The Ultimate Moving home checklist

Moving home can be stressful at the best of times and it can sometimes be overwhelming, especially if you have never moved before.  At Pink Storage, we have put together the ultimate moving home checklist to keep those stress levels to a minimum and make your move go as smooth as possible.

Be sure to bookmark this page so you can return to it at any time or you can scroll to the bottom of this post where you can download this ultimate moving home checklist PDF format.

Before you begin

Before you start your move be sure to get an agreement in principle from your mortgage provider, this way you have a rough idea of how much you can borrow before you set your mind on a particular property.  It’s also worth asking how much your monthly fee could change if the interest rates were to increase.

Buying a home can be a stressful event and patience is needed a lot of the time.  On average you can expect a move to take on average 8 weeks.  In this post, we will give you a rundown of what you can expect at different times during the move and how to navigate any problems that may arise.  Moving home can be difficult but this ultimate moving home guide will help.

8 Weeks till moving day.

As mentioned above, the average home move will take around 8 weeks from start to finish if everything goes through as expected.  At Pink Storage we recommend getting as much as the legal work out of the way as soon as possible, which will then let you get on with the tasks that are important to you.

Hire a conveyancing solicitor

You may have heard the term conveyancing solicitor being mentioned but what does a conveyancing solicitor do and do you need one? A conveyancing solicitor is a qualified solicitor that draws up legal contracts and will advise you with legal advice when it comes to the contract, the mortgage offer and any potential issues that were brought up by the surveyor.

Legally nothing is stopping you from acting as a conveyancer, but we don’t recommend it, if you get a small detail wrong you could be liable for any issues with your land or home.

You should look to hire a conveyancing solicitor as soon as you think about moving.  Money Supermarket has a great conveyancing comparison tool worth checking out.

Confirm the moving date and try to make it work for you.

Before we can move on to the smaller details we first need to confirm the moving date with your conveyancers and the home sellers.  When you confirm the date make a note of it, if possible try to get a date that works best for you.

A Friday is often a good day to move on as you will have the weekend to unpack most of your belongings and you won’t need to book more than one day off work.  If a Friday isn’t possible you will need to book off at least 2 days from work.

Get quotes for removal vans & book one

If your budget allows it, it’s always worth hiring a removal company or hiring a removal van.  You may think that hiring a removal company is overkill but packing your items in a way which keeps them protected is an art form in itself.

Professional moving companies will also know how much they can pack into their boxes without making moving difficult and will often have specialist tools for larger items like pianos.  If you are looking for a removal company in your area, Compare my move has a handy house removal tool which will give you some removal companies in your local area.

Research and arrange a mortgage

Your home is one of the largest purchases that you will ever make. It’s very important to do your research so you can find out how much you can borrow, the different types of mortgages and how the whole process works.

Let’s start with the basics, as you may know, a mortgage is a loan that is taken out to buy either a home or land.  Typically a mortgage is taken out over 25 years but they can be shorter or longer depending on your circumstances.

It’s very important that you can afford your loan repayments as failing to do so will mean that the loan provider can repossess your home to recover their money, leaving you out of pocket and with a bad credit score.

Mortgage lenders will need to see a copy of your income statements as well as your outgoings to make sure that you will be able to keep up with the payments.  If they feel you won’t be able to keep up with the payments your mortgage will be rejected.

Mortgages can be applied for at banks or building societies, but it could be worth hiring a mortgage broker as they can often get you a better deal on your mortgage and sometimes access mortgages which are not offered to the public.

Some mortgage brokers in the local area include:

• Mortgage ID
• Cardiff Mortgage Center
• JWA Finance

Sort out schooling for your children

Moving with children can make the process a little more difficult, not only will you have to factor in the distance from their friends but you will also have to consider getting them enrolled in a new school.

Unfortunately, schools will have different policies when it comes to joining them throughout the year, because of this there is not a one size fits all solution.  However, if you contact your local council they will be able to advise you on the course of action to take.  This will either be applying directly through the council or you may need to call up the school and ask them of their admissions process.

