Time Line

Back to House Move Index

Updated 24th April 1998
Built from three lists found on the Internet, I've removed duplicates, and moved notification lists up to the contact page. Please note that these times sound reasonable to me, but there is usually no harm in getting things arranged a little earlier. I couldn't use this time line since the time between when I knew I'd definitely be buying the new house "The Exchange", and the time I got the keys "The Completion" was only one week. So I was supposed to be panicking and contacting all the appropriate people in one big mail out, which is what a mail merge programme is for anyway! As it turned out, I've been doing it in bits and pieces and missing people out, so I expect you to do a better job of it than I did!

2-3 Months to Go

If you're selling your house, or planning on renting it out, contact an appropriate agent (Letting Agent, Estate Agent (UK), Realtor (US))
If you haven't sorted out a property to move to, now is a very good time to contact the appropriate agents to select one!
Update your address book (once you start packing, you'll never be able to find that Christmas card with Aunt Bea's address on it!)
Start sorting out a mortgage
If you don't have an appropriate legal representative (e.g. Solicitor or Licensed Conveyancer (UK) or similar) now is a good time to get recommendations from your Bank/Building society, Estate Agent, your friends etc.
Get receipts and/or appraisals of high-value items to make sure you are adequately insured during the move.

1 Month to Go

Notify landlord (if applicable. Also this may depend on your rental agreement, my last rental agreement was two months notice.)
Contact Telephone company to organise reconnection/installation of a line. (Note, with BT you can save a connection charge if you take over the line from the previous occupant on the same day they are "disconnected")
Inform Gas and Electrical companies that you will be the new owner of the property.
Start collecting Packing Materials. Supermarkets are a good source of boxes, plastic bags etc. Spare plastic shopping bags scrunched up make good padding material to fill around odd shaped items like lampshades, candlesticks etc. Make sure the printing on the bags is not against anything valuable (hint: turn them inside out!) Packing boxes, bubblewrap etc. can also be purchased from moving companies and storage companies.
Book time off work.
Have a clear out! (Don't pack junk, don't plan to sort things afterwards, it will be cheaper and easier if you can do it beforehand)
Make a floorplan of your new house so you can decide what furniture will be moved and what needs to be disposed of (and what furniture you will need to buy for your new house, remember to include things like lighting fixtures etc.)
Make an inventory of all of your stuff for the same reason (what should be kept, what can be disposed of. In some countries donating certain items to charity may be tax-deductible, talk to your accountant. Also moving expenses may be deductible, again contact your accountant)
Select medical professionals in your new area.
Contact your paediatrician, dentist or other medical professionals for your records to be transferred.
Contact your veterinarian for pet records and immunisations.
Arrange with schools to get your children's school records.
Plan your meals using things from your freezer and pantry. Don't stock up on things you won't eat.
Put jewellery and other valuables in a safe place or safety deposit box.
Most movers will not ship houseplants. Give them as gifts to neighbours or plan on selling them if you are having a garage/boot sale.
Contact locksmiths for estimate for changing locks on your new house. Remember to include cost of extra keys. My rule of thumb is one set of main door keys for each adult/responsible child in the house, one spare set to lend to people staying over, one set to be hidden for emergencies (wrapped in foil and buried, or placed inside one of those special hollow fake rocks) and one set to be left with relatives/trusted neighbours so that if you're away and you need someone to make sure you didn't leave the iron switched on, they can get access.
You can start packing now if you have somewhere to store things. Clear out the garage/attic/spare bedroom/wherever and pack the wrong season clothing (winter clothes if it is summer, and vice versa), the sports equipment you won't be using (tennis rackets, golf clubs, windsurfer etc.) Anything you won't be needing in the next 6 weeks (actually make it at least two months, since there can be unavoidable hold-ups. If it is more than two months you'll be unpacking stuff anyway!) See separate packing hints.
If you will need any special work done to prepare the house for moving in (e.g. installing or changing the gas fittings, plumbing for washing machine/dishwasher, installation of additional phone lines/ISDN line), contact the appropriate companies and arrange a date for them to do the work.
Get quotes from several removal companies. If your stuff is going to be stored for any length of time, check what their storage rates are (usually much higher than independent storage). Check for insurance cover, how much packaging costs, whether they assist in packing etc. Some only move boxes you've packed yourself, others won't insure boxes you've packed yourself against breakage, so find out what you're getting!
Contact house and auto insurers to get quotes for your new address and to make sure you are adequately covered during the move. Most car insurance has a very low cover for car contents, particularly if they can be seen through the window and you want to make sure you're covered if your car is broken into while travelling to your new property. Also arrange insurance cover to start at an appropriate date at your new home so you will be covered when you move in.
Arrange an informal open house or dinner party for friends to say goodbye and to dump junk on them that you don't want to take with you <grin!> Keep it simple... this may be a good time to recruit help for the moving day!

