Moving house checklist UK: a week-by-week plan for parents

The best moving house checklist UK parents can use is one that runs on a timeline rather than a single long list: sort schools and the big bookings about two months out, deal with bills and addresses in the last fortnight, pack a proper first-night box for the kids, take meter readings on the day, then spend the first month closing the loose ends. Moving with children means every job has a second version (theirs), so the trick is to give each one a week and an owner, not to remember everything at once.

This guide walks through that timeline. For the full list of organisations to update, there's a separate guide on who to tell when you move house; this one is about the order you do things in when there are small people and a school run involved.

Before you start: one list, one place

Before the boxes come out, set up the list itself. A move generates dozens of small jobs, and in a family they tend to be split between two adults who each assume the other has it covered.

• Keep one list both adults can see. A shared note, a spreadsheet or a sheet on the fridge. Two private lists are how the school form gets missed.
• Give every job a week and a name. "Book the van, week 6, you" is a job. "Van" is a worry.
• Keep a moving folder. Tenancy or completion paperwork, the inventory, quotes, reference numbers and anything with a date on it.
• Write down every account number as you go. Energy, water, council tax, broadband, insurance. You'll need them twice: once to close and once to open.

The moving house checklist UK families can work through

Dates move, especially when there's a chain or a tenancy start date that shifts. Treat these as rough weeks counted back from moving day and slide the whole plan if the date changes.

Eight to six weeks before

1. Confirm the date in writing with the landlord, agent or solicitor, and note any notice you need to give on your current home.
2. Sort school places. If the move means a new school, start now. In England you apply for a state school place through your local council, and they can tell you which schools have room and how admissions work. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own process, so check with the council for your new area.
3. Book removals or a van and ask about access: parking, stairs, lifts, narrow streets.
4. Book time off work for moving day and, if you can, the day after.
5. Start clearing out. Outgrown clothes, toys nobody plays with, the buggy you're keeping "just in case". Every box you don't pack is one you don't unpack.

Four weeks before

1. List every bill at the old address with its supplier and account number, so you can close or move each one.
2. Check your home insurance covers the move itself, and arrange cover for the new place from the day the keys become yours.
3. Look up GP surgeries near the new home. You can't register until you live there, but knowing which surgeries take patients from your new street saves time later.
4. Tell the school your children are leaving, with the last day, and ask what they need from you.
5. Arrange post redirection if you want it. It's a paid service, so check the current options and price before you order.

Two weeks before

1. Confirm the removal booking and give them the new address and a phone number for moving day.
2. Book broadband for the new address as early as you can, because installation dates can be weeks out.
3. Start packing the rooms you use least: the loft, spare room, books, out-of-season clothes.
4. Use up the freezer and plan simple meals for the last week.
5. Arrange childcare for moving day if you can. A morning at a grandparent's or a friend's house helps everyone, the children included.

The final week

1. Pack the kids' rooms last and let them help label their own boxes.
2. Pack a first-night box for each child (more on that below).
3. Confirm key collection times and who's doing it.
4. Charge everything: phones, tablets, the power bank.
5. Put important documents in a bag that travels with you, not in the van: passports, birth certificates, the moving folder.

Moving day, with children

Moving day is mostly about keeping track of three things: the keys, the meters and the people.

• Take meter readings at both homes. Photograph the gas, electricity and water meters at the old place before you leave and at the new place when you arrive. A photo with the time on it settles any argument about the final or first bill.
• Check the new place against the inventory if you're renting, and photograph anything already damaged.
• Find the stopcock, fuse box and gas meter at the new home before you need them.
• Make the kids' beds first. If everything else is chaos at bedtime, at least that part is done.
• Keep the first-night box out of the van or load it last so it comes off first.

What goes in a first-night box

Each child gets one box or bag, labelled with their name:

• pyjamas, a change of clothes and school uniform if it's a school night
• a toothbrush, toothpaste and any medicines they take
• a favourite toy, comforter or book
• a nightlight, if they use one
• a cup, a snack and a plate
• a phone charger for whoever will be on bedtime duty

Add a family box with the kettle, mugs, tea, loo roll, a few towels, bin bags, scissors, basic tools and cleaning spray.

The first week in the new home

Most of the address changes belong in this week, because many organisations need you to have actually moved first. HMRC, for example, asks you to wait until you've moved before you update your address, and the online service updates it for Child Benefit, Income Tax, National Insurance and State Pension in one go.

1. Tell the council for council tax, giving your moving date, and tell the old council you've left.
2. Set up energy and water accounts at the new address with your meter photos.
3. Update your driving licence address with the DVLA. There's no charge, and you can still drive while you wait for the new licence.
4. Update the V5C log book for each car. If your vehicle tax is paid by Direct Debit, GOV.UK says you also need to phone the DVLA to update it.
5. Register everyone with a GP. You don't need ID or proof of address to register, and the new surgery tells your old one, so you don't have to.
6. Register to vote at the new address. You need to register again when your address changes.

The first month: loose ends parents miss

The jobs that slip are the quiet ones that only show up later.

• Dentist, opticians and any hospital clinics your children are under. Each keeps its own address record.
• Clubs and activities: swimming lessons, football, music. Cancel at the old end, join at the new.
• Nursery or childcare funding and anything else that depends on your address. Check the details with whoever runs it.
• Birthday party invitations for the next few months. Friends need the new address.
• The car insurance and breakdown cover if you haven't done them yet. A new postcode is a change your insurer will want to know about.
• Subscriptions and deliveries still heading to the old place.

A month after the move, sit down together for twenty minutes and go through your list again. Anything still open gets a new week and a new owner.

How mylife/ keeps a move together

In mylife/, the move's loose ends sit in one place. Tenancy or mortgage dates go in the home ledger, and each bill you set up goes in with who it's with, the amount, the due date and how often it repeats. Shared to-do and packing lists let both adults tick things off, and you get a nudge before anything is due. If a welcome letter from the council lands on the mat, you can photograph it and Slash reads it into your life admin for you to check. See how mylife/ works, or try mylife/ free for 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you start planning a house move?

Around two months is a sensible start for a family, especially if a school change is involved. That gives you time to sort school places, book removals and clear out before the packing starts. If your date is less certain, plan backwards from the likeliest date and adjust.

When should I tell my children's school we're moving?

Tell the current school as soon as the date is reasonably firm, ideally a few weeks before the last day. If your children need a new school place, contact the council for your new area early, because availability varies. The school can also tell you what records they pass on.

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

If you've moved out of your surgery's area, you'll need to register with one nearer the new home. On the NHS website you can search by postcode and register online, and you don't need ID or proof of address to do it. The new surgery lets your old one know.

What should I do on the day I move out?

Take photos of the meter readings, check every room, cupboard and the loft, and leave the keys as agreed. Make sure the documents bag and first-night boxes travel with you rather than in the van. For more routines that keep household admin tidy, see the life admin checklist.