Guide

Moving house checklist: what to do before and after you move (complete guide)

Moving house is not one task: it is about fifty small ones, spread over two months, all badly interlocked. The move itself takes a day, but address changes, utilities and admin drag on for weeks — and whatever gets forgotten usually comes back as a wrong bill or a missed letter.

This guide puts everything in order: what to do before, the week of the move, and what to do after, with the real timing of each step and a copyable checklist to keep at hand.

Before the move: the month that matters

Most mistakes come from doing everything in the final week. Almost every moving task has lead times you cannot control: start a month early and you arrive at the new home with energy, water and internet already working.

Give notice to your landlord or letting agent if you rent (in writing, within the terms of your tenancy agreement)
Book the removal company or van, especially at month-end and in summer
Check whether you need a parking suspension or permit for the removal van: ask your local council a few days ahead
Contact the energy, water and broadband suppliers to find out whether you are transferring, switching or starting a new contract
Fix the moving date and count backwards from it for every other deadline

Changing your address: who updates what

There is no single address registry: each organisation keeps its own records, so nobody updates the others on your behalf. Banks, insurers, your employer and online services will keep writing to the old address until you tell them.

In the UK, a few updates are legal duties rather than admin: you must update the address on your driving licence and vehicle log book (V5C) with the DVLA — it is free online and failing to do it can lead to a fine of up to £1,000. Registering to vote at the new address also matters, and it can help your credit record.

DVLA: driving licence and vehicle log book (V5C) — free online
Electoral roll: register to vote at the new address
HMRC if your situation requires it (tax credits, Child Benefit, self assessment)
Council tax: close the account at the old address and open one at the new one
TV licence: move it to the new address online

Utilities: transfer, switch or new contract

On moving day, take meter readings at both homes and photograph them: they are the single piece of evidence that settles every later dispute. Tell the old supplier the readings to close the account, and give the new supplier your opening readings as soon as you get the keys.

In the UK, energy accounts follow the property: you are automatically placed with the home's existing supplier on a standard tariff, and you can switch once the account is set up. Water is regional and cannot be switched — just notify the local company. Broadband often has the longest lead time of all, sometimes over two weeks, so book it early.

Photograph meter readings at both properties on moving day
Notify energy and water suppliers with your readings and moving date
Broadband: arrange a home move or a new contract well in advance
Keep the final bills until you have checked them against your readings

Who else to tell about your new address

This is the list people forget. Tick each one off: every missed entry is a letter or a bill going to someone else's doormat.

Bank, credit cards and any loan or mortgage providers
Employer or HR department, and pension provider
Car, home and life insurers — a wrong address can affect cover
GP and dentist: register with a new practice if you have changed area
Schools or nursery, if the children move with you
Subscriptions and deliveries: online shops, magazines, recurring boxes, couriers
Vet and pet microchip registry, if you have animals
Gym, clubs, memberships and any service with a billing address

Mail redirection: the safety net

Royal Mail offers a paid redirection service that forwards post from your old address for 3, 6 or 12 months. It does not replace updating your address, but it catches exactly the letters you forgot to move — and protects you from sensitive post landing in the wrong hands.

If you can, leave your new address or a contact with the new occupants: important letters keep arriving for weeks.

The week of the move

Confirm the time and vehicle with the removal company or helpers
Label boxes by room, not by contents: unloading is much faster
Pack a "first night" box: documents, chargers, medicines, a change of clothes, toiletries, bedding
Keep documents, keys, valuables and contracts with you — never in the boxes
Empty and defrost the fridge at least 24 hours before
Photograph all meter readings, at both the old and the new home
Collect and hand over keys, with written confirmation where possible

After the move: the first two weeks

Register to vote and update the DVLA, if you have not already
Check the first bills against the meter readings you photographed
Council tax: confirm the old account is closed and the new one opened
Register with a new GP and dentist
Sort out the letterbox and doorbell name, if there is one
Check that old-address cancellations went through, with no auto-renewals left active
Update saved delivery addresses in the sites and apps you use

Copyable moving house checklist

Copy the entries you need and turn them into reminders: they are the same ones that, once forgotten, cost time and money.

Give notice to the landlord or agent
Book removals and any parking suspension
Energy and water: transfer or switch, with meter readings
Broadband: home move or new contract
DVLA: update driving licence and V5C
Electoral roll: register at the new address
Council tax: close old account, open new one
Register with a new GP and dentist
Update bank, insurers, employer and pension provider
Set up Royal Mail redirection
Photograph all meter readings
Update delivery addresses and subscriptions
Return keys with written confirmation

The deadlines you cannot afford to forget

The problem with moving house is not difficulty — it is volume. Twenty small tasks, each with its own date, spread across two months in which you are also packing boxes. It is exactly the situation where memory runs out and the paper list gets lost among the bubble wrap.

In MiRicordi you can keep the moving checklist inside My notes and turn every dated entry into a reminder: the meter-reading day, the cancellation notice, the first bill to check. Alerts arrive even with the app closed, so you do not even have to remember to open it.

Frequently asked questions

When should I start preparing for a house move?

Ideally four to six weeks before moving day. Broadband transfers and removal companies have the longest lead times, so book those first and count backwards from the moving date.

Do I have to update my driving licence address when I move?

Yes. In the UK you must tell the DVLA your new address for both your driving licence and the vehicle log book (V5C). It is free online, and failing to update can lead to a fine of up to £1,000.

What do I do with utilities when I move house?

Take and photograph meter readings at both homes on moving day, give them to the old supplier to close the account and to the new one to open yours. Energy follows the property until you switch; water is regional and just needs notifying.

Who do I need to tell about my change of address?

The DVLA, electoral roll, council tax, bank, insurers, employer, pension provider, GP and dentist, schools, subscriptions and delivery services. No organisation updates the others for you.

Is Royal Mail redirection worth it?

Yes, as a safety net: it forwards post from your old address for 3, 6 or 12 months and catches the letters you forgot to redirect by updating the sender directly.

How do I avoid forgetting anything during a move?

Turn the checklist into reminders, one date each. In MiRicordi you can keep the moving list in your notes and get alerts for every deadline even with the app closed.