Work backwards from the earliest possible move date, but keep bookings flexible until the legal or contractual date is secure. Use this master timeline and open specialist guides only where your move needs them. Everything on this page is free to read and print; no email sign-up is needed.

Provisional or confirmed?

Split your list into two stages. Provisional planning is everything you can do safely while the date might still move: getting surveyed quotes, decluttering, gathering account details and holding a provisional removal date. Confirmed booking is what you lock in once the date is legally secure: the removal date and scope in writing, parking or lift bookings, storage and the dates you give to utilities.

When the date becomes secure depends on where you are buying or selling:

• England and Wales: when contracts are exchanged.
• Northern Ireland: also at exchange of contracts.
• Scotland: once missives are concluded; ask your solicitor when your date of entry is fixed.
• Renting: your notice and tenancy start or end dates, as set out in the tenancy and the rules for your nation.

The eight-week moving house timeline sets out these stages week by week.

Four to eight weeks before

• Build an inventory and identify specialist items.
• Compare surveyed removal quotes and terms; see what happens in a removal survey.
• Declutter with enough time for sale, donation or lawful disposal.
• Check access, parking, lifts and building rules.
• Gather documents and create a change-of-address list.
• Plan children, pets, medicines and accessibility.

Final week

• Confirm addresses, contacts, crew, arrival and payment.
• Label boxes by destination room and priority.
• Separate valuables, documents and items travelling with you.
• Prepare first-night supplies.
• Defrost or disconnect appliances only as manufacturer and mover instruct.
• Photograph valuable-item condition and both properties.
• If your date was only confirmed late and you still need a firm, see last-minute house removals.

Moving day

• Keep keys, phone, charger, medicines and paperwork with you.
• Walk through the property with the crew and identify exclusions.
• Record meter readings at the relevant handover time.
• Check cupboards, loft, shed and outside areas.
• Complete the agreed key handover.
• At delivery, direct boxes and note visible loss or damage promptly.
• If the crew has not arrived by the agreed time, follow what to do if your removal company has not turned up.

After

• Confirm utilities and address updates.
• Unpack safety-critical and essential items first.
• Check the inventory and report issues under the contract.
• Retain quote, inventory, payment and complaint records.

Printable checklist: who does what

Many tasks fail because everyone assumes someone else is doing them. Use your browser’s print option to print this table and write the name of the person handling each task beside it.

FAQs

What should be done before the van arrives?

Clear routes, reserve access, finish agreed packing, separate no-load items and confirm keys/contact/payment.

When should I record meters and hand over keys?

Follow the property transaction or tenancy instructions. Photograph readings at the point responsibility changes and record key receipt.

Can I book a removal firm before exchange or missives?

You can hold a provisional date, but ask in writing what happens to any deposit if the date moves, and only confirm once the date is legally secure.

Suggested component

Offer a printable Moving Timeline Checklist with movable dates and household-specific modules. The download mirrors this page.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Build the budget around your own move rather than a national average. Keep property transaction costs separate from operational moving costs, and show confirmed, estimated and contingency amounts.

Costs outside the mover’s bill

Common separate items include packing purchases, parking permits, cleaning, disposal, locksmiths, pet care, time off work, temporary accommodation and duplicate utilities. Property tax, legal, survey and mortgage costs belong in a broader home-purchase budget rather than being hidden here.

A gap between homes

Model collection, storage handling, weekly/monthly storage, insurance, access, redelivery and accommodation. Ask whether goods remain sealed in a container or are handled again; every handling stage affects scope and risk.

Use scenarios

Create a confirmed base, a likely estimate and a disruption case covering one or more extra days. A contingency percentage can be useful only when paired with named risks; a flat percentage must not replace research.

FAQs

Which costs fall outside the removal company’s bill?

Anything not written into its scope: materials, permits, cleaning, storage, specialist items, care, accommodation and utility overlap may be separate.

How should I budget for a gap between homes?

Add collection, storage, insurance/access, redelivery, accommodation and an uncertain end date.

Suggested component

Use a Moving Budget Builder with configurable currency, editable categories and low/central/disruption scenarios. No invented defaults.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Put every quote against the same inventory, access conditions and service list. A lower total can reflect fewer items, hourly billing or missing work rather than better value.

The quick method: send every firm the same room-by-room inventory and the same access details for both addresses, then line the quotes up item by item. Anything a quote does not mention is unclear, not free. Ask the firm to confirm it in writing before you compare totals. The grid below is a starting point; copy it into a note or spreadsheet and fill in one column per firm.

Fixed price, estimate or hourly rate

Ask whether the figure is fixed for the stated scope, estimated from time, or subject to weight/volume. For hourly work, record minimum charge, travel clock, crew size, overtime increments and factors outside your control.

The labels are not used consistently, so read the terms rather than relying on the word “quote”. A document called a quote can still be an estimate if it says the price may change.

Two hypothetical quotes, annotated

This is a hypothetical example. The figures are round illustrations chosen to show the method, not market prices. Both firms were sent the same inventory for a two-bedroom flat on the second floor with no lift, moving to a house nearby.

Quote A says £1,000 including VAT. Quote B says £800 plus VAT. At first glance B looks £200 cheaper.

