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What Is in This Moving House Checklist

This moving house checklist is for a move in the UK: England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, whether you buy, sell or rent. It has 218 items in 25 groups, from giving notice or accepting an offer to the week after the move, and the rules that differ by nation are below it.

29 items are this list's own, such as council tax, the DVLA, HMRC, the electoral register, your solicitor, the survey and the Right to Rent check. The other 189 come from the General Moving List, many written in UK words.

Three groups are this list's own: Who to notify, Selling and Buying. Renting? Take out Selling and Buying with More, then Delete by Group or Tag. Buying your first home? Take out Selling.

Who to Notify When You Move House

Each office in Who to notify is told on its own, in its own way, and some work differently in Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales.

  • DVLA: a new log book (V5C) comes by post. If it has not arrived after 4 weeks, contact the DVLA. In Northern Ireland the DVA changes the address on a Northern Ireland licence online, only while you still live in Northern Ireland.
  • HMRC: one change of address covers Child Benefit, Income Tax, National Insurance and the State Pension.
  • Electoral register: you can register from 16 in England and Northern Ireland, and from 14 in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has a different paper form.
  • TV Licence: change the address on your licence. You can do this up to three months before you move.
  • Benefits: who you tell depends on the benefit. Universal Credit through your online account, Housing Benefit your council, Pension Credit the Pension Service, PIP the Disability Service Centre, Carer's Allowance the Carer's Allowance Unit, and other benefits Jobcentre Plus.

Buying and Selling: Exchange and Completion

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland a sale becomes legally binding at exchange of contracts; until then, an offer is not binding. In Scotland it is binding once the missives, letters between the two solicitors, are accepted. Completion comes after: ownership is transferred and the seller moves out.

  • Selling in Scotland: once it is known the home is for sale, the seller gives a buyer the Home Report within nine days of being asked. It holds a survey and valuation, a property questionnaire and an energy report.
  • Selling in England or Wales: order an Energy Performance Certificate before the home is put on the market. In Northern Ireland a home marketed for sale needs one too. It is valid for 10 years.
  • Buying with a mortgage: buildings insurance has to be in place before exchange in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and before the date of entry in Scotland.

Renting: Fees, Right to Rent and the Inventory

In England, a holding deposit is at most 1 week's rent, the deposit at most 5 weeks' rent when the rent is under £50,000 a year, and once you sign, at most 1 month's rent can be asked before the tenancy starts. Since 1 May 2026, tenancies in England are rolling tenancies, with no end date.

  • Wales: only the payments the law lists can be asked for, such as rent, the deposit and a holding deposit of at most 1 week's rent. Fees for viewings, the inventory or signing the contract are not allowed.
  • Scotland: the deposit is at most 2 months' rent. A non-refundable holding deposit, key money or a fee for a credit check is not allowed.
  • Right to Rent: only in England. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have no such check.
  • Inventory: if there is a dispute over the deposit, the deposit scheme looks at the inventory and the check-out report. Digital photos help, since their dates can be checked.

For the old home, Moving Out has the move-out clean, and England's rules on notice and getting the deposit back.

The Removal Firm and Parking for the Van

Only a parking suspension keeps a bay clear for the van. A waiver for a removal does not promise a space.

  • A member of the British Association of Removers follows a Chartered Trading Standards Institute Code of Practice. Money you pay it in advance for a home move is protected by a Payment Guarantee Scheme, and a dispute can go to free independent dispute resolution.

GP, Dentist and School in the New Area

In England you can register with a GP surgery online, and you do not need ID, proof of address or proof of immigration status.

  • GP in Wales: contact the practice you pick and ask to join its patient list. If you move out of the area a practice covers, it may take you off its list.
  • Dentist in England: you can contact any NHS dentist. Some practices see both NHS and private patients, so ask for an NHS appointment. You may be put on a waiting list.
  • School: in England, apply to the local council for a place at a state school in the new area. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own way.

Printable Moving House Checklist

To print this house moving checklist or keep it as a PDF file, open More and pick Print or Save as PDF. The paper follows your own items and groups. Printable Moving Checklist and PDF shows a printed page.

Once you check or change an item, the list is yours and stays in My Lists in this browser. How to Use This Moving Checklist App shows each control on a touch screen and with a mouse.

Moving to the UK from another country? Moving Abroad has the visa, the flights and your first weeks.

Moving House Checklist FAQ

  1. Who do I need to notify when I move house in the UK?

    Royal Mail, for a Redirection of your post; your council, for council tax at both homes, or Land and Property Services for rates in Northern Ireland; the DVLA, or the DVA in Northern Ireland, for your driving licence and log book; HMRC; TV Licensing; and the offices that pay any benefits. Then your energy and water companies, bank, employer, insurers and other services. You are not moved on the electoral register by yourself: register again at the new address, which usually takes about 5 minutes. More in Who to Notify When You Move House.

  2. What do I need to do when moving house?

    First give notice on a rented home, or pick a solicitor or conveyancer if you buy or sell. Then book a removal firm or a van, pack, and tell the offices in Who to notify. On moving day, read the meters and hand back the keys; after the move, register with a GP and find the bin collection days. Selling and Buying are groups of their own in this checklist.

  3. Do I need to tell the DVLA when I move house?

    Yes. The address on your driving licence and on your vehicle's log book (V5C) must be changed, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not. It is free. In Northern Ireland the DVA changes the address on a Northern Ireland licence, online. More in Who to Notify When You Move House.

  4. Do I need to tell the council when I move house?

    Yes, in England, Wales and Scotland, for council tax: close the account at the old home, ask that council for a final council tax statement, and set up council tax at the new home. Northern Ireland has rates instead: tell Land and Property Services straight away when you move out or in, by phone for a rented home, or you may get a rate bill for the time after you moved.

  5. When do I pay Stamp Duty when moving house?

    In England and Northern Ireland, Stamp Duty Land Tax is paid within 14 days of completion, on the part of the price over £125,000 (£300,000 for a first-time buyer, if the price is £500,000 or less). Wales has Land Transaction Tax, on the part of the price over £225,000, due within 30 days of the day after completion. Scotland has Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, on the part over £145,000 (£175,000 for a first-time buyer), due within 30 days of the day after the effective date. Your solicitor or conveyancer usually files the return and pays on completion day, and adds it to their fees.

  6. How does Royal Mail Redirection work?

    Royal Mail sends post from your old address to the new one for 3, 6 or 12 months. It needs at least five working days to set it up, so apply before you move. Some post can still go to the old address, so tell the senders in Who to notify as well.

  7. How long does a tenancy deposit have to be protected?

    In England and Wales the owner or agent must put it in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of getting it. In Scotland it is within 30 working days of the tenancy starting. In Northern Ireland it is within 28 days of receiving it, for a deposit paid on or after 1 April 2013.