Your Complete Moving Checklist

Moving day itself tends to go reasonably smoothly if the weeks before it are organised — most moving-day stress actually comes from things that should have been sorted earlier.

Eight weeks before: start decluttering. Every item you get rid of now is one less thing to pack, move and unpack later — and if you're selling, a decluttered home genuinely photographs and shows better, which affects both viewings and achieved price. Get quotes from removal firms early; good ones book up weeks in advance, especially at month-end and over summer.

Four weeks before: start your redirect with Royal Mail, and begin the list of who needs your new address — banks, DVLA, GP, dentist, insurance providers, subscriptions. This list is always longer than people expect; keeping a running note as you think of each one is far easier than trying to reconstruct it from memory later.

Two weeks before: confirm your removal firm's arrival time, start using up food from the freezer, and begin packing non-essential rooms. Label boxes by room, not just contents — it makes unpacking dramatically faster, and means the person carrying boxes on the day doesn't need to ask you where everything goes.

One week before: confirm meter readings will be taken on the day, pack an essentials box (kettle, toiletries, chargers, a change of clothes, basic tools) that travels with you rather than in the removal van, and confirm final details with your solicitor — exchange and completion dates, and exactly when you'll get the keys.

Moving day: take meter readings the moment you arrive and the moment you leave your old property. Keep your essentials box with you. And don't feel obliged to unpack everything on day one — the sofa being in the wrong place for a week matters far less than getting a proper night's sleep.

If you're moving in or around Windlesham, Ascot, Sunningdale or the surrounding areas, we're always happy to help with local recommendations — from solicitors to removal firms — even if we're not the ones selling your home.