Guides · Updated 27 October 2026

London Moving Checklist: What to Do 8 Weeks to Moving Day (Renters & Buyers)

Moving in London has its own extra layer: parking rules, buildings with lift bookings, narrow stairwells, and congestion zones. Here is a week-by-week checklist that covers the London-specific bits most generic lists miss. Want it on paper? Get the free printable London Moving Day Checklist at the end.

8 to 6 weeks before

• Confirm your dates. Renters: check your notice period and the exact end date in your tenancy. Buyers: don't book a fixed date until exchange, or choose a mover who can be flexible.
• Measure your new place. Doorways, stairwells, lifts, and where the sofa will actually go. A sofa that won't fit up a Victorian staircase is a classic London problem.
• Declutter. Every item you don't move saves time and money. Sell, donate or book a council bulky-waste collection.
• Start a moving folder (paper or a phone note) for quotes, contacts, meter readings and confirmations.

6 to 4 weeks before

• Get 2 or 3 quotes from man-and-van firms or removal companies. Give accurate details: full postcodes, list of big items, floors, lifts, parking. (What it should cost.)
• Check insurance. Ask movers about goods-in-transit and public liability cover. Check whether your contents insurance covers items in transit.
• Plan parking at both ends. Check for controlled parking zones, red routes and loading restrictions. If needed, apply to your borough council for a parking bay suspension. Fees and notice periods vary by borough, so don't leave it late.
• Book lifts and loading bays. Many blocks need you to book the lift, fit protective covers or move within set hours. Ask the building manager or managing agent at both addresses.

3 to 2 weeks before

• Confirm the booking in writing: date, arrival window, price, what's included, and the payment method.
• Order boxes, tape and marker pens. A typical 1-bed needs 20 to 40 boxes.
• Start packing rarely used rooms and items (books, spare bedding, seasonal clothes). Label each box with room plus contents.
• Redirect your post. Royal Mail's redirection service can forward mail to your new address.
• Tell people you're moving: employer, bank, GP, dentist, DVLA (driving licence and vehicle log book), insurers, subscriptions.

The week before

• Council tax: tell your current council your leaving date, and register at the new one.
• Electoral register: register at your new address (it can help your credit file).
• Energy, water and broadband: give moving dates. Book broadband early, because London installs can take a couple of weeks.
• TV Licence: update your address.
• Renters: arrange the check-out inspection, plan a clean (or book end-of-tenancy cleaning), and gather your inventory.
• Defrost the freezer 24 to 48 hours before moving day.
• Pack an "open first" box: kettle, mugs, tea or coffee, loo roll, phone chargers, basic tools, bin bags, bedding, towels, medication, documents.

Moving day

• Take meter photos (gas, electricity, water) at both properties, with the date and time.
• Keep valuables, documents and keys with you, not in the van.
• Have the parking sorted before the van arrives: cones, suspension paperwork, a permit or a loading-bay booking.
• Walk through each room before the van leaves: cupboards, loft, balcony, shed.
• At the new place: check large items for damage while the movers are still there, and note anything straight away.
• Pay as agreed and get a receipt.

After the move

• Deposit: if it's protected in an approved scheme, your landlord or agent should return it within 10 days of agreeing the amount. Use the scheme's free dispute service if you disagree.
• Update addresses you missed: Amazon and online shops, loyalty cards, HMRC (if self-employed), pension providers.
• Check post redirection is working.
• Recycle boxes or pass them on.

Get the printable checklist

The free London Moving Day Checklist (PDF) fits this whole timeline on two printable pages with tick boxes, a parking and lift planner, and a meter-reading box. Download it below: no sign-up needed.

Stairwell Moves is a London man-and-van booking service that is opening soon. We're not taking bookings or enquiries yet. Meanwhile, try the cost calculator.

Sources: GOV.UK "Tenancy deposit protection", "Council Tax: moving home"; Royal Mail redirection; TfL red routes and Congestion Charge information; London borough parking suspension pages (each borough sets its own fees and notice periods). Checked October 2026.