Moving house in the UK involves dozens of separate tasks, and the ones with legal or financial consequences are rarely the ones people focus on first. This checklist organises the key actions by stage, from the moment an offer is accepted to the fortnight after completion day, so nothing slips through.
Before Exchange of Contracts: Plan and Book Early
Before contracts are exchanged, no date is legally binding, so use this period for planning rather than notifying. Three tasks belong here.
Book a removal firm or hire a vehicle early. Removal firms and van hire depots fill quickly around popular moving dates, particularly at the end of the month and during school holidays. Getting quotes early also gives a clearer picture of what drives the overall cost: volume of belongings, access at both properties, distance, floor level, and whether packing is included. Confirm the exact figure with each company before committing. If a hire vehicle or trailer is part of the plan, browsing the removals and logistics listings on GetBrent is a practical starting point for finding local options.
Sort buildings insurance. Buildings insurance for buyers needs to be in place from exchange of contracts, not from completion. Check the policy wording carefully, as the point at which risk transfers is exchange, not the day keys are handed over.
Begin decluttering. Reducing the volume of items before moving day affects every subsequent cost: the size of van needed, the number of boxes required, and the time the move takes. Donate, sell or dispose of unwanted items before packing begins.
After Exchange, Before Completion: The Admin Sprint
Once contracts are exchanged, the completion date is fixed and the clock starts. Most of the address-change and service-transfer work belongs in this window.
- Energy suppliers. According to Citizens Advice, you should let your electricity and gas supplier know that you are moving and give at least 48 hours' notice. Read the meters on the day you move out and give the readings to your supplier. Keep a note of the readings and the dates, in case you disagree with the final bill. Give your supplier a forwarding address so they can send the final bill, which Citizens Advice notes you will have 28 days to pay.
- Council tax. Notify both your old local council and your new one of your moving date. The two councils will not communicate with each other automatically, so both must be contacted separately. Failure to notify promptly can result in being billed for both properties at the same time.
- Broadband. Book the installation or transfer as soon as the completion date is confirmed.
- Royal Mail redirection. Royal Mail's redirection service forwards post sent to the old address to the new one. Royal Mail requires at least five working days to set the service up, so apply well in advance. The service can be set up online at royalmail.com, by calling the Royal Mail, or in person at a Post Office branch. Redirection runs for three, six or twelve months and can be renewed. It acts as a safety net while address updates are completed, but it does not update senders automatically - organisations still need to be told the new address directly.
- Schools. If children are moving schools, contact both the leaving school and the new local authority as early as possible, since school admissions timelines vary.
Legal Obligations: DVLA, Electoral Roll and HMRC
These three notifications carry the most direct legal weight and should not be left until after the move has settled.
DVLA - driving licence and vehicle log book. GOV.UK is clear on this point: you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell the DVLA when your address changes. The DVLA requires the driving licence address and the vehicle log book (V5C) address to be updated separately. Updating one does not update the other. Both updates are free via the GOV.UK service. The DVLA also asks drivers to update their Direct Debit for vehicle tax and any private number plate documents at the same time. Correspondence about tax reminders, penalty notices and MOT reminders is sent to the address on record, so an outdated address can lead to missed notices escalating to enforcement action.
Electoral roll. When moving house, re-registration at the new address is required. This is done via GOV.UK/register-to-vote. The process takes around five minutes and you will be asked for your National Insurance number, though you can still register if you do not have one. Being on the electoral roll at the correct address also matters for credit reference checks, as agencies use it to verify identity and address.
HMRC. Update your address via the Personal Tax Account at GOV.UK. If you are self-employed, this is particularly important to ensure tax correspondence and self-assessment notices reach the right address.
Completion Day: Meter Readings and Keys
Completion day has a short but critical checklist of its own.
- Take clear photographs of gas and electricity meters at the old property before leaving, showing the meter reading and the meter identification details.
- Take opening meter readings at the new property as soon as you arrive.
- Pass the old property's supplier details to whoever is moving in, or notify the supplier that you are leaving and provide your forwarding address for the final bill.
- If the new property has a water meter, take an opening reading and contact the water supplier to open an account. Note that water suppliers cannot be chosen freely in the same way as energy suppliers, so simply contact whichever supplier serves the new area.
- Locate the stopcock, fuse box and meters at the new property before anything goes wrong - not after.
For moves in west London, there are local house removal firms in Brentford and house removal firms in Isleworth listed on GetBrent, covering short-notice and full-service moves in the area.
The First Fortnight After Moving In
Several tasks are best left until after completion rather than squeezed into an already busy period, but they still need completing promptly.
- Electoral roll registration. Register at the new address via GOV.UK as soon as possible after moving in. You cannot register before you are living there.
- GP and dentist. Register with a GP practice in the new area. NHS GP registration is free; simply contact the practice. There is no rule that a dentist must accept new NHS patients, so it is worth contacting practices early.
- Pet microchip database. If a pet is microchipped, update the keeper's address with the relevant database. Microchip databases are run by private operators; check the chip documentation for the correct one.
- Banks, insurers and pension providers. Update all financial accounts. Home and contents insurance in particular may be affected by an outdated address, and some policies require notification of a change of address within a set number of days.
- TV Licensing. Notify TV Licensing of the new address if you have a licence, or take out a new one if moving into a property that needs one.
- Subscriptions and deliveries. Update addresses with regular delivery services, online retailers, and subscription boxes. Royal Mail redirection does not automatically notify senders of the new address.
GetBrent lists removal firms, van hire and trailer hire across the UK, making it straightforward to find and compare local companies for every stage of a move. Whether the job needs a full removal team or just a hired vehicle for a smaller load, house removals in London and beyond are searchable by area, so the right local firm is easy to find.
