How to Prepare for Moving Day | London Movers Since 2010

The most common question I get from customers is not “how much will it cost.” It is “how to prepare for moving day so nothing falls apart at the last minute.” Fair question. Most people move once every seven or eight years. The details get fuzzy. And the things that cause the real stress on the day are never the big furniture. They are the parking, the paperwork, and the three boxes you forgot to label.

I have run over 10,000 house removals since 2010. The moves that go smoothly are not the easy ones. They are the prepared ones. This guide is the timeline I give every customer, broken down by week so you know exactly what to do and when to do it. Follow it from six weeks out and moving day becomes a long day, not a crisis.

Useful guides: Moving house checklist | Room-by-room packing guide | How much does it cost to move house

Six to four weeks before

This is when the real work starts. Get these things locked in now and the rest of the timeline falls into place.

Book your removal company

Your first call should be to a removal company, not a box shop. Book early. The best companies fill their calendars weeks ahead, especially for Friday and weekend slots. August is the busiest month of the year for removals in London. February, April and May are the quietest, which usually means better availability and sometimes better pricing.

When you book, ask for a survey. A proper survey is where the company looks at what you actually have, either by video call or in person, and gives you a quote based on what they see. A company that prices your move without looking is one to walk away from. The survey is the step that protects you from day-of surcharges. At London House Removals, we do a free video survey for most of moves. It takes about 20 minutes, and you get your quote within 12 to 36 hours. Quotes are valid for 28 days.

If you need storage as well, sort it at the same time. Booking your removal and storage together means one crew, one plan, and the first week of your storage is free with any removal.

Start decluttering

Before you pack a single box, get rid of what you do not need. Every item you move costs you time, space, and sometimes money. Go room by room. Separate things into three piles: keep, sell or donate, and bin. Charity shops collect furniture for free if you book ahead. We can also arrange a delivery, including disposal to your local recycling site.

The customers who skip this step are the ones who end up paying to move boxes of junk they throw out a week after arriving.

Order your packing materials

If you are packing yourself, order boxes now. You need proper double-walled removal boxes, not supermarket cast-offs. Supermarket boxes collapse under stacking weight and they are never uniform, which makes loading the van harder and slower.

A typical 2-bed flat needs roughly 50 to 90 boxes depending on how much you own. That is small double-walled boxes for most items, large boxes for lighter bulk, and wardrobe cartons for hanging clothes. Get packing paper for wrapping breakables, bubble wrap for the fragile items, strong packing tape, and marker pens for labelling.

Sort schools and nurseries

If you have children, contact the new school or nursery as early as possible. School place transfers take time, and councils process applications in order. Give the current school your leaving date so they can prepare your child’s records for the handover.

Two weeks before

Two weeks out is when you start packing in earnest and when the admin work kicks in.

Start packing the rooms you use least

Begin with the loft, the garage, the spare room, and the shed. These are the spaces people forget about until moving week, and they always take longer than expected. Pack a few boxes a day rather than leaving it all for the final weekend.

Best to label every box on two sides and the top. Write the room it is going to, and a quick note on what is inside. “Kitchen, plates and glasses” is useful. “Misc” is not. I have seen too many customers spend their first night in a new home opening ten boxes looking for the kettle.

Arrange parking

If your street has permit parking, restricted parking, or is on a Red Route, you need to arrange a parking bay suspension for the removal van. This is the single most common thing people forget, and it causes more moving day problems than anything else.

Each London borough runs its own suspension process. Search your council website for “parking suspension” or “moving day parking” and you will find the application form and the fees for your area. Most councils need at least 5 to 14 days notice, so do this now. A suspension typically costs between £40 and £125 per bay, and a full house move usually needs at least two bays depending on the amount of vans needed for the job.

Arranging and paying for parking permits and bays suspension is your responsibility, not the removal company’s. This is standard across the industry. Optionaly, I can help you arrange parking for an admin fee agreed upfront, plus the usual costs per bays depending on a borough you move out and into.

