This post is a follow up to An Organiser's Guide To Moving Home: 12 Things You Need To Do Before You Move, which covers the initial steps on how to prepare for a move. If your moving day is months away, I would recommend revisiting this post first before reading the following guidance.

Days Before Moving Day:

Use the KonMari categories, along with the subcategories to sort your belongings as you’re packing your belongings - If you pack your items like for like, this will make finding a home for your belongings much easier in your new home. For a full overview of all KonMari categories to support you with this, please download my free Tidying Checklist. More specifically, if you are a book lover and feel overwhelmed at the idea of transporting your entire book collection to your new home, this website has lots of tips on what to do with your books ahead of the move and how to safely pack the books you’re planning to take with you.
Keep important documents close - Make sure you have all your important financial, legal and medical documents — including your birth certificate, driving license and passport — close to you in a folder or box file, so they don’t get lost in the shuffle. They can be added to your ‘essentials’ box, bag or suitcase (see below).
Fix, redecorate and clean - If you are currently living in rented accommodation, to ensure you get your deposit back, devote some time to fixing any damage to the interior/exterior and/or broken or damaged appliances. Refer back to your inventory if you still have it; this will give you an insight into what the landlord or managing agent will be looking out for once you’ve vacated the property. Schedule in a walk through with your landlord before you leave, so that you can address any issues while you’re still physically on the premises.
Touch up any problem areas if you can: If you have children, it’s amazing what a bit of paint can do to walls with finger smudges and ‘artwork’.
If necessary, and if you can afford it, hire a professional cleaning service. Take photos of everything before you leave; this will be evidence should your landlord or managing agent raise any issues with the way things were left.
TIP: To get rid of carpet indentations from furniture, try the ice cube trick. Leave an ice cube there to melt for up to 12 hours. The moisture from the slowly melting ice cube gives the carpet fibers time to swell and regain their original shape. Then use the edge of a spoon to push the carpet fibers back in an upright position. A coin will also do the trick.
Cancel and transfer your regular services - If you have specific gardening, recycling, cleaning or security services, make sure you cancel them for your current property before providing them with your new home details if their services are still required post move.
Check parking permits - You will need to check this ahead of your moving date. Do you need any permits or permissions to park a moving van outside your old and new home for an extended period of time? If so, you can gain your parking suspension permit from your local council website.
Arrange a babysitter or a pet sitter for moving day - For a stress free transition, having your children and/or pet being looked after by another person is a game changer. In my experience, being free from distractions of this nature allows you to make significant progress in unpacking and finding homes for items on moving day.

Before moving day, visit your new home (if you can) to plan some moving logistics - My husband and I were lucky enough to have a long transition period between leaving our old home and moving into our vacant new home. This meant that I was able to visit our new home on several occasions to plan out where all of our furniture was going to go. I used masking tape to plan out the layout of rooms, after measuring each piece of furniture accurately. This is also an opportunity for you to map out the route you will take to gain access to your home (for example, if you’re moving into an apartment, consider how many doors you will have to go through to move furniture and heavy items).
TIP: Consider investing in some sturdy door stops to keep doors open when you’re moving in. Having to constantly open and close doors when carrying heavy and bulky furniture through can be a nightmare! Door stops to the rescue!
Spend the most time in the kitchen! - As a general rule, kitchens have the most storage space per square foot compared to all other rooms in the home. Why? Because generally the kitchen contains the highest volume of items. Before I moved recently, I took photographs of all of my kitchen items and how they were stored in my previous home before photographing all of the available storage in our new home. Then I mapped out where all of our current items where going to live once we had moved. On moving day, while my husband was sorting out the other rooms, I barricaded myself in the kitchen to put my plan into action. It took me five hours to organise the entire kitchen and it was the best thing I did. Having a kitchen which works well in the beginning provides an incredible source of comfort and clarity. The kitchen needs careful consideration because if everything just gets chucked into it on moving day, it’s very difficult to reset the space without getting everything out again. This requires a significant investment of your time. Plan where you’re going to give a home to your items in the new kitchen ahead of the move and you won’t regret it!
Colour code your boxes - Consider purchasing different coloured tape and/or sticky dots to put on your boxes, so you can see clearly which room each box needs to be placed into upon arrival in your new home. For example, blue dots represent kitchen items, red dots represent living room items etc. This also works well if you hire movers, as they will clearly see which things need to be temporarily stored where. I am aware that specific moving companies may have their own systems of organisation when they’re packing though.
TIP: Put heavier items in smaller boxes and lighter items in big boxes. This will make them easier to carry.
The ‘essentials’ box - Pack a box, bag or suitcase with your essentials that can be easily retrieved upon arriving in your new home. Essentials include anything you need on the first day: snacks, medications, toiletries, toilet paper, soap etc.

