Moving House Checklist for London: Planning, Collection and Handover

Last reviewed: 2026-10-21 · Written by Sarah Jenkins

Contents

• 6-8 weeks before: the groundwork
• 2-3 weeks before: redirection and address changes
• Moving week: utilities and final arrangements
• Moving day: collection and handover
• After the move: what's left to update
• Decluttering before a move vs. a full clearance
• Moving task, what it includes and what to confirm
• Frequently asked questions

6-8 weeks before: the groundwork

The tasks that benefit most from lead time, because they involve booking slots or sorting through an entire property.

Six to eight weeks out is a comfortable starting point for a London move, mainly because the two biggest tasks - booking a removal firm and sorting through what you own - both take longer than people expect once you actually start. If your completion date is closer than that, the same tasks still apply; they just compress into a shorter, busier run-up.

• Book your removal firm or van, especially if your date falls near a weekend or month-end, when demand in London is higher. Our best time to move house and cheapest days to move house guides cover how timing affects availability and cost if your date has any flexibility.
• Start sorting room by room into what's moving with you, what's being sold or given away, and what genuinely needs to be disposed of. Doing this early avoids a last-minute scramble the week before.
• If you're renting, check your notice period against your tenancy agreement and confirm the date in writing with your landlord or agent.
• If you're buying or selling, keep in touch with your conveyancer about how exchange and completion dates are tracking, since the actual moving date can shift later than expected.
• Start collecting moving boxes and packing materials, or confirm whether your removal firm supplies them.
• If children are changing schools, check your local authority's in-year admissions process - most councils require proof of your new address, such as a tenancy agreement or solicitor's completion letter, before they'll process an application, and base the decision on where the child will actually live rather than an intention to move.

2-3 weeks before: redirection and address changes

This is the stretch where most of the "tell someone your new address" admin gets done.

Royal Mail needs a minimum of five working days' notice to set up a redirection, but it's worth applying well ahead of that minimum - a few weeks out if you can - since processing can take longer than the bare minimum suggests, and a late application risks post still reaching your old address after you've left. A redirection can also be set up to cover a period after you've already moved, which is useful if your completion date moves earlier than planned.

• Set up Royal Mail redirection for both personal and, if relevant, business post.
• Register to vote at your new address via gov.uk. This matters even if you're already registered elsewhere - council tax and the electoral register are two separate records, and updating your council tax account does not automatically update the electoral roll, or the other way round. Include your previous address on the registration so you're removed from the old one.
• Tell your current council tax office you're leaving, and register with the council covering your new address - this needs doing with both councils directly, not just one.
• Update your driving licence address and, separately, your vehicle's V5C log book if you own a car - these are two different DVLA records, and changing one doesn't change the other. Both are free to update online, and keeping your licence address current is a legal requirement.
• If you're moving outside your current GP practice's catchment area, you'll need to register as a new patient at a practice covering your new address - there's no formal "transfer" process; your medical records are requested from the old practice afterward.
• Update your address with your bank, employer, insurers, and any subscriptions or deliveries you'd otherwise lose track of.

Moving week: utilities and final arrangements

The practical loose ends that need settling in the final stretch, not the week after.

• Give notice to your energy and water suppliers at the old address, and arrange a start date for the new one - or check whether the new property already has suppliers in place you need to take over or switch away from.
• Arrange broadband and phone line transfer or a new installation, since these can have longer lead times than other utilities, particularly for a new line rather than a transfer.
• Confirm parking arrangements for the removal van at both properties - in much of London this means checking whether a parking suspension or permit is needed, especially on a controlled-parking street.
• Pack a clearly labelled "first day" box with essentials - chargers, toiletries, kettle, basic tools - so it doesn't get lost among the rest of the boxes.
• Confirm final details with your removal firm: arrival time, access at both ends (stairs, lift, parking), and anything unusual about either property they should know in advance.
• If you're arranging a separate clearance for anything not moving with you, confirm that booking now rather than leaving it until moving week itself - see decluttering before a move below.

Moving day: collection and handover

What to have ready at both ends of the move.

