In the UK, moving house can take anywhere between 3 to 6 months from start to completion. The process of buying a new home will be quicker for those who don’t have a house to sell, or if you’re living in temporary accommodation such as rented, with parents or friends. Buying a brand new home, like a Genesis Home, may also take less time as no one has to vacate it making moving in much smoother.
Moving day usually happens on completion day. This is the day that your conveyancer transfers the funds to the seller’s conveyancer. Once the funds have been transferred and confirmation has been received, the keys to your new home will be released to you. Eek! Very exciting!
You can read more about exchange and completion in our handy guide.
Whether you’re all packed up or haven’t even begun, moving house day requires plenty of preparation and planning. But don’t worry – we’re here to help. Let’s take a deep dive into what happens on house moving day and how you can best prepare for this roller coaster of a ride. We’ve included a moving house plan, a breakdown of what should happen when, and checklists and tips for moving day. We want you to have a happy move in day – not a stressful one!
Before Moving Day
Right at the very start of your home-buying journey your conveyancer will ask what completion day you’d like to work towards. This won’t be confirmed until contracts are exchanged, but you should have a rough idea of when your house move day will be, barring any issues.
With this loose date in mind, you can begin to plan the logistics of moving home based on the time frame available. You’ll find a complete guide to moving home in our related article which details everything you need to think about when planning moving house.
If you find yourself wondering what to do on moving day, then look no further as we’re here to take you through it, step by step. Having an idea of what to expect will help you plan for every eventuality and our handy checklist for moving day operations will help you prepare adequately in advance.
Essentially, so long as you have a plan for removals, have organised, decluttered and packed your belongings and sorted insurance and utilities for your new home, you’re most of the way there!
We get asked a lot, ‘is completion date the day you move in?’. Most of the time, the day you complete is the day you move in. However, this is up to you and some people choose to decorate or slowly move things across to their new home if they’re in no rush to vacate their current living space.
On Moving in Day
By moving day your existing dwelling has been emptied and tidied (almost!), your pets and children secured, and your movers are hovering with bated breath and a loaded truck. The morning of moving in day can feel a bit anticlimactical as you wait for all the official ‘i’s’ to be dotted and the ‘t’s’ to be crossed. But once the phone rings and your conveyancer informs you that completion is successful it’s all stations GO! Below is an idea of what your move day timeline might look like and suggestions for how to manage moving house on the day.
Early AM
Today you’ll wake up for the last time in your old home! It’s okay to feel sad about leaving a home you’ve lived in for a while – whether you own it or not. Memories are contained within the walls, but these will stay with you as you move into your new house, where you’ll make new ones too, soon enough, ending one chapter and beginning another. Make sure you eat a hearty breakfast as you have a big day ahead!
This will be a day of lasts. Last breakfast in your old home, last shower, last goodbyes to neighbours and final brews. Today is also a new beginning and by the time your property has been emptied it will feel a lot less like yours, making it easier to leave behind.
Early morning will be spent packing last minute essentials such as toiletries, chargers and paperwork. Emptying the fridge will be one of the last things you need to do too. Having a couple of cool boxes and some ice packs ready will help keep things like milk, butter and meat cool while you transport them. You will also need to make sure you have assembled all house keys, window keys, shed/garage keys and paperwork ready for the new owners.
Putting down cardboard, old carpet or sheets along the hall floor will help protect the floor from dirt or damage as you move your belongings out of the house.
If you have hired movers, they’ll likely arrive early to start loading the van(s). Spend a few minutes briefing them on what needs to go where – your boxes will of course be clearly labelled already! Highlight any fragile or important items they need to treat carefully and plan the order in which they load their vehicle. It is a good idea to start from the top of a house, or the furthest part of the apartment away from the entrance, so you can clean from top to bottom or back to front as they are emptying your rooms.
You may also want to supervise them as they dismantle any furniture, if it hasn’t been already done, and keep an eye on the loading to ensure your possessions are handled with care.
Mid-Morning
As you empty your house, go through and wipe down any surfaces, sweep and hoover empty rooms, clean the bathrooms after you’ve finished using them, and make sure all cupboards are empty. Final sweeps of the garden, loft spaces and outdoor storage areas will also ensure you don’t leave anything behind on move day.
You’ll likely receive a few calls or emails this morning from your conveyancer. You might also be in touch with your estate agent, particularly if you’re selling your old home and there are buyers waiting on your move. Conveyancers will let you know when they’ve transferred funds and when these have been received by the sellers’ conveyancers. Once this is confirmed, you have successfully completed!
Midday
Your keys should now be available for collection, or you will be granted access to your new home by a representative of the property developer or an estate agent. Coordinate with your movers to arrange access to your new property. You may want to get there before the movers so you can supervise the unloading and distribution of your possessions. Equally, if you have opted for a full service package, debrief your movers on what needs to go where while you ensure your old home is empty, clean and ready for the new homeowners.
Afternoon
At some point after midday, you should have vacated your old home entirely, handed over the keys to either a new owner or your estate agent and be in the process of unloading your possessions into your new home. You will be deciding on how to arrange furniture, where to plug in the kettle, where to hang your clothes and maybe even meeting your new neighbours. Don’t forget to unload your cool boxes into your new fridge before your food spoils!