Moving Day!:

Take a moment to pause - This stage marks the transition into a new phase of life for you. Breathe. Recognise the significance of this moment in your life.
Take a moment to congratulate yourself on all of your moving out efforts up until this point. Ideally, if you have everything organised when you’re moving out, the moving-in process will be simpler.
Plan and assign specific roles! - If you’re moving home with your partner and/or family, make sure you communicate with your family members about what everyone is responsible for on moving day. Everyone needs a job or a target area to unpack and/or sort out. I was quite honest with my husband about my need to barricade myself in the kitchen and for him to not bother me at all while I was sorting things out! Being decisive about your role on moving day and communicating your expectations to your family members can prevent everyone running around like headless chickens!
Prioritise the rooms you want to unpack first - I’d always recommend focusing on the kitchen, bedroom and a bathroom. If you have these three spaces ready to go on that first day, it makes the transition so much easier because these spaces are the ones that allow us to function well! If you have little ones, make sure you make unpacking their room (or their essentials) a priority. When moving, it’s important to keep your child’s bedtime routine on the same schedule for an easier transition. If you need more advice about helping children prepare for a move, and for the transition itself, I’d highly recommend reading this article.
Start early - Those finishing touches in your old home, whether it’s packing up the final boxes or loading up the car and/or removal van, always take longer than you think. Start early in the morning and make sure you get in a good breakfast.
Put refrigerated and/or frozen food in cooler bags with ice packs - There’s no point in throwing all of that good food away; take it with you and make it one of the first things you unpack upon entry into your brand new kitchen.
Choose easy meals for moving-in day - It’s safe to say that you probably won’t be cooking up a storm in your new kitchen on moving-in day! Plan ahead by purchasing food items that can be prepared easily. For the foodies out there, check out this great article about moving day food options and advice.
Provide lots of snacks and remember to keep drinking water – Moving is a very physically demanding job, so you will need to recharge every once in a while. It sounds simple but many I have to remind so many of my clients to keep drinking water when I support them on their moving-in day!

Once you’re in your new home:

If you own a vehicle, you will need update your V5C vehicle log book immediately after your change of address is officially confirmed. If you don’t do this on time and the DVLA remains uninformed, you can get a fine of up to £1000. For guidance on how to do this, click here.
Update your driver’s license.
Update your insurance provider.
If you have signed up for The Redirect Service from The Royal Mail, start making a list of all of the companies and individuals you need to share your new address with. I personally find making a list across a few weeks a lot easier, because then I can update my new address to everyone all in one go, rather than doing it bit by bit.
Don’t forget to contact the relevant companies that provide your newspaper and magazines subscriptions. If you are a member of a society, club, national park or charity who regularly send you mail, you will also need to contact them to inform them of your new address. The Fantastic Removals Blog has an excellent checklist of everyone you need to notify when you’re moving home.
Give friends and family your new contact information.
Update all of your billing information and important sources - Contact your bank so they can change your address details on any accounts you have. You will also need to update your voting address. You can change your voting address online on the UK government website. It’s also important to contact your employer and the NHS as well as your doctor, dentist, optician, children(s) school(s) and/or vet.
TIP: In this era of such exceptional communication, through sending one email, in line with a few separate send-to lists, you’re able to inform everyone who matters that you have changed your address.

Most importantly, make time to celebrate your success! Moving can be one of the most stressful things you go through in life, so it is essential to recognise this achievement and allow yourself the time and grace to treat yourself in any way you deem fit. Whether it’s a date night with your loved one or a family meal that allows you the time to be mindful of your new living space, it’s worthwhile to take the opportunity to mark the transition and journey with a positive, meaningful experience.

If you are moving soon, I wish you the best of luck!

An Organiser's Guide to Moving Home: Getting Ready For Moving Day

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