Moving House: The Checklist Most People Forget

Moving house is consistently ranked among the most stressful things people do, and a good proportion of that stress is entirely avoidable. It comes from the things nobody thought about until the day, rather than from the move itself.

The physical business of putting possessions in a van is the visible part. The administrative tail behind it is longer, less interesting and considerably more likely to cause problems weeks later.

Start six weeks out, not six days.

The tasks that need lead time are the ones people leave latest.

Book removals early, particularly for a Friday or the end of the month, which are the busiest times and the first to fill. Get several quotes and check that the firm has proper insurance and is a member of a recognised trade body.

Give notice on anything with a notice period, including broadband, which frequently requires thirty days and which people almost always forget until the week of the move.

Order a Royal Mail redirection, which takes time to set up and which is the single most effective protection against missing something important. Take it for longer than you think you need, since post from organisations you had forgotten about arrives for months.

Arrange time off work, childcare and pet care for the day itself. Trying to move with small children or an anxious dog underfoot is considerably harder than arranging for them to be elsewhere.

The notification list.

This is where things get missed. Work through it methodically rather than trying to remember.

The council, for council tax at both the old and new address, and to register on the electoral roll at the new one.

The DVLA, for both your driving licence and your vehicle registration document. Updating the address is free, and failing to do it can result in a substantial fine, which surprises people every year.

Your GP practice, dentist and optician, and any hospital under whose care you are, since appointment letters going to an old address is a common cause of missed treatment.

Banks, building societies, credit cards, pension providers, insurers and any investment accounts. Insurers in particular need to know, since home and car insurance premiums are address-dependent and a policy with the wrong address may not respond to a claim.

HMRC, the Department for Work and Pensions if you receive anything, and your employer's payroll.

Utilities, with meter readings taken and photographed on the day at both properties. Photograph the meter with a timestamp and note the serial number.

The TV licence, your vehicle breakdown provider, schools, subscriptions, delivery accounts and anywhere holding a card on file.

Packing that makes unpacking possible.

Label boxes by room in the new house rather than the old one, and write on the side rather than the top so labels are visible when boxes are stacked.

Pack an essentials box that travels with you in the car rather than in the van, containing kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, soap, towels, phone chargers, medication, basic tools, scissors, a torch and bedding for the first night.

Keep documents, keys, jewellery and anything irreplaceable with you personally.

Books in small boxes, bedding in large ones. A large box of books cannot be lifted and will fail at the bottom.

Photograph the back of the television and any other cabling before disconnecting it, which saves an hour of confusion.

Completion day itself.

For a purchase, keys are usually released once funds have transferred, which frequently happens later in the day than everyone hopes. Chains create delays, and being ready to wait is more useful than being annoyed about it.

For a rental, check in properly. Photograph everything, including existing damage, and make sure the inventory is agreed in writing. This is the single thing that determines whether you get your deposit back, and confirm the deposit is protected in a government-approved scheme within the required period.

Leaving a rental requires the same discipline in reverse, with a thorough clean and photographs taken after it.

Take final meter readings at the old property, leave keys as agreed, and leave instruction manuals and any warranties for appliances that stay.

The first week in the new house.

Find the stopcock, the consumer unit, the gas shut-off and the water meter before you need them in an emergency.

Change the locks. You have no idea how many keys exist to a house you have just bought.

Test the smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, and fit them if they are absent. Landlords have obligations here; owners have only their own good sense.

Check the boiler service history and book a service if there is any doubt. Locate the drains and check the loft.

Introduce yourself to the neighbours, which sounds like advice from a different era and remains the most useful thing you can do. Neighbours know when the bins go out, which is information no solicitor provides.

Register with a GP and a dentist promptly rather than when you need one, since practices in some areas have limited capacity and joining takes time.

Share your thoughts.

What did you forget when you last moved?