If your road is a Red Route, the rules are different. Transport for London manages those centrally and you need to apply for a Red Route dispensation. Here, we can also help you with the application.

Book time off work

Talk to your employer and block out the days. Ideally you want the day before the move for last-minute packing, the moving day itself, and the day after for unpacking and sorting the essentials. Three days is the minimum I recommend.

Notify the people who need to know

Start your change of address list now. Two weeks out, inform:

• Utility providers: gas, electricity, water. Take final meter readings on moving day and give opening readings at the new property.
• Broadband and TV providers. Book the installation at your new address for moving day or the day after.
• Banks, building societies, credit card companies, and pension providers.
• Your GP, dentist, and vet if you are changing area.
• The local council for council tax. Close your old account and open the new one.
• Insurance companies: home, contents, and car. Your policy may need updating for the new postcode.
• The DVLA for your driving licence and vehicle registration.

Set up Royal Mail redirection for at least three months. It catches the letters you forgot to update and is cheaper than dealing with missed bills.

One week before

The final week is about finishing the packing and tying off the loose ends.

Finish the bulk of your packing

By the end of this week, everything should be boxed except your daily essentials. Leave out only what you need for the final seven days: clothes, toiletries, phone chargers, basic cooking gear, and the kettle.

If you booked a packing service, the crew usually comes in the day before or the morning of the move. If you are packing yourself, do not leave it all for the night before. A full house takes most people a full day or two at minimum, and you will be exhausted by midnight.

Run down the fridge and freezer

Start eating through what is in the freezer and fridge. Plan your meals around what you have. On moving day, unplug the fridge early so it can defrost before the crew arrive. If you have a chest freezer full of food, consider borrowing cooler space or arranging temporary storage.

Prepare your essentials box

Pack one clearly labelled box with everything you will need for the first 24 hours in your new home. See the dedicated section below for what goes in it.

Confirm everything

Call or message your removal company to confirm the arrival time, the number of movers, and any access details for both properties. Confirm the parking suspension is in place. If you have a completion deadline on a property chain, make sure everyone knows the timeline.

Clean as you empty rooms

If you are renting, you need the property clean for the deposit return. Even if you are selling, leaving the place clean is the decent thing to do. Wipe down each room as you finish emptying it rather than doing it all at the end.

The day before

The day before is for final packing, dismantling, and a clear plan for the morning.

Disassemble furniture

Take apart what needs to come apart. Beds, wardrobes, large shelving units, and dining tables with removable legs. Bag all the fittings and label each bag with the furniture it belongs to. Take photos of how things go together before you take them apart so reassembly is straightforward.

If your removal company includes dismantling in the price, leave it to them. The crew does it faster and properly. At London House Removals, basic bed and wardrobe dismantling is included, and anything more complex is factored into the quote after the survey.

Set aside what is moving with you

Put your essentials box, valuables, passports, house documents, and keys in one place, ideally by the front door or in your car. These do not go in the van. Cash, jewellery, and important documents stay with you on the day.

Check the weather

If rain is forecast, have old towels or protective sheets ready at both properties. The crew brings floor coverings, but extra protection at the door saves the carpets. If snow or ice is likely, clear the paths.

Moving day

Moving day itself is mostly about staying out of the way, being available for questions, and keeping track of the essentials.

Be ready when the crew arrive

Have everything packed and labelled before the crew turn up. The biggest cause of delays on moving day is a property that is not ready when the crew arrive. If you are still stuffing things into bin bags at 9am, the move will run late and you will feel rushed.

Do a final walkthrough with the foreman. Show them what is going, what is staying, and which boxes are fragile. Point out anything that needs special care. A good crew has already been briefed on your move from the survey, but a quick walkthrough confirms the plan.

Keep your phone on you

You will need it. The crew may ask which room boxes go in. The estate agent may call about key handover. Your solicitor may need to confirm completion. Keep your phone charged and on you all day.