When applying for a new school you will be asked for proof of your new address. Usually, you will need at least two documents that prove your address.  These documents can include:

• A tenancy agreement.
• A letter from your solicitor confirming your moving date.

At this point, it’s worth noting that you should keep your child enrolled in their current school just in case something changes the moving date.

Sort out your home insurance

You won’t need to sort out insurance for your new home until contracts have been exchanged.  When this has happened you are legally bound to your new property and fully responsible for any damage that may occur.

We would highly recommend purchasing home insurance the day that contracts are exchanged as some homeowners only purchase it for when they move in which means that their home has been uninsured for weeks.

It’s worth taking out home insurance for the worst-case scenario such as your home burning down and getting sufficient cover for not only the building but the goods inside of it.  If you take out home insurance and contents insurance you can often get a discount from the provider.

If you have existing home insurance it is worth checking if they offer double home cover at least until your existing home is sold and becomes someone else's legal responsibility.

Store your documents in a safe place.

One thing that will surprise most first time buyers is the number of documents that you will need to keep safe, this can include contracts, to-do lists, important dates, legal documents and much more.

To keep these documents safe you can either digitise them or put them into self-storage.  We have storage locations in Barry, Bridgend, Cardiff, Caerphilly, Newport, Pontypridd, Port Talbot and Ystrad Mynach that are all suitable for keeping your legal documents safe and organised.

6 weeks till moving day.

With just over a month to move, you should have by now organised most of the legal work when it comes to moving home, if you haven’t, go above and work through the steps.  With 6 weeks until your big move you should now start to concentrate on clearing out your home and getting any items that you may need for the move.

Sort through your stuff and declutter

If you have lived in your existing home for a few years there is a good chance that you have some clutter that you may not want or need to take to your new home.  Now is a good time to look through any items in your home and get rid of some of them.

Getting rid of the clutter will allow you to move with less stress and could also save you time and money when moving home.  We recommend decluttering your home at the 6-week mark so you have plenty of time to consider which items should be taken with you and which should be binned or storred away.  If you leave this process too late you could throw out items in a rush and regret it later on.

Questions to ask sellers

You may want to make a list of questions that you want to ask the existing owners so that when you move in you have a better understanding of your new home.  This list can then be forwarded from your estate agent to the sellers.

Questions such as “Where is the stopcock located” can save you time in an emergency if a pipe or radiator breaks.  You will also need to know where the gas and electricity meters are, what day the bins and recycling are collected on, who supplies the current gas and electricity and where is the thermostat in the house.

Buy all packaging materials

If you have hired a removal company check with them to see if they provide any packaging materials as most of them will.  If they don’t you will need to purchase boxes suitable for carrying your items.  Many websites sell boxes, one that is good value for money is removalboxes.co.uk

If you are moving across the country or have too much furniture to fit in your home it could be worth investing in a self storage unit until a later date.

See if your boss will cover any moving expenses

If you are moving home because of promotion there may be a chance that your boss or company will help with the costs.  If your company has a human resources department check with them to see if your company has a relocation policy or something in its benefits package that you could use to help with the costs of moving.

Apply for parking permits

At 6 weeks out you should find out if your existing or new home has any parking restrictions when it comes to large goods vehicles.  You will be able to find this information on your local council website.  Be sure to apply for any permits in plenty of time as the removal companies may refuse to park at your new home or could send you and fines incurred.

4 weeks until moving day.

Only a month to go now, and by now you should have exchanged contracts and confirmed your move-in date with the estate agent and your house removal company if you are using one.  You should have also booked time off work.  At 4 weeks out here are some of the tasks you will need to consider.

Plan your move

If you haven’t hired a moving company and plan to move home by renting a van or using your car it will be worth driving and planning the route.  On the day of the move, you won’t want to add on the stress of following a sat nav to a new location while driving a van or a heavy carload.

By driving the route beforehand you will be able to spot any potential problems such as low bridges, narrow country roads or built-up areas which could cause havoc on your moving day.

