Moving Guide
Moving Guide
Some say that the actual move is one of the most stressful events of all, so be prepared for the whole process long before you begin.
Here is a comprehensive moving house guide containing information to help you organise a smooth move from your old home to your new one with the minimum of fuss.
- Before the big day, have a clear out (hire a professional mess therapist or self-styled 'clutterologist' if necessary). Keep in mind William Morris' interior design dictum that "everything must either be useful or beautiful." Valuable items that are no longer needed can be auctioned or sold to a dealer in second-hand furniture. Other items can be donated to charity shops or recycled.
- Get someone to look after the children for the day. The same goes for pets - or book them into kennels or a cattery (the pets). Make sure they have identity tags with their new address.
- Compile a fact file for the people who are moving into your property, such as instruction leaflets and service information for the heating system and appliances you're leaving, together with details of rubbish collection, milk deliveries, recycling schemes and so on
- Round up all the keys to your home, including those left with neighbours, nannies and relatives, and give them to your solicitor or estate agent.
- If the move is going to be spread over a couple of days, arrange accommodation somewhere special, ideally a hotel - you'll be too exhausted to socialise - and pack a bag for an overnight stop.
- Final preparations should include making a complete inventory of everything to be moved, advising the post office to redirect your post and cancelling the milk and newspapers if you have them delivered. If you are moving to a different area, register with a new GP
- Please tell us if access from your old property or to your new property is likely to be difficult. Parking space for the removal lorry will also need to be considered such problems can add to the cost of a removal.
- Make sure all items that were included in the sale, such as carpets, curtains and light fittings, are there. If there is anything missing, contact your solicitor. Alert your surveyor immediately to any serious faults in the building that were missed in the original survey.
- Think about getting the locks changed on your new property - you never know who the previous owners may have given spare keys to in the past.
- Even if everything is in order and has run smoothly, the chances are by the end of the day you'll be too shattered to move, so collapse on the sofa, order a takeaway and crack open a bottle of champagne and enjoy your new home.
Notify relevant parties of your new address
Notify TV Licensing of your new address. Your TV licence doesn't automatically move with you when you move house. If you don't notify TV Licensing of you new address, you could end up being unlicensed in your new home, even if you paid for a licence at your old address. Anyone who watches TV without a licence risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1000, so make sure you're covered.
It's easy to update your details. Simply log on to www.tvlicensing.co.uk or call 0844 800 6722 and follow the instructions. You'll be asked for your TV Licence number and new address. It only takes a minute or two to transfer your licence.
- Bank, building society, pension provider and any company you have loans or investments with
- Credit card and store card companies
- Inland Revenue - see www.hmrc.gov.uk for a list of offices
- Local council regarding council tax
- Subscriptions to magazines, charities, etc.
- Employers
- The schools your children attend
- It is a legal requirement to notify DVLA - you will need to renew your driving licence and vehicle registration document
- Friends, family and colleagues.