Once VAT is added, the gap shrinks from £200 to £40. Quote B also leaves packing, materials, dismantling and stairs unclear. If those are charged as extras, B could end up costing more than A. The right next step is not to pick A, but to send B the same list and ask for a revised written quote that answers each line. The standard UK VAT rate is 20% (GOV.UK, “VAT rates”); our guide to checking VAT on removal quotes explains why some smaller operators do not charge it.

Access assumptions

Give the same information about floors, lifts, parking, doorway restrictions and walking distance at both properties. Ask who obtains permits and what happens if a lift or loading bay is unavailable.

Inventory changes and how to record them

Agree a cut-off and variation process. Adding a loft, shed or large item can change vehicle, crew and schedule. A mover should explain price and timing before accepting the change.

A useful change record, whether it is an email or a revised quote, shows:

• what was added or removed, item by item;
• the price change, and whether VAT is included;
• any change to crew, vehicle, start time or duration;
• who agreed it and when.

Agree changes before moving day where you can. If something new comes up on the day, ask for the extra charge and the reason in writing before work carries on; our guide to movers asking for more money on moving day covers what to do then. The removal survey guide explains how to build an inventory that reduces surprises in the first place.

Compare House Movers is building Move Planner, an app that keeps one room-by-room inventory you can send to several firms so their quotes start from the same list; contact us for pricing and availability.

FAQs

Is the quote fixed or based on time used?

The document should say. If it is unclear, treat the amount as unconfirmed and ask how waiting, travel and overtime are charged.

What happens if the inventory changes?

Notify the mover promptly and obtain a written revision. Do not assume spare vehicle space or the original price.

Should I always choose the cheapest total?

Only once the quotes cover the same work. Compare like with like first, including VAT and the deposit terms; see removal deposits and final payments.

Compare your own quotes

Enter the totals from two quotes below and tick only the details each quote confirms in writing. An unticked box means not confirmed, not excluded. Nothing is prefilled with market averages, and the tool does not save or send what you enter.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.

Choose by workload, access, risk and responsibility, not by property size alone. DIY hire gives you the vehicle; a man-and-van service usually adds transport and some labour; a removal company can provide surveyed crews, packing, equipment, storage and coordinated liability terms.

There is no universal winner. A “small” move can need a full crew when access is difficult, parking time is limited, items are unusually heavy or delays would be costly.

Responsibility and scope

With DIY hire, you normally pack, load, secure, drive and unload, subject to the hire agreement. With either professional service, obtain written confirmation of who packs, dismantles, loads, protects, drives, unloads and reassembles. The trading name on a booking platform may not be the business arriving.

Compare real constraints

Estimate inventory volume, heaviest item, stairs/lifts, walking distance, parking, travel time, keys, helpers, driving eligibility and return-fuel rules. Add packing materials, insurance/waivers, congestion or tolls and extra hire time before deciding DIY is cheaper.

Before you book a self-drive van, read the hire terms for the mileage allowance, the fuel return rule, the damage excess and any age or licence conditions. In Great Britain, GOV.UK says a standard category B car licence covers petrol and diesel vehicles up to 3,500kg maximum authorised mass, but the hire firm can set its own extra conditions. Our guide to hiring a self-drive van covers the licence and insurance gaps in more detail.

Three hypothetical moves

These are hypothetical examples to show how the choice changes. They are not price comparisons, and the right answer for a real move depends on the quotes and hire terms you are given.

1. A studio flat, ground floor, parking outside

A bed, a sofa, a small table and about 20 boxes, moving a few miles. One van load is likely, so there is one trip, little fuel and a short hire. If two capable friends can help and the sofa is light enough for them, DIY hire can work. If nobody is free to help, a man-and-van booking for a few hours may cost less in time and stress than hiring a van and doing it alone. Compare the hire charge plus fuel, excess cover and any return-on-time penalty against a fixed or hourly man-and-van quote.

2. One awkward, heavy item in an otherwise small move

The same small flat, but with a marble-topped dining table and a first-floor flat with a turning staircase. The heavy item changes the decision more than the box count does. Moving stone safely can need specialist equipment, protection and more people than a friend-and-van move can provide. Ask a man-and-van firm or removal company whether they will take the item, how many people they will send and whether their liability terms cover it. See moving a marble or stone table; do not plan to lift or take it apart yourself on the strength of general advice.

3. A three-bedroom house with a loft and a fixed completion date

A full household is likely to need more than one van load, which for DIY means several trips, more fuel and a longer hire, all while keys are being handed over. A missed handover time can cost more than the saving. A surveyed removal company quote, with crew size, vehicle, packing and dismantling set out in writing, is usually the first thing to compare here. A removal survey helps make sure the quote covers the loft and garden items too.

If the date is close, see last-minute house removals for what changes when you have days rather than weeks.

FAQs

When does a small move still need a full removal crew?

When access, heavy or fragile items, a narrow time window, multiple stops or lack of helpers makes the labour and coordination more important than volume.

Who is responsible for loading?

DIY hirers are. Professional responsibility depends on the written service: confirm labour, packing and securing rather than assuming.

Is DIY always the cheapest option?

No. Once extra trips, fuel, damage excess, extra hire days and time off work are counted, a man-and-van or removal company quote can come out close to, or below, the DIY total.

Match the service to your move

Answer a few questions about the help you want, how complex the move is and what you can safely do yourself. The tool lists the checks for each type of service; it does not pick a cheapest option for you. For local quotes, see local removals and man-and-van services.

Related guides

Compare House Movers is an independent guide. We may earn a fee from some links; this never affects what we write.