Order furniture and fittings to the new address

If you have never moved before you may not realise that some items such as beds, cabinets, cupboards, bathroom suites and most larger furniture isn’t instantly available to buy and can take a few weeks to be delivered.  This is why we recommend ordering any new furniture or fixtures at this point and having it delivered to your new home.

Start packing non-essentials

We are yet to meet anyone that enjoys packing for a move, but by packing the non-essential items in your home early you are making your life easier when it comes to packing in the final days before your move.

When packing non-essentials you can either pack your items away and put them in a spare room if you have one and if you don’t you could hire a storage unit temporarily until you have moved into your new home.

Notify your utility companies

With 4 weeks remaining before you move home, now is a good time to call your gas and electricity provider to tell them that you are moving.  They may offer to switch your bills over to your new home but you should shop around to see if you are getting the best deal available.

Confused.com has a gas and electricity utility comparison tool to check what deals are available to you.

According to Ofgem, nearly two-thirds of UK Households are paying too much for their energy bills because they haven’t switched their supplier in some time.  New customers tend to get the best deals so before resigning with your old supplier save yourself some money and shop around for the best deals.

Book overnight accommodation

If you are moving across the country, you may find it easier to book overnight accommodation so it not only breaks the day up a little for you but it will also give you time to use equipment like showers, have warm food and sleep in a warm room while your household items get delivered.

Booking accommodation as early as possible can minimise the chance of price increases and could save you a penny or two.

Take photos of existing furniture

Now is a great time to take photos of existing furniture which could be damaged in transport.  This is for insurance purposes and can be used to show the condition of the items pre-travel.  If you have hired a moving company it’s good to have a record of the condition of your items so you can hold the removal companies accountable if they damage them.

When you are done taking photos of your furniture, get them printed and store them in a secure place.  A folder, file system or small storage unit will be perfect for the job.

Research new area for shops and hospitals

If you are moving into a new area the chances are you have researched the place thoroughly but if not now is a good time to have a look at where the local shops, restaurants, supermarkets, hospitals and chemists are located.

If you can drive to the new area and explore yourself, this is a great option as you can become familiar with your surroundings.  If this isn’t an option you can explore the area on Google maps.

Book plumbers and other services

Just like furniture, Good plumbers and heating engineers are usually booked up for a few weeks in advance.  If you know your new home needs services like these it’s worth booking them a few weeks in advance.  Moving into a new property without heating, lighting or running water is not the start to a new home that anyone wants.

2 weeks till moving day

Moving day is getting very close now. With only 2 weeks until your move, this is where you will start to make final preparations for ending services at your old home and getting everything moved over to your new one.

Update your bills to your new address

You will need to update any bills or important information that you receive by post to your new location.  If you forget to do this you can get fined or it can damage your credit record because of unpaid bills which you never received.

Letters being sent to an old address also increase the likelihood of ID theft.  Go through all of your bills and subscriptions and change them over to your new address.

Places you may want to update include:

• Your bank
• Your work
• Car insurance company
• Local council
• Electoral roll
• Doctor
• Dentist
• DVLA

Arrange postal redirection

If you are worried about bills going into

the wrong hands or ID theft occurring the Royal mail offer a forwarding service where you can redirect all of your post for 3, 6 or 12 months for a one time fee.  Please bear in mind that the royal mail postal redirection service takes 5 days notice to set up.

Cancel any subscriptions or move them

If you have any subscriptions to local services such as a window cleaner or gardening maintenance now would be a good time to cancel the services or let them know you are moving to a new location.

Move your TV license

In the UK your TV license doesn’t automatically move across to your new home and failing to renew it in your new property could lead to a £1000 fine.  To move your tv license across visit the TV licensing website and inform them of your change of address.

Register to pay council tax

If you’re an adult and you’re not in full-time education or exempt you will need to pay council tax in your new home.  To register and pay council tax visit their website and enter your postcode.  Your new home may not have a council tax band, if this is the case, you will need to contact the local council to have your property accessed.