Do a final check before you leave

Before you lock the door for the last time, walk through every room. Open every cupboard, check the loft, check the shed, check behind doors. Take final meter readings. Leave the keys where agreed with the estate agent or the new owner.

At the new property

Be there before the van if you can. The crew needs you to tell them where things go. Direct each item to its room as it comes off the van. If you labelled your boxes properly, this goes quickly. Reassemble beds first so they are ready for the night.

After the move

The move does not end when the van pulls away. Here is what to sort in the first few days.

Unpack the essentials first

Get the beds made, the kitchen basics unpacked, and the bathroom set up. Everything else can wait. Most people try to unpack everything in one day and end up living out of boxes for a week anyway. Pace yourself.

Check for damage

Check your furniture and breakables as you unpack. If anything is damaged, contact your removal company immediately. Most policies have a short window for reporting claims (usually 7 days, or less).

Update your address

Finish off any change of address notifications you did not complete before the move. Update the electoral roll. Tell friends and family. Cancel any remaining services at the old address that you missed.

Recycle your boxes

Once you have unpacked, break down your boxes and either recycle them or pass them on to someone else who is moving. Local community groups and reuse sites are good places to list them.

What to pack in your essentials box

This box is the one thing that saves your first night. Pack it last, label it clearly, and keep it with you.

• Kettle, tea, coffee, milk, and mugs
• Phone chargers and a power bank
• Toilet roll and basic toiletries
• A change of clothes and pyjamas
• Bedding for the first night
• Basic cleaning supplies: bin bags, surface wipes, a cloth
• Snacks and water
• Scissors or a box cutter for opening boxes
• Important documents: passports, tenancy or completion paperwork, insurance documents
• Any medication you take regularly
• A torch and spare batteries

If you have children or pets, add their essentials too: nappies, a favourite toy, pet food, and bowls.

Who to inform about your move

Here is a fuller checklist of everyone who needs your new address. Work through it in the two weeks before your move so nothing slips.

• Gas and electricity supplier: give final and opening readings
• Water company: same, final and opening readings
• Broadband and phone provider: arrange disconnection and reconnection
• TV and streaming services: update your address for licensing and billing
• Bank, building society, and credit card providers
• Pension and investment providers
• Employer’s HR or payroll department
• GP, dentist, optician, and vet
• Council tax: close old account, open new
• Electoral roll
• DVLA: driving licence and vehicle logbook
• Home, contents, and car insurance
• Any subscription services: magazines, meal kits, delivery boxes
• Schools and nurseries
• Friends and family

Royal Mail redirection runs for up to 12 months and catches anything you missed. Set it up for at least the first three months.

Moving day parking

Parking is the part of moving day prep that catches the most people out. If the van cannot park outside your property, the move takes longer, costs more, and in some cases cannot happen at all.

Here is what to do. Check your street. If there is free unrestricted parking with enough space for a van, you may not need anything. But most London streets have some form of restriction.

If there is permit parking, residents bays, or loading restrictions, you need a parking bay suspension. Apply through your local council website. Search for “parking suspension” on their site and you will find the form. Each borough has its own process, fees, and notice periods. Most need 5 to 14 days notice and charge between £40 and £125 per bay.

If your street is a Red Route, apply through Transport for London instead. They manage those roads centrally.

You need enough space for the removal van to park as close to your front door as possible. For a full house move, that usually means at least two bays. Check with your removal company on the size and number of van, so you request the right amount of space.

Arranging and paying for parking permits and bays suspension is your responsibility, not the removal company’s. This is standard across the industry. Optionaly, I can help you arrange parking for an admin fee agreed upfront, plus the usual costs per bays depending on a borough you move out and into.

FAQ

If you want a hand working through any of this, call 0207 118 7778 or fill in the form for a free survey and quote. I will talk you through what your move needs, when to book, and what to sort first. No obligation, no pressure.

Written by Kris Kazimierski, owner of London House Removals. 10,000+ moves since 2010. 5.0-star rated with 215+ Google reviews.