2 Weeks and counting...

Book Removal Company or van.
Arrange transit insurance (if necessary) for the move.
Inform appropriate people of your Change of Address (Doctors, credit card companies etc.).
Tell Post Office to redirect mail on date of move. They need at least seven days notice (in the UK, check with your local postal service if you are in a different country). Also remember that parcel delivery firms (e.g. ParcelForce) don't get notified by the Post Office so make sure you either don't get anything delivered, or that you have made arrangements for the parcels to be collected by a neighbour or sent back to the sender etc.
Organise for someone to look after any kids and pets. Don't tell them what your new address will be (just kidding!)
Notify Local Authority of move and new address.
Make plan of new home and decide which rooms will be used for what. Keep a clean copy of this to give to the movers.
Start packing if you haven't already, as you're running out of time. See Packing Hints
If you are moving between states in the US, or to a different country, transfer and close your checking and savings accounts, otherwise get your bank to change your home branch to one local to your new residence. Be sure to have a cashiers check or money order to pay your mover upon arrival at your destination.
Check your estimate, you are responsible to pay the estimate plus 10% if the final billing goes over the original estimate. If there is any amount over this due they typically give you 30 days in which to pay.
Your movers will not pack or take combustibles. Be sure to dispose of spray cans or cleaning fluids that are combustible, also things like bleach, paint and ammunition <grin!>.
Pack a separate bag with things you will need while your household goods are in transit. There's a separate list of what you'll need on moving in ("The Moving In Kit"), but if you're going to be travelling or staying in a hotel for a few days, now is the time to separate out all those things you don't want to get lost in the packing.
Go through your home and carefully inspect your furniture and make an inventory... The day of your move go through this inventory and note with the mover any scratches or dents in any of your furniture.
Most movers will not take down curtains/draperies and the hardware. If you plan on taking them and you are not able to do this yourself, you should make arrangements to have someone help you.
Pack the Moving In Kit (aside from perishables) since there will be things in it you will need from now until you are moved into your new house. Remember to include the important papers or documents you may need, such as the contract from the moving company, the location of your new house, the phone number of your legal representative (solicitor in the UK), mortgage company, estate agent etc.
If the movers are doing your packing be sure they have an uncluttered area to work in.
Make arrangements to have the phone disconnected the day after you plan to leave. Note from the above that BT is happy to switch over to the new owner on the same day so if the new people are moving in tomorrow, there shouldn't be a problem. If you are leaving the house empty, having that extra day can be very useful, particularly since the phone company will want to cut it off during normal business hours. So if you're still packing at 18:30 and you realise that you needed to phone the dry-cleaners, you will still have a phone. This is where the mobile phone in the Moving In Kit can come in very handy, make sure you have fresh batteries!
Pick up any dry cleaning that may still be at the cleaners. And if you're moving a long distance, any thing else that might be in with repairers (clocks, VCRs, the car <grin!> etc.)
If you've borrowed anything from neighbours (lawn mower, cup of sugar, belt sander, bathtub etc.) now is a good time to return it, and to collect anything you've loaned out. If you have children, then make sure they haven't loaned out a bike/playstation/computer game/jacket/jewellry etc. If you have a locker at the gym (or similar) make sure you have cleaned it out.
If you need to get parking dispensations or meter suspensions (to allow/guarantee the moving van access to your property) you should be doing it by now. If you are in an apartment block with a loading dock, you may need to book the time required with your building superintendent/manager. Make sure you do this both for where you are moving from and where you are moving to.