1 week till moving day

It’s your final week at your old home and now you can start to become excited thinking about living in your new home.  This week you will mostly be finalising the last details and getting everything ready for your big move.

Finish all of the food in the freezer (and defrost)

If you’re not replacing your furniture or electricals like your fridge or fridge freezer, now is a good time to use up all of that food so you can minimise on wastage and defrost the fridge freezer.  Most freezers can take up to 48 hours to defrost so make sure you do this in plenty of time as you won’t be able to move a freezer filled with ice as easily and it will make a giant mess if you try doing so.

Our advice would be to stick to fresh foods this week and use them as you go.

Keep all documents safe

It’s easy enough to lose important documents when moving home, they can end up in one of the moving boxes or even worse that can be thrown out with the rubbish.  Your solicitor or surveyor may charge you for the reprinting of these documents so keep them safe.

To save money we have heard the advice of keeping documents safe in the bathtub but if you have small children this could turn into a nightmare very quickly.  To keep your documents safe when moving we recommend hiring a small self storage unit, at least until the move is complete.

Finish off packing (leave essentials, colour-coordinate boxes)

At this point you should be close to finishing off your packaging, just leaving the absolute essentials for the coming week.  Our advice would be to colour coordinate your boxes per room.  This way your removal men will know which rooms each box belongs to.  If you are doing the move yourself it will also save you time when looking for certain items after moving in.

Returned borrowed goods

No one likes that neighbour who borrowed an item never to return it, so don’t be that person.  Make sure to return any borrowed goods to your neighbours, friends or family and don’t forget to thank them and say your final goodbyes (to your neighbours, hopefully not your family).

Collect your new keys

With one week until moving you should now be able to collect your new keys.  Check with your estate agent as having your keys early could allow you to move some of your smaller items in, or you could send a cleaning crew around to clean your new home ready for your arrival.

Dismantle all furniture and organise them (screws & bolts)

One thing that stresses people out when moving is having so much to do in so little time.  To keep yourself sane and to minimise your stress levels you should try to finish most of the big jobs as early as possible.

With one week to go, you should dismantle all the non-essential furniture such as shelving, tables and even your bed if you can sleep on the mattress on the floor for a week.  The last point is a bit extreme but the more you do now the less you will have to do the night before moving.

When you have dismantled your furniture, keep all of the parts together.  Screws and bolts often go missing when moving, one tip we have for you is to get a food/sandwich bag and put the corresponding nuts and bolts into one and then tape it to the furniture.  This way there is less chance of them going missing.

Make the most of your internet

Internet service providers can be hit and miss when moving home and we have heard countless stories of service providers not turning up when they are supposed to and taking an age to turn on peoples internet access.

Our point is you could be without the internet for a few days, and seeing as we live in an online world this could be troublesome for most.  We recommend making the most out of your current internet by printing out any documents that you may need for the next few weeks, this could be anything from a moving checklist like this one, local maps or even takeaway menus from your new location.

Clean your old home

Some buyers will leave their house in a messy state, but we believe it’s a basic courtesy to the new homeowners to leave it nice and clean.  After all, your old home is someone's dream home, why not let them enjoy it a little more and clean it for them, if you don’t have time yourself you could hire a cleaning company to help.

You may think that cleaning your old home is time-consuming or a waste of money, but it will put you in good standing with the new homeowners and you can use this to your advantage.  When the new homeowners move in you could welcome them with a bunch of flowers and a note welcoming them to their new home, and you can also put a request that any old mail to be forwarded to your new address.

1 day before moving day.

Exciting times are ahead, only 24 hours left in your old home.  It’s now time to give your property the final check over to make sure you know where everything is for your move tomorrow.

Take final meter readings

With 24 hours left in your new home, it’s a good time to check all of your meters and make a note of them so you know exactly how much you have used and are responsible for.  Failure to do this could mean you end up paying for the new occupant’s utility bills.

