MOVING HOME CHECKLIST

As soon as you decide to move house

When you decide to move house, you should start to think about everything you need for the move, including:

• Research your new location, including the best areas to live if you’re moving to a new town.
• If you’re moving with a family, start looking into new schools for your children, and start applying. It can take several months, or even up to a year to go through the application process, particularly if you’re looking at private schools.

If you’re moving internationally, there are a few additional things you’ll need to do at this stage:

• Visit the consulate of your new country. They’ll be able to tell you which visa you need to apply for (if required) and how to begin that process.
• You should start looking into information about customs duties, paying tax, tax rules, the exchange rate, and contraband if you’re moving abroad.
• Get guidance on healthcare options in your new country, as well as insurance requirements and any vaccinations you’ll need to get. You should book all related services now: book your vaccinations, engage a lawyer, file your paperwork, and so on.
• Start thinking about life in your new country. It’s important to start researching the culture of your new home country and start to learn the language, if you don’t already speak it.

3-6 months before you move

Around six months before you move, you should start looking more into your new home:

• Get moving quotes and decide on your moving company. Santa Fe Relocation has over 120 years’ experience, meaning we have the expertise to move you and your belongings safely from A to B.
• Start searching for your new home. We can help with your home search, matching you with a shortlist of houses that perfectly meet your needs, saving you time and keeping your stress levels down.
• If you need longer to find your ideal new house, or you’ve already found your new house but can’t move in immediately, you should look into temporary accommodation.
• Decide on a moving date.
• Now’s the time to give notice to your current landlord, or if you own your house, you should investigate renting or selling it.
• If you’re moving into short-term housing or have excess furniture you want to keep, you should look into storage. We recommend arranging storage at least 2 months before your moving date to give you room to organise the rest of your belongings.

1-3 months before you move

It’s admin time! Whether your move is domestic or international, you should start to organise all the paperwork you need in order to make your move a success.

• Notify relevant parties of your change of address, including your bank, credit card company, utility companies, etc. See the bottom of the page for a handy list of who to contact.
• Contact your service providers to either discontinue the service or to arrange for them to be switched to your new address:
  – HOA or council tax
  – Internet and phone line
  – TV and cable services
  – Mobile phone
• Check whether you need parking permits for your new home address and submit an application.
• To make sure you don’t miss any post once you’ve moved, contact the post office and arrange mail forwarding
• De-register from your doctor, dentist, and any other health professionals, and either have your records forwarded or get a copy of them.
• Moving to a new country and selling your car? Make sure you have all the relevant paperwork ready to hand over to the new owner.
• If you’re moving abroad, contact your mobile phone provider to find out whether you can transfer your contract to a new country.
• If you’re taking your car abroad with you, ensure you have everything you need for it to be shipped.

Two weeks before you move

The next couple of weeks will fly by, so don’t lose the momentum when it comes to organising your move!

• Start to pack your belongings – remember to set aside anything you’ll need before, or on the day of, your move.
• If you choose to move with Santa Fe Relocation, we’ll pack up all your belongings for you, and unpack them at your new house.
• Decide whether you want to donate or sell any items you don’t want to take to your new home.
• Settle any bills on your current property.
• Transfer your phone and internet to your new address, and schedule installation for internet and other utilities at your new address.

The day before your move

The big day is finally here! Now is the time to organise all the last bits and pieces to make your move stress-free and successful:

• Pack your moving day box or bag, including everything you’ll need during moving day, such as your folder of essential documents, valuables, medication, phones and chargers, snacks and water. If you’re moving abroad, make sure you also pack passports and any visa documents needed.
• Clean your house, including your white goods.
• Lay out clothes and shoes for you and your family to travel in.
• Make sure you have all the morning essentials set aside, like toothbrushes and toothpaste.
• Call your moving company to confirm timings for moving day.
• Check that all your boxes have labels, to make unpacking easier when you get to your new house.

The day of your move

It’s finally here! There are just a few things you need to do before you move to your new house:

• Check your mailbox for any final pieces of mail.
• Close and lock all windows and doors.
• Double-check every room to make sure nothing is left behind.
• Turn off all lights and electrical appliances.
• Take a final reading of your utility meters, and take photographs of them.

Move into your new house

Welcome to your new home! There are a few final things to do before you can kick back and relax.

• Unpack room by room, and if you’ve moved with children, think about unpacking their rooms first to let them acclimatise to their new environment.
• Double-check that you have all the right keys for the house, including cupboards, doors, windows, and garages.
• Contact your local authorities and ask for bin/recycling collection dates
• Then perhaps think about putting your feet up and ordering a takeaway! You’ve earned it.

Who to contact

 When moving house, there are several people you’ll have to inform. It can be easy to lose track, so use our handy checklist to make sure you’ve told everyone who needs to know.