1 Week Left

Arrange for any final bills to be paid.
Have meters read and pay any outstanding amount. Most of the main utilities will take a meter reading over the phone, but will need to confirm the reading with the new occupant, so booking a meter reading is probably a good idea.
Confirm arrangements with utility companies (cut off dates, connection dates at new property etc., installation of new pipes/wiring etc.)
Arrange the exchange of keys. Collect yours as soon as possible.
Make map of new property for the removal company. Both location, and what each room is (it is no good putting "Kids Bedroom" on each box if the removal company doesn't know which room that is!)
Start cleaning the house.
Find out which day is rubbish collection day. After unpacking you will have a lot of rubbish to be removed.
If there is an alarm, find out how to disarm it and who to contact if it does go off. (Assuming there is a monitoring service). Also how to change the code (unless you don't mind the previous owners having a spare set of keys and the alarm disarm code to your house...)
Contact local locksmith to confirm date to change locks (if required)
Confirm with any friends/family that have offered to help out the date and time you expect them, and what sort of clothing they will need to wear (old and comfortable are good adjectives. Solid shoes/boots (just in case anything is dropped) is also a good precaution!) Remember to sort out your own clothing for the move period also!
Drain petrol/gas from lawnmower/jet-ski etc.
Confirm with milkman/paperboy etc. that deliveries will end on a particular date, and pay up to that date so that you won't have any worries about unpaid bills, and if they keep delivering after that date, you're not going to be responsible for paying for the stuff.

The Day Before

Check that all the boxes are labelled and finalise packing. I'd suggest making a list of everything so that you can confirm it all arrives at the new house, but then I make lists of everything!
Double check your Moving In Kit to make sure you've got everything, and buy milk/bread and other perishables since you probably won't have time tomorrow.
Defrost Fridge/Freezer. It they are going into storage give them a thorough clean as odours may build up and stains soak in that you may never to able to remove afterwards! If you are storing them, putting an open box of baking soda inside (once they are in storage, otherwise it will spill!) is a good idea. Pack the shelves & drawers separately so they don't rattle around inside and break something.
Drain icemaker, washing machine and anything else that might contain water. Washers and dryers will often require some work to brace the drum to prevent damage during transit.
Disconnect the TV to give it time to cool down before the move, and make sure you have time to pack it properly.
Finish cleaning the house.
Get an early night, you'll need your rest! Tip: the night before a marathon, the runners will usually have a good (but not too filling) pasta meal since it settles easily and will give them the energy they need the next morning. Don't drink too much wine!

The Day of the Move Out

Disconnect any remaining appliances and shut off the water
Strip beds and pack bedding.
Have a spare box for last minute things that need packing.
Have a spare trash bag for last minute rubbish.
Put down any sheets/blankets to protect the carpets etc.
Have one last final check. Double check under the sink, behind the radiators, down the back of any furniture you're leaving (and under the cushions!), the attic, the cellar/basement, the garage, the garden shed, the bathroom cabinets, the wardrobes, on top of the kitchen units. What about the phone, if it's yours you can pack it and take it, if it is rented from BT, you should leave it. If you have children did you check on the roof of the garage etc. for footballs and frisbees? What about bikes etc. they may have left around at a friend's house?
Close and lock doors and windows. Switch off all lights and heating. If it is winter and your pipes are susceptible to freezing consider draining the water from the system (talk to your plumber first, then switch off the water stopcock and open all your taps, the one in the kitchen should be a direct connect from the mains and so shouldn't run for very long).
Plan on being at the house the entire day. Any changes or last minute decisions must be done by you. Do not leave the house until the movers are gone.
Make sure that the children are safely out of the way with a friend or family for the day if possible.
When the moving van arrives, if it requires any kind of parking permit to be displayed, make sure you have it handy and remember to display it as appropriate.
Be sure to point out to the packers or the driver those things that are fragile or may need special attention.
Store your pocket book or wallet in the glove compartment or boot/trunk of your car and lock it. That way there will be no mistake of it being packed.
Stay with the driver to oversee the inventory, including any scratches/dents etc..
Before the driver leaves be sure he has the proper delivery address, and you know what the delivery dates may be. Be certain he has telephone numbers where you can be reached during transit time.
Let the driver know if there are special directions to your new home and what major roads are near it.
Advise your Estate Agent/Realtor and neighbours that the house is vacant.
Tipping the movers is fairly customary. It can range from £10-£20 ($15 to $30) per man depending on the weight of your shipment. A guide to use is anything over 10,000lbs. £15-£20 ($20-$30), less than 10,000lbs. £10-£15 ($15-$20). If you do not want to tip, offering the crew lunch and refreshments instead of a tip is totally acceptable.
If you have a long narrow driveway or are located on a street that is not easily accessible to a large moving van, the mover may have to use a smaller van (referred to as a shuttle) to load at the house and then reload on to the larger van. If you are aware of any of these conditions at your new home you should make the mover aware of it. It will help them in planning the unloading process and advise you of extra charges.
Leave old keys with Estate Agent/Realtor/Landlord or neighbour as appropriate.
Leave your new address at the old house so that mail/packages etc. can be forwarded