Pack your essentials for the first night

We covered the need for packing comfy clothes in the section above, now you should add to your first night kit and include the essentials like pyjamas, toothbrushes, towels, underwear and any medication you may need into a bag and keep it separate from the items that are put into the moving van.

Create a moving day survival kit

Similar to how you will want to create a night bag, you will also want to create a moving day survival kit.  In your survival kit, we recommend refreshments for the moving day as you may not have access to your cooker.

If you have hired a moving company you will want to leave your kettle out for them including tea bags, milk, coffee and a few cups that you don’t mind leaving behind.  Moving home can be thirsty work so your removal men will thank you for it.

Walk around the house one last time

Moving home can be an emotional experience, take your time to let it all sink in.  Take one last walk around the home and say your final goodbye to it.  You can also use this time to make sure you haven’t left anything behind that you want to pack away.

Fully charged mobile

Most new cars will come with satellite navigation included these days, but you never know when you may need to use your phone for directions or when you will need other vital information such as your estate agents number or for getting in touch with the removal men.

You never know when you will need to use your mobile while moving home, we recommend making sure your phone is fully charged and if you have a battery pack that you can bring along with you charge that too.

Moving day

Today is the big day for your move, make sure to get up early and have a full breakfast as moving is often tiring work.  Below are some of our top tips on helping your moving day go as smooth as possible.

Arrange a babysitter or keep the kids entertained

With tensions running high, today you are going to have to be a little more patient than normal with everyone including your children who will more than likely be bored of the whole moving process by 9:01 am.

You will also need to take into account their anxieties too.  Keeping your children entertained on moving day is vital for a smooth move. If you have got a grandparent or a friend who can watch over your little ones while moving now is a good time to ask for their help.  If you have no one to help or you are moving across the country, you can try loading up their iPad with all the latest movies.

You should also have snacks packed for the little ones or stop for a rest whenever they are feeling tired.

Keep the tea flowing

Moving homes is a thirsty job, earlier in this moving home checklist, we recommend keeping the kettle along with milk, tea bags, coffee and sugar handy in one place.  Now is the time to get the tea or coffee flowing, your removal company will thank you for it and keep them motivated all day.

Make sure nothing is left behind

Now is the time to make sure you haven’t left anything behind because if you have you will lose it forever.  Ok, maybe you can call back for it at a later date, but it’s a massive inconvenience.

Walk around your home one last time after all the boxes have been moved out of your home and check all the cupboards for something that may have been forgotten.

Check all windows and doors are locked

With 47% of burglaries happening in the spur of the moment, you must lock all the doors and windows in your home to deter any opportunist burglars.

Direct removal men to appropriate rooms

If you are paying for a house moving service make sure to get your monies worth and direct the removal men into the right rooms.  Some removal companies will try and save time by dumping your items all in the first room they come to making it harder for you.

If you have colour coded your boxes though it will make your life and theirs easy and they will be more than happy to take the correct items to your chosen rooms,

Check removal van

If any items get left in the removal van it will be your fault legally and the removal company won’t be liable for any losses or damages.

Just like you looked around your home before leaving make sure to check the removal van for any smaller items that may have been left behind.

Safety/baby proof your new home

Give your new home a look over for any potential safety hazards.  If you have bought a home that needs a little doing up check to see if there are no wires on show or that all the bathroom fixtures are fitted securely.

If you have young children you may want to fit any baby-proofing measures at this point.

Take a meter reading

Record all of the meter readings for your new home and put them in a safe location.  This will allow you to dispute any energy bills from the previous owners.

Make the beds

Tiring work moving isn't it? Don’t worry you are nearly done for the day.  All you have to do now is put your bed together for later this evening where you can enjoy your hard-earned rest.

Order a takeaway

After working hard all day you will have built up an appetite and with your fridge empty now is the perfect time to order a takeaway.  If you are new to an area you can use apps such as just eat, uber eats and deliveroo.

Once you have moved in

Months of hard work and planning have passed and you are finally in your new home.  Here are some of our tips to keep yourself relaxed and carry out the remaining house moving tasks as efficiently as possible.

