and anything else you can think of to advise them of your move date and new address. To make sure you don’t miss anyone then sort through your paperwork and get rid of anything you no longer need and contact who you have left, this way you are clearing, sorting and advising in one go.

Make a list of your belongings and take photos of your furniture so you can show the condition it is in, in case anything is damaged during your move.

Arrange for childcare or pet care for the day of the move if you can, this means you can focus solely on getting your belongings moved without the worry of children or pets. Moving home can be quite distressing for them so it’s a good idea for them not to be around if possible.

Ask that your children’s school complete all of their paperwork and pass it onto their new school in time for them to start.

Request time off work for your moving day if you need to.

If you don’t think all your things will fit into your new home, look into local self-storage where you can store some of your belongings until there is space for them. Ashington’s have their own bespoke, secure and dry self-storage facilities and we can transport any items you need to go into storage on your move day so you don’t have to worry about it.

2 Weeks Before Moving

2 weeks before you should be a good way through your packing and have lots of boxes stacked neatly around you in each room. At this point, you should assess where you are with it and how much there is left to do. Any items that aren’t an absolute necessity for the next two weeks should be packed. Make sure you label all of your boxes clearly with a marker pen to state which room they need to be unloaded into in your new home. This will make unloading easier for your removal team as well as the unpacking for you.

Stock check your freezer and make a meal planner so you use all of your frozen food up at least 48 hours before your move date. Your freezer will need to be switched off and defrosted 2-3 days before you move. Only buy what you absolutely need when it comes to perishable items and try to run down your cupboards as this means less to pack and less to move on the day.

If you haven’t already:

Move your phone and broadband to your new home giving them your move date
Let all of your utility suppliers know your moving date
Contact TV Licensing to post date your change of address
Contact your dentist and optician
Notify Insurance Policies, Banks and Credit Cards
Arrange your post redirection service with Royal Mail
Send an email out to family and friends with your new address and moving date.

1 week Before

Takedown any light fittings you are taking with you and leave the bulbs in which you legally have to do.

Put together a move day survival box including:

Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, biscuits, snacks, plates, cutlery, soap, towel, tea towel, phone chargers, pyjamas and anything else that you think you may need if you don’t have any time to unpack quickly.

Check where you are against your moving checklist.

3 Days Before

Defrost your freezer

1 Day Before Your Move

Takedown any curtains, curtain poles, blinds etc.

Tape any remote controls to the backs of your TV’s to ensure they don’t get lost anywhere.

Dismantle any final furniture that you can.

Clean as many rooms as you can

Put all your valuables and personal documents in a safe place and ready for you to take to your new home rather than your removal company as you really don’t want it to get lost.

Put the documents and manuals for any items you are leaving including the boiler in one place in the kitchen for the new owners.

Unplug your washing machine ready to be loaded

Move Day

Take the final meter readings and send them to your suppliers.

Collect all of the keys for your home and leave them in one place for the new owners.

Do a final clean and wipe down.

Take photos of each empty room to prove the condition the property was in when you moved out.

Ensure all windows and doors are locked and secured.

Do one last check of your home before you leave it and close the door. Go through all the drawers and cupboards in every room and check the garage and garden.

Check your moving checklist is all complete.

Take your keys to your estate agent who will hand them to the new owners when they have been informed by your solicitor that the money has cleared.

Travel to your new home, take a deep breath and enjoy the whole experience.

Ultimate Moving Checklist.