Evening
This is where your ‘go-bag’ for moving day becomes the most important task you achieved before you moved – well done you! It’s likely you won’t have unpacked everything towards the end of the day, so having pjs, a change of clothes, your toothbrush, mugs, tea/coffee, bedding and chargers handy will mean you don’t have to ratch around trying to find things late at night.
For those of us who hold food in high regard, pat yourself on the back for ensuring you have something available for dinner. Whether it’s a ready meal, or frozen leftovers, an M&S meal deal or a takeaway menu, don’t forget to take a minute to sit down and eat. The rest of the unpacking can wait, and you’ll need your energy to finish the job. Enjoy your first meal in your new home – the first of many to come!
Moving in Day Checklist
Print this out, turn it into a schedule, add it as a moving day checklist in your phone – however you prefer staying on task, our complete move day checklist covers all the things you’ve already thought about and some of those you haven’t.
At your old home
- Confirm removals arrangements
- Final packing
- Protect floors with cardboard, old carpet or sheeting
- Coordinate drop offs for pets and young children not involved in moving day
- Empty fridge and freezer
- Check any sheds, lofts, gardens etc
- Cleaning – consider hiring a professional if there is time
- Meter readings – gas, electric and water where applicable
- Assemble keys, paperwork, warranties, instructions for the new owner
- Turn off lights, switches, heating, appliances
- Unplug any routers or modems
- Lock all windows
- Empty bins, recycling tubs and bags
- Remove all rubbish
A final note on leaving your old home. Your house contract will require you to leave your home in a clean, empty and respectable condition, which includes removing all waste, rubbish and recycling. If it’s not a refuse collection day, then you’ll need to either take your rubbish and recycling to the local recycling centre or take it with you to your new home.
At your new home
- Check the house on entry – photograph any damage or issues for raising with the agent
- Take meter readings – gas, electric, water where applicable
- Confirm new utilities
- Flag any removals issues before the movers leave
- Unpack essential items – bedding, clothes, toiletries, refreshments, cups etc
- Make beds
- Order a takeaway or pop your dinner in the oven!
At the most basic level, this is all you really need to do on moving day once you have access to your new home. In theory you’ll have arranged a day off for moving house but if you’re back to work the next day, leave unpacking until the weekend or your next days off. So long as you have the essentials, you can last for a few days surrounded by boxes if needs be.
Moving Day Tips
It’s easy to think about everything else but don’t neglect yourself when planning a house move. Our moving day tips listed below will make sure that you are in tip top form so that you can enjoy your first night in your new home, rather than spend it slumped in a broken heap.
- Remember to eat and drink – keep a water bottle handy and don’t skip breakfast – you’ll regret it later!
- Dress appropriately – comfy clothes and sturdy shoes will ensure you can function at your best on moving day, which is a physical, tiring day even when planned meticulously
- Keep chargers, phones, scissors and tape handy – we guarantee you will need ALL of these during the day! Consider wearing a tool belt or trousers with lots of pockets.
- Expect delays – with the best will in the world, delays on moving days are inevitable. Keep a variety of snacks, drinks and entertainment handy for lulls.
Moving into a New Build Checklist
Moving into a new build home is slightly different to moving into a home someone has just vacated. One of these is the fact that you’ll be met at your new home by a representative of the developer who will introduce you to your new build house.
Before moving in, you’ll be offered a new home demonstration where they’ll walk you through your brand new home, show you the appliances and how to use them, where the meters and stop tap are, give maintenance information and any warranties available.
On moving day, your representative will ask you to check elements of your new build such as sanitaryware, windows, doors and fixtures and fittings. There will be forms to fill in and sign to confirm you’re happy with your new home, after which you’ll be given your new keys! You’ll be given a short refresher of where everything is and how to use any appliances or tech. Your host will also take and submit meter readings in your presence to send to suppliers.
You will be offered a seven day courtesy visit to ensure your new home meets your expectations, to follow-up on any queries mentioned during handover or demonstration and to work through any teething issues such as niggles with heating systems.. After this handover, your movers can start to unpack.
Find out more about how to buy a new build home here.
After Moving Day
The days after moving day will likely be spent arranging your furniture, unpacking your belongings, organising your kitchen cupboards and furnishing and styling your new home. You’ll probably have a pile of cardboard boxes and packaging materials stashed somewhere too. If you don’t have space to store these for potential future home moves, consider offering them on local recycling groups or to friends and family who may be moving soon.
You’ll want to think about a mail redirection service if you haven’t changed all your addresses over yet – this is well worth the expense! Not only does continuing mail inconvenience those who have moved into your old home, but you could potentially lose new bank cards, pin numbers and appointment letters, and not even know about them.
Enjoy exploring your new neighbourhood and make sure to greet your new neighbours warmly, especially if you live close to them. It is always a good idea to keep neighbours onside to maintain cordial relations.
Moving into a Genesis Home
We may be biased but we think moving into a new build home makes for a much easier moving day than moving into a recently vacated home. Not least, because you are welcomed by one of our fantastic team! Our homes are built to a consistently high standard with a modern specification throughout, energy-efficient appliances, convenient layouts and well thought out spaces. You can discover more about the advantages of new build homes versus older homes in our related blog.
Moving day may be hectic but it should also be enjoyable and exciting. At Genesis Homes, we strive to make move in day as painless as possible, setting us apart from our competitors not only with our stunning homes but our dedicated team too.
Check out our latest new build developments to find your brand new home and let us make your moving day a doddle.