Return old keys and change locks

If you haven’t already done so you should return your old keys to the estate agent, but if you haven’t, do it as soon as possible.

When moving into a new home you should also have your locks replaced as there is no telling how many keys could have been cut for your new home.  You can find a locksmith in your area at the locksmiths.co.uk website.  This may be an unexpected cost but for a small fee, it can keep your family safe.

Check water, electricity and gas rates

New customers always get the best deals when it comes to water, electricity and gas rates so be sure to check the best deals on at the moment and you could save yourself £100s by switching to a new provider.

You can check for the best energy deals on uswitch

If you still haven’t checked your meter readings do this now.

Unpack room by room

Unpacking is a drag.

In our opinion unpacking is one of the worst parts of moving because of the initial excitement of moving homes as worn off by now and it can seem a huge chore working all day and then unpacking.

One way around this is to unpack one room at a time.  By unpacking one room at a time you spend less time unpacking per evening and you will feel more motivated to do so.

Let your children organise their room

Children can become anxious when moving homes as there are many changes all at once.  One way of making them settle a little easier and a little quicker is to let them choose their room and to lay it out in the way that they want to.

For all the budding interior designers among us who shudder at this idea, don’t worry too much, in time you can move the room around when they become more settled.

Register to vote

When you move homes you will need to re-register to vote, it doesn’t matter if you are moving to the next street or across the country.  If you want a say in the way your country is run then you will need to register as soon as you can.

If politics isn’t your thing, you may still want to register to help with your credit score.  Credit companies will check the electoral register to confirm you live at your address.  If you’re not registered they may decline your application.

Pay your stamp duty

If you are a first-time buyer and have just purchased a property under £300,000 you won’t have to pay stamp duty.  If this is your second home or above the £300,000 for a new home buyer you will.  Everyone else, all homes over £125,000 are eligible to pay stamp duty and it must be paid in full within 30 days.

How much stamp duty you will have to pay will be determined on your property value.  Homes valued between:

• £125,000 and £250,000 will pay a 2% rate.
• £250,000 to £925,000 will pay 5%.
• £925,000 to £1.5m will pay a 10% stamp duty rate.
• Above £1.5m is taxed at 12%.

Stamp duty will need to be budgeted in when buying a home.  You can learn more about paying your stamp duty on the government's website.

Update online shopping addresses

Ever placed an order online only to deliver it to the wrong address? I have and it’s a pain to chase up the order and get it redirected.  To save yourself the hassle take your time and think of all of the places that you buy from online.  Go through each of these online stores and change your delivery address.

Deal with old residents post

You may have paid the Royal Mail to redirect your post from your old house but the old residents in your new house probably haven’t.  Getting other people’s mail is annoying and if you accidentally open it you could be criminally convicted.

To avoid all of the hassles, when you receive the old homeowners mail write on the front of it “no longer at this address” or “return to sender, moved away” and this will stop their mail coming to your new address.

Register with local doctor and dentist

Unless you want to keep your doctor and dentist you will need to register with your local ones.  Do this now because it may take months to get accepted into your new local clinic.

Moving home checklist conclusion

Moving home can be stressful, tiring and overwhelming.  If you are thinking of moving home in the next few months we would advise you to bookmark this page and refer back to it when needed.  We also have a free pdf version of this post below for download.

If you know anyone who is moving home or have found this article helpful please share it on your social media networks as it will help us get our content in front of more people which could help them too.

Moving home frequently asked questions

The moving home checklist above is complete at this point and you should now be living in your new home comfortably.  However, there are a few frequently asked questions that we have seen online and in-person which we have taken our time to answer below.

What should I do with my Sky subscription now that I’m moving?

Moving home with Sky tv is pretty simple and they do a good job of helping their customers.  Sky will generally need 2 weeks notice and will need your moving date and your new address in full.

You can learn more about moving homes on Sky’s website or you can book a home move by calling them on 03337593903.

How do I move home with BT?

