Moving home can be an incredibly stressful process, as well as a costly one. Any work you can do in preparation to make your move a bit easier is a no-brainer. Here are some tips on what to do when you move home in the UK.
Agree a Date
This has to be the first item on the moving house checklist UK movers should focus on. Until you’ve confirmed a date for the big move, it’ll be tricky to tick anything else off your checklist. If you’re buying a house, you’ll probably need to move out and in, all in one day. But, if you’re renting, you might find that you can do the move over a few days.
Get Removals Quotes
Unless you’re planning to carry out the removals yourself, you should start gathering removals quotes straight away. Make this one of your priority things to do when you move house. Your budget will dictate how much support you can pay for. If money’s tight, you could hire a van for the day and ask some willing friends or family members to help you move.
If you’re using a removals service, you can get a basic removals package or even ask them to pack for you and reassemble your furniture. It’s a great idea to have a clear out and make a trip to the charity shop before you leave your current home. That way, when it comes to unpacking, you won’t be stuck with any unwanted stuff.
And, if you’re packing yourself, don’t forget to label the boxes. Jot down which room it needs to go to in your new house, and list everything that’s inside on the side of the box. Use masking tape to stick any nuts and bolts that go with furniture to the furniture itself so they don’t get mixed up.
Take Final Meter Readings
Before you leave your old home, take water, gas and electricity meter readings at your property. You could even take a photo of the meter. This will be time stamped so it’s proof of when the photo was taken. This is an important addition to your moving house checklist, UK wide. If you don’t contact your suppliers before you move, you could end up being billed for someone else’s usage.
Your utilities companies will likely have change of address forms on their websites which you can fill out. You will usually be able to stay with the same gas and electricity companies when you move if you prefer to. They can arrange the switch for you when you give them your new address. However, if you’re not tied into a fixed deal, check if you could save yourself some money by switching to a different gas or electricity deal – shop around.
Create an “Essentials” Box
There are a few bits and bobs that you’ll definitely want to have to hand on moving day. It’s a good idea to keep these separate and transport them in your own car so you don’t lose track of where they are. In your box of essentials, you might want to include:
- Your valuables
- Your important documents – such as paperwork relating to your house move, and your passport
- Drinks kit – tea, coffee, milk, sugar, mugs and the kettle
- Snacks
- Phone charger
- Toilet roll – you can thank us later
- Cleaning products, bin bags and the vacuum cleaner
- Something to keep the kids or pets entertained if you haven’t managed to find someone to look after them.
