Moving Home Checklist UK: The Complete Guide
Moving home is exciting — but there's a lot to remember. This guide covers everything you need to do, from closing up your old place to settling into your new one, plus how to update your address across every organisation that needs to know, all in one go.
Table of Contents
Your Moving Home Checklist at a Glance
- Sort your old home: clean, pack, and submit final meter readings
- Update your address with everyone who needs to know
- Organise removals, storage, childcare and pet care
- Ask the seller the right questions before you move in
- Set up gas, electricity, water, council tax and broadband at your new home
- Look for ways to cut the cost of your move
Before You Move: Sorting Your Old Home
Prepare and Clean the Property
Getting your old home ready as early as possible saves hours of stress later. Aim to do a thorough clean around three months before you move, then keep on top of it weekly. This is also a good time to start packing: box up items room by room (bedroom, kitchen, garage) so unpacking at the other end is far quicker. Most supermarkets and electronics shops will give away spare boxes for free if you ask.
If you’ve got extra items in the garden or loft, sort out what needs disposing of now; you may be able to make a single tip run using the same van on moving day.
Submit Your Final Meter Readings
Provide meter readings for gas, electricity and water on the day you move out, unless you have a smart meter or no water meter; even then, let your suppliers know you’re moving. Accurate readings mean an accurate final bill (and a refund if you’re owed one). SlothMove’s home setup service can pass your readings straight to your supplier — just text us on your move-out day.
Handle the Small Admin Jobs
If you’re selling, a few small touches make life easier for the next owner: leave behind appliance manuals where you can, and let your window cleaner (or anyone else with regular access) know you’re moving on.
Update Your Address
Telling organisations you’re moving isn’t just good manners — it helps you avoid missed bills, fines, and lost post. For contracts like broadband or a TV package, check whether you can transfer the service to your new address, or whether it’s worth timing cancellation to avoid paying for weeks you won’t use it.
SlothMove lets you update your address across all your accounts — energy, council, water, broadband, and companies like Boots, Tesco, HMRC, the NHS and the DVLA — in one simple form, completely free. For the full list of who to tell, see our change of address checklist.
Organise the Move Itself
Removals and Storage
Book your removal company a few weeks ahead to guarantee availability. It’s a competitive market, so comparison tools like ReallyMoving or AnyVan can help you find a good deal.
If you need storage in the meantime, price and convenience are the two things to check. Safestore has the widest UK coverage with a price-match guarantee; Big Yellow is another well-known option, usually at a slightly higher cost.
Childcare and Pet Care
Arrange childcare and pet care for moving day well in advance. Family and friends are often happy to help for a single day, and it keeps everyone calmer while the move is actually happening.
Pack an Essentials Box
Set aside one box with everything you’ll need for the first two or three days before you’re properly unpacked — a kettle, mugs, tea or coffee, and hand towels are a good start.
Questions to Ask the Seller Before You Move In
- When is bin collection day, and is there a schedule you can share?
- Are there any spare furnishings or leftover paint in the house’s colour or style?
- Where is the stopcock?
- Where are the gas and electricity meters?
- Do you have any instruction manuals or warranties for appliances left behind?
- Is there anything else it would help me to know about the property?
- What’s your forwarding address?
- Where’s the fusebox?
Set Up Your New Home
Four things typically need setting up at a new address: gas and electricity, council tax, water and sewerage, and broadband. SlothMove’s home setup service can handle all of it in one form, informing your old and new council, contacting your water and sewerage suppliers, comparing energy and broadband deals, and updating your address everywhere else automatically. It’s free to use; you can get started here.
Gas and Electricity
It’s worth setting up energy properly rather than leaving it when a property changes occupier; the new tenant is automatically placed on a Standard Variable Tariff, which is usually the most expensive option available. Switching promptly avoids overpaying.
Council Tax
Tell both your old and new council that you’re moving, even if you’re staying in the same area, so accounts can be closed, opened, and any refunds or final bills issued correctly. See our council tax and moving home guide for more detail.
Water and Sewerage
Your water and sewerage supplier isn’t always obvious; it’s common to have a different company from your energy supplier. Our online service identifies the right supplier from your postcode automatically, or you can check yourself via Water UK.
Broadband
Providers tend to save their best offers for people moving home, so it’s worth comparing the market rather than auto-renewing. Aim to arrange your new broadband around three weeks before moving — and don’t chase price alone, since a cheaper deal with poor connectivity often isn’t worth it. See our full moving house utilities checklist for gas, electricity, water and broadband in one place.
Ways to Reduce the Cost of Your Move
Check If You're Eligible for Free Home Insulation
If your new home’s Energy Performance Certificate rating is low, you may be entitled to funding for insulation — energy suppliers often provide this to meet government-set environmental targets. Even without a grant, insulation typically pays for itself within a couple of years through lower heating bills. Check the current funding amount and eligibility criteria directly with your energy supplier, as this varies.
Consider Taking In a Lodger
If you have a spare room, renting it out can bring in useful income under the government’s Rent a Room scheme; you can earn up to £7,500 a year completely tax-free. Sites like SpareRoom are a good way to gauge local rental rates, and you’ll need your mortgage provider’s permission before taking in a lodger.
Source Free or Cheap Furniture
Furnishing a new home is often the most expensive part of moving, but plenty of it doesn’t need to be. Sites like Gumtree and Freecycle regularly have people giving away sofas, tables and other furniture for free, or selling it cheaply, a good first stop before buying new.
Save Money Buying or Selling
- Use a free mortgage broker where possible; firms like London & Country and Habito don’t charge a fee, and it’s worth checking whether you can get the same rate without paying for advice.
- Check what you’ll owe in Stamp Duty using the current HMRC calculator, and speak to your solicitor about any legitimate ways to reduce it (such as new-build cash incentives). Don’t rely on older guidance, as rates and thresholds change.
- Get at least three quotes for legal work rather than defaulting to whoever your broker or developer recommends, since they’re often commissioned to refer you.
- If you’re buying, remember most of the negotiating room is at the point of purchase; it’s always worth asking.
- If you’re selling, don’t automatically choose the cheapest estate agent — strong reviews and genuine local knowledge often make a bigger difference to your final sale price.
- Keep your home presentable for viewings, and don’t be afraid to walk away from an offer that undervalues the property.
Related Guides
- Moving House Utilities Checklist — everything for gas, electricity, water and broadband
- Moving Into a Rented Property Checklist — if you’re moving into a rental rather than buying
- Moving Abroad Checklist — if you’re leaving the UK rather than moving within it
Update Everything Else in One Go with SlothMove
Let SlothMove take care of everything else your move involves: HMRC, DVLA, the NHS, council tax, energy, water, the TV Licence, and the electoral roll, all in one go.
What our customers say
FAQs
What's the first thing I should do when I know I'm moving home?
Start with your address updates and any accounts you’ll need to close or transfer — these often take the longest to process, so getting them moving early avoids a backlog nearer moving day.
How early should I start packing?
Around three months before moving is a good time to begin a deep clean and start packing non-essential rooms, building up to fully packed by moving week.
Do I have to set up energy at my new home?
You’re not legally required to, but it’s strongly recommended — without action, you’ll be placed on your supplier’s most expensive default tariff.
Can SlothMove update my address for me?
Yes, SlothMove’s home setup service updates your address across your chosen accounts and organisations in one form, so you don’t have to contact each one individually.
About SlothMove
SlothMove has helped over 75,000 UK residents update their address across government and private organisations since 2019. We are an ICO-registered data controller, GDPR compliant, and backed by Taylor Rose MW, one of the UK’s
leading conveyancing firms.