To move your BT services with BT you will need to give them around a month's notice.  To start the moving process you need to call them on 0800 783 0235.

How do I move home with Virgin Media?

Virgin media is a little trickier than BT and Sky as you will need to check with them if Virgin Media is available in your new area.  To do so you can visit their website and enter your new postcode into their system.  The bad news is that if Virgin isn’t available you could be liable for an early disconnection fee.

This disconnection fee depends on your package and the time remaining on your contract.  The fee is however capped at £245.  If Virgin Media isn’t available at your new address you will need to speak to a representative.  You can call Virgin Media on 0345 141 0111.

How do I move home with British Gas?

You can call British Gas on 0333 200 8899 to start the move or you can also log into your account on their website and take it from there.

It may be worth checking your rates and comparing them on a website such as Uswitch.  New customers always get the best deals on energy rates and you could save a penny or two by checking.

How do I move home with Talk Talk?

If you want to move home with Talk Talk you will need to give them at least 2 weeks notice, but the earlier the better.  Talk Talk will need your moving in dates along with your full address and they will also charge you a £60 moving fee.

You can book your move with Talk Talk on their website.

What do I need to do with universal credit if I move home?

If you move home you will need to tell the department of work and pensions.  They will need to know if your rent goes up or down, if someone moves out of your home or if someone moves into your home (if you rent a room out).

You can need to call the DWP as soon as possible on 0800 328 5644

How long do I need to keep my cats in after moving home?

Cats are territorial animals and when you move them from an area in which they are comfortable with they can feel vulnerable. To help them settle into their move and learn to love their new home as much as you do, there are a few tips and tricks that you can do.

When you first move into your home you should keep your cat in a room with locked windows accompanied by familiar items such as its toys, feeding trays and bedding.

On average it is recommended that cats be kept indoors for the first two weeks of a move.  You can find out more about moving homes with your cats in this great article from the bluecross.

How to transport fish when moving home?

Moving fish can be quite tricky and a little dangerous for them, however when you know how it’s a breeze, you just need to take care.

The main mistake people make when moving home with fish is that they try to move the fish inside its tank.  Doing so will put more pressure on the tank and will cause it to break.

The safest way to transport fish is to put them in strong polythene bags with enough water and air to keep them safe.  Think of a goldfish you win from the fare and you have a good idea of how it should be filled.

You will then need to put these polythene bags inside a sturdy container.  You can get all of the above from Amazon or eBay.  If you want to see the exact steps you should take when transporting your fish check out this handy guide.

How do I transport plants when moving home?

Removal companies usually won’t move plants unless you have prepared them well for moving.  Removal vans at different times of the year can also be dangerous for your plants.  In the summer the temperatures in the van can rise to life-threatening temperatures and in the winter they can freeze to death.

The best way to move plants is in your car.  Although it’s inconvenient this way your plants have the best chance of surviving the move.  For a full guide on moving your plants when moving home check out this guide.

How should I move home when pregnant?

Moving home can be stressful for everyone, when you are pregnant the stress can be much worse.  Stress is bad for you and your baby.  To keep stress levels to a minimum we would recommend following this house moving guide.  If you do a little every week you won’t be so rushed when it comes to the moving day.

We would also recommend avoiding lifting heavy boxes and sticking to smaller items in the home.  We know that you want to help as much as possible but lifting heavy items isn’t the way to do it.  If you do want to help out you could also take care of organising the move.  That way you are still involved in the process but you’re not putting yourself or the baby at risk.

When moving it’s also important to find a good doctor or hospital near your new home.  It’s important to know that not all hospitals have maternity units and you may need to find another hospital that does.  We recommend taking some test drives to these hospitals before the baby is on the way to minimise your stress and make you more prepared for when the time comes.

You can check for  GP’s using the NHS service finder webpage.

What should you buy when moving into a new home?

If you are a first-time buyer, chances are you will need to buy everything, but for those who already have furniture here are some of the items you may not have thought about:

• Toilet seats
• Smoke alarms
• Spare bulbs
• Toilet brush

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