The Ultimate Moving Apartment Checklist

Written by Ashleigh Williams Reviewed by Dave Sayce

20th Jul 2022 (Last updated on 23rd Feb 2023) 6 minute read

8 Weeks Before: Getting Organised

Ideally, you should begin preparing 8 weeks in advance. This provides you with ample time before the big day. If you leave the preparation and organisation until the last minute, you may not have enough time to complete everything.

Here is what you should do first:

• Write a to-do list - Getting organised and writing a to-do list is important. It keeps you on track and ensures you’re not missing anything important.
• Pay your security deposit - To secure a rental apartment, you will need to pay your security deposit. This is paid when signing your tenancy agreement and contract.
• Create a moving budget - A budget ensures you can afford to live in the new apartment. You’ll want to factor in costs such as rent, utility bills, deposits, and Hiring a Removals Company.
• Check contracts and paperwork - You’ll need to ensure you’re in a position to move apartments. If you’re renting and have 6 months left of your contract, your landlord may not allow this. You may incur extra costs if you leave a contract early.
• Give notice to the current landlord - If you’re renting, provide your current landlord with as much notice as possible. It’s recommended to provide 8 weeks of notice. If you provide less notice, you may have to pay rent until your landlord can find a replacement tenant.
• Declutter and sell unwanted items - Decluttering is one of the more time-consuming parts of moving. However, it helps to cut down the packing time. Sort all your items into different sections, such as items to keep, sell, recycle, and give to charity. Garage sales and Facebook Marketplace are great ways to sell unwanted items.
• Follow our packing tips - We've created a list of 20 packing tips for moving home. The list covers everything from using packing services to decluttering your house.

5-7 Weeks Before: Planning

5-7 weeks before moving is when you want to begin the planning process.

• Choosing a removal company - Choosing the right moving services is important. If you’re looking to compare removal companies, our service can help you find the perfect match at a competitive price.
• Using self-storage - If you have to store household goods during the process, self-storage is useful. Our storage comparison service allows you to compare and save on container or self-storage quotes.
• Picking a moving date - When you’ve scheduled your move, provide the date to your removals company. Your old and new landlords will need to be informed too.
• Contact companies - Inform utility, Broadband, TV and relevant companies in advance so your accounts can be closed. This includes submitting final metre readings and cancelling contracts
• Redirect mail - You’ll need to contact the post office to redirect your mail to your new address.
• Book annual leave - Annual leave helps ease the stress of moving. It ensures you have enough time to pack, move and unpack when you get to your new apartment.
• Create a moving inventory - A moving inventory is useful as it allows you to keep track of all your belongings. If a box goes missing during the move, you can refer to the inventory. If you organise the inventory by each box, this simplifies the unpacking process.
• Ask family and friends for help - Packing is a big task to complete alone. It can be helpful to ask friends and family for help, especially on your moving day.
• Schedule a professional cleaning service - Professional cleaning services deep clean your apartment. This service helps prevent any cleaning charges at the end of your tenancy.
• Fix broken items - If there are any broken items in your existing home, these should be fixed before leaving. If left unfixed, extra charges may incur.

2-4 Weeks Before: Begin Packing

Packing is a long and lengthy process, so the earlier you start planning, the better. You should provide yourself with at least 2 weeks to start packing before moving.

Here are some useful packing tips to follow:

• Get your moving boxes and packaging ready
• Label and organise your boxes
• Dismantle and pack less-used items
• Pack one room at a time to make unpacking easier
• Place essentials in the same box so they are accessible
• Hire a packing service to make the process as stress-free as possible

7 Days Before: Final Preparations

A week before moving out of your apartment, your final preparations should begin. It’s important at this stage to round up any outstanding tasks you still need to do.

• Change your address - Ensure your address is changed and companies are informed of this. Your bank and workplace need to be aware of the address change. Any credit cards and subscriptions such as Amazon will need to be changed too.
• Finding new doctors, dentists and vets - If you're moving areas, you'll need to find suitable alternatives.
• Research the new area - You should have a good idea of what the area you are moving to is like.
• Plan your move-in day - It’s a good idea to make the removal company aware of your moving plans.
• Council tax - Don't forget to inform the council of your moving date. You will need to supply them with the address of your new apartment.
• Empty and clean your fridge - The last thing you’ll want to do is leave any uneaten or mouldy food behind.
• Prepare your pets (if you have any) - Pets can become stressed when travelling. Have everything they need, including water, and suitable carry cases if needed.
• Deep clean your current rental property - Deep cleaning your apartment before moving out is important. The cleaning needs to be thorough.
• Paint and touch-up wear and tear - Wear and tear are normal in a rental apartment. Touching up and painting over any marks will help prevent you from being charged for this.
• Double-check your current rental property inventory - Checking the inventory is essential. Ensure all the existing items in the apartment are still in the same condition.
• Pack a moving day bag - This should include essential documents needed for the move.
• Finish packing the last of your belongings - Check all areas of the house to ensure you’ve not missed anything.
• Redirect your mail - Redirecting your mail via Royal Mail can take up to five days. It’s important to do this in advance so you don’t miss any important mail.

After Moving Into Your New Apartment

After you have moved into your new apartment, follow this checklist:

• Check your new apartment - Check for any issues and problems you may have missed.
• Unpack - Begin the unpacking process as you settle into your new apartment.
• Register to vote - Update your details on the electoral register.
• Update your address on anything still outstanding - This helps avoid any important missed mail.
• Bank - Inform the bank of any address changes for their records.
• Doctors/dentist/vet - If you’ve moved to a new area, you will need to find suitable alternatives.
• Employer - Your employer needs to know your updated address and details.
• HMRC - This could affect your pay if your address details are not updated.
• DVLA - Your driving licence needs to match your current address.
• National Insurance - Informing national insurance of an address change is required.
• Renters insurance - If you’re renting a new apartment, renters insurance is important. It ensures your goods are protected and covered should anything happen.

Moving into a new apartment doesn't have to be stressful. By following this apartment moving checklist and the tips provided, your move will be successful.

The most important thing to remember is to stay organised. The more organised you are, the smoother the process will be.