1. Take final meter readings (gas, electricity, water where separately metered) at the property you're leaving, and photograph them as a record.
2. Make sure keys, entry fobs, parking permits and any garage or shed keys are ready to hand over, and that you know who's collecting the keys for your new property and when.
3. Walk the property one last time before the removal firm leaves, checking rooms, lofts and outbuildings so nothing's left behind unintentionally.
4. At the new property, take meter readings as soon as you arrive, before using any gas or electricity, so your new supplier bills from the correct starting point.
5. Check that anything agreed to stay with the property - fixtures, fittings, or items specifically included in the sale or tenancy - actually has been left, and that nothing agreed to go has been.

A straightforward move between two easily accessible properties generally runs more predictably than one involving a flat with stairs or no lift at either end - worth factoring in if your removal firm has given you a tight time window to work with.

After the move: what's left to update

A few things are easy to forget once the boxes are unpacked.

• Confirm your redirection is active and check post is actually arriving at the new address - contact Royal Mail if anything seems to be missing in the first couple of weeks.
• Submit final meter readings to your old supplier and confirm your new supplier has the readings taken on moving day, so both final and opening bills are accurate.
• Double-check your electoral roll and council tax updates have gone through - these are separate systems, so confirming one doesn't confirm the other.
• Update your address on anything not already covered - vehicle insurance, home and contents insurance, and any accounts or subscriptions missed in the pre-move rush.
• If children changed school as part of the move, confirm the new school has your updated contact and address details on file, not just the admissions application.

Decluttering before a move vs. a full clearance

Two different tasks that often happen around the same date - worth keeping separate in your planning.

Most moves involve getting rid of at least some things that aren't coming with you - furniture that won't fit the new place, items you've decided not to keep, or a full house's worth of belongings if you're downsizing or clearing a larger property into a smaller one. That's a genuinely separate task from the move itself: a removal firm moves what you're keeping from A to B, while a house clearance service removes what you're not keeping, generally priced and booked as its own job.

This page doesn't go into how to sort items into keep, donate and remove, how to confirm access and instruction authority on clearance day, or what to check once a clearance is finished - our house clearance checklist covers all of that in detail, and is worth reading alongside this page if you're arranging both at once. If you're specifically downsizing into a smaller property and trying to work out what fits and what doesn't, our downsizing and house clearance planning guide covers that sorting and sequencing question in more depth than either checklist does alone.

If a clearance is part of your move, it's worth booking it on its own timeline rather than assuming it can happen on moving day itself - access, timing and instructions for a clearance crew are usually easier to arrange a few days either side of the move rather than squeezed in alongside the removal van.

Moving task, what it includes and what to confirm

A quick reference for the main admin tasks in a London move and what's worth double-checking before you tick them off.

Frequently asked questions

The questions that come up most often when people are planning a London move.

How far ahead should I start a moving house checklist?

Six to eight weeks out is a comfortable starting point for a London move, mainly so you have time to book a removal slot, start sorting and decluttering, and give notice where needed. If your move is happening faster than that, the same tasks still apply - they just compress into a shorter, busier timeline.

When should I set up Royal Mail redirection?

Royal Mail needs a minimum of five working days' notice to set up a redirection, but applying further ahead - a few weeks before your move if you can - gives more margin against processing delays. You can also set a redirection up to start after you've already moved, though some post may reach your old address in the meantime.

Do I need to tell the council tax office and the electoral roll separately?

Yes. Council tax and the electoral register are separate records, and updating one does not update the other - a council cannot move your name across automatically. You need to notify your old and new council tax offices directly, and separately register to vote at your new address via gov.uk.

What should I do about my driving licence and vehicle log book when I move?

Update both, separately - your driving licence address and your V5C vehicle log book are different DVLA records, and changing one does not change the other. Both can be updated free online via gov.uk, and keeping your licence address current is a legal requirement, not just good practice.

Do I need to register with a new GP when I move house?

If you're moving outside your current GP practice's catchment area, yes - there's no formal transfer process. You register as a new patient at a practice covering your new address, and your medical records are requested from your old practice afterward.

Does the moving checklist cover clearing out items before the move?

This checklist flags decluttering as one task on the move timeline, but it doesn't go into keep/donate/remove sorting, access arrangements or on-the-day logistics for a clearance - our house clearance checklist covers that in full if you're arranging a separate clearance alongside the move.

What needs confirming before handover on moving day itself?

Confirm meter readings have been taken and recorded for both properties, keys and any entry fobs or parking permits are accounted for, and that anything agreed to stay or go with the property matches what's actually been left - these are the details most likely to cause a dispute later if they're not checked on the day.