The Day of the Move In

Basically moving in is the reverse of moving out... So reread that section and see which bits sound applicable! Particularly the "getting a good nights sleep" advice...
Have your plan for the new house so that everyone knows which room is the nursery and which one is the games room etc. Consider sticking signs on each of the rooms to say "Kids Bedroom", "Master Bedroom", "Kitchen" (well, the last should be pretty obvious, but you get the idea)
Again, if friends/family are helping out, confirm they have the correct address and some way of contacting you (Here again the mobile phone could be invaluable! Particularly if they haven't hooked up your proper phone line yet)
Make sure you have your "Moving In Kit" in the car/van and that it is complete, with all the phone numbers etc. With that kit, most situations are solvable.
The phone number of your mover may be vital, particularly if you are delayed for any reason (broken down car, medical emergency, overslept at the motel etc.!)
If you have parking permits that need to be displayed, affix them to the car/moving van etc. since it is particularly annoying to get a parking ticket when you have the permit but have just forgotten to display it!
Check the inventory of the stuff delivered and note immediately anything missing or damaged.
If you've marked your boxes well, then they should each end up in the appropriate room so unpacking should be easy.
Lots of tea & coffee for the workers!
Make sure all the utilities are hooked up and switched on.
Gas/Electricity/Phone fitters arrive and fit any equipment that needs to be fitted. Obviously it will be necessary for the equipment to have been delivered before it can be fitted, so if you get a choice, book the workmen for the afternoon and try to get the delivery arranged for the morning, or even get the fitters to arrive the next day and make plans how you will survive for a night without the hot tub plumbed in...
Remember to check the pilot light on any gas appliances (cooker, hot water heater, furnace etc.)
Locksmith arrives and replaces locks. Confirm that they work, and get emergency contact number from locksmith before she/he leaves, you want to be able to secure your house now that it has all your worldly possessions inside!
New batteries in all the smoke detectors. If there aren't enough smoke detectors, fit more!
Check with post office to see if any mail is being held waiting for you to move in.
Try to leave some time at the end of the day to collapse in a heap, open the champagne/beer/diet Pepsi and just enjoy your new house. I've recommended the moving in kit should contain some stuff to throw a little "moving in party" just for you and those who have helped move you in.

After the Move In

All the fun of unpacking! Keep boxes and packing material for use next time you're moving (and it makes great loft insulation!) and if you plan on never moving again (and you probably will be ready to swear to this by the time the move is completed), you can always pass it on to the next unfortunate friend of yours that will have to go through all this.
Try to leave an area free to unpack into. Particularly useful if you need to turn a box upside down to empty the contents out (e.g. unpacking a large TV)
Unpack one box at a time and in sequence (if you've marked one) and put everything away in the proper place. This will make things easier to find later.
Consider unpacking the children's stuff first, since if you don't, they may decide to do it themselves!
If at all possible don't go digging through all the boxes looking for things. This increases the chance of breakages and of mixing things up so you can't find all the pieces required to assemble, say, the computer desk.
As you finish unpacking each box, cut all the tapes and fold it flat. As you get several of them, tie them together with string and store them away wherever you're storing your boxes, or put them out for disposal/recycling.
Remember to complete the notification of change of address (e.g. register to vote, get new address on driving licence etc.)
Contact postoffice about any mail that may be being held for you (e.g. packages they were unable to deliver)
Send me an email to let me know how it went, and any tips/comments/experiences you'd like to pass on to other people! housemove@magician.co.uk
Introduce yourself to the neighbours. They'll be interested to see who you are, and it is always best to start off on the right foot!
Go on, pop some bubblewrap, you deserve it!

Return to House Move Index