The ultimate guide to moving house

• Redrow’s Sales team will be on hand every step of the way to make your moving process as smooth as possible.
• You can register for My Redrow for all the information you need at your fingertips.
• Our schemes like Help to Sell and Prime Position make securing and moving in to your dream property easier than ever .

The period before you move is incredibly important - this is when you’ll do all the planning and organising. It's a good idea to research how much it costs to move home, so you can understand how much moving house may cost. Check out our financial guide to buying a house for a full list of all the costs and fees involved when moving - from Stamp Duty to mortgage fees.

If you're a first-time buyer, you might need to notify your landlord of your plans to move. You'll need to think about all the furniture and other belongings you'll need for each room in your new property, too.

If you're selling your current home, as well as finding the right time to sell and budgeting for the fees to sell a house, you might be buying as part of a property chain that needs navigating. Buying and selling at the same time can be challenging, so make sure to keep a list of all the steps for a stress-free move.

Our Help to Sell scheme is available to assist in getting your current property on the market and securing a sale. We aim to sell your home within six weeks, getting you into your dream Redrow home even sooner.

Once your conveyancer has sorted the sale and you've exchanged contracts, there are still plenty of steps to complete before you can actually get to moving. To make the process as smooth as possible, we can recommend solicitors from our approved panel of independent specialists. The members of the panel are familiar with all our processes and procedures, helping to speed up your move.

Documents for moving house

A first step for any buyer will be to review all the documents for their new home and check that they are in order - from the contracts to the Energy Performance Certificate. Refer to our new home checklist for a full list of the documents you'll need to check and tips for staying on track. You'll need to get in touch with your local authority to cancel council tax when moving house, and contact your utility companies at both properties to make sure you don't have an overlap where you're paying for both properties.

Who to inform when moving house

Whether you're a new buyer or have sold your old home to move, you'll need to contact the necessary people to notify them about your move. You'll need to let lots of companies know about your change of address, including:

• Your bank.
• Insurance companies.
• The DVLA.
• Your broadband supplier.
• Deliveries (e.g. milk or newspapers).
• The Post Office.

Speaking of insurance, you'll need to set up home insurance for your new address. Buildings insurance is vital, and contents insurance is highly recommended to protect all your belongings and the fixtures at your new house.

You'll probably want to think about arranging utilities and things like broadband ahead of time too, so when you turn up with your bags you'll be ready to get unpacking straight away.

Packing before you move house

About a month before your move date is really when the action starts. This is when you'll need to start really getting to the serious part of packing and decluttering. It's a good idea to begin this process before you think about hiring professional movers or a van, as you'll want to have a rough estimate of how much you're moving.

Working room to room, separate items into boxes or piles. You'll want to sort out everything you're bringing with you - essential items might mean anything from your favourite kitchen gadgets to your record collection - and also have a think about donating or throwing away anything you don't need anymore. One of the most important packing tips is to label every box with its contents and the room it'll be going into at the new place.

Sorting out removals

Another practical step of the house move process is figuring out how you'll physically be moving your belongings and furniture from one property to another. You might want to hire a removals van to drive yourself, or contact a removals company to help for an easier move. Either way, make sure to reserve in advance, keep an inventory and make sure you've got all the packing materials you'll need (including boxes, tape and bubble wrap).

It's time! On the actual day of your move, there are a few key things to think about before you leave your old place:

• Take final meter readings.
• Make sure all appliances are switched off.
• Double check you've packed everything and there's nothing that's been forgotten.
• Do a final clean.

It's a good idea to pack an 'essentials kit' for the first couple of hours or days in your new Redrow home, too. We'd recommend including:

• All your important documents (including ID, contracts, confirmation letters, insurance documents etc).
• Kettle, mugs, tea bags/coffee, milk.
• Bottles of water.
• Plates and cutlery.
• Washing up liquid.
• Toilet roll.
• Batteries.
• Phone chargers.
• Bed linen.
• Cleaning supplies.

Once you've got the keys and all your belongings have arrived, it's time to start moving in properly after a successful house move! Unpack your essentials kit and get settled in, before getting all your furniture in place and putting all your boxes away in the right rooms.

You'll probably want to get blinds or curtains up in the windows as one of your first jobs, and make sure your bed is ready by the end of the first day! You can view all our Homeowner Support Guides via My Redrow, to get your new home set up and running perfectly.

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