MOVING DAY CHECKLIST

Six weeks before moving day

• Book your removals firm as early as you can. Friday slots, end-of-month dates and bank holiday weekends fill up four to six weeks out across Greater Manchester. Mid-week dates are easier to hold and often quoted at a better rate.
• Request a pre-move survey. A surveyor walking both addresses is the single best way to avoid surprises on the day. TXM carries out surveys in person or over a WhatsApp video call. The quote locks in volume, access, and any specialist requirements before a penny is spent.
• Start decluttering. Every box you do not pack is a box you do not pay to move. Work through the loft, garage, and spare bedroom first. Donate, sell, or dispose of anything that will not earn its place at the new property.
• Notify your employer, bank, DVLA, HMRC, GP, dentist, and any subscription services of your new address. The longer the list sits, the more things slip through the gap between move-out and update.
• Research your new area. Find the nearest GP and dentist and register before you arrive if the practice allows it. Locate the nearest pharmacy, supermarket, and recycling point. Small practical knowledge on day one takes stress off day two.

Two weeks before moving day

• Begin packing the rooms you use least: loft items, seasonal clothing, spare bedroom furniture, ornaments, books, and anything decorative. Label every box on the top and one side with the destination room and a brief contents note.
• Contact your energy, broadband, and water suppliers with your move date and a forwarding address. Ask for a final bill to be generated on moving day using the readings you will provide.
• Arrange a parking suspension if you need one. In Manchester and Salford, permit zones and red routes can add an hour to a load if the van cannot park within carrying distance. Your local council issues suspensions and typically needs five to ten working days notice.
• If you have opted for our professional packing service, confirm the packing date with the team. A full-house pack is usually carried out the day before the move, not on the morning of it.
• Arrange for pets and small children to be elsewhere on moving day. A friend, a relative, or a daycare slot means the team can work without interruption and everyone stays safe around open doors and loaded runs.

The week before moving day

• Confirm your arrival time with the removals team and share any last-minute access details, such as a new gate code, a narrow entrance, or a lift booking at the destination block.
• Return library books, borrowed items, and rented equipment. Collect anything stored at a friend’s property or in a lock-up.
• Defrost the freezer at least 48 hours before the van arrives. A wet freezer cannot go on the van. Run down perishables in the fridge and use or donate what is left.
• Dismantle any flat-pack furniture, bed frames, or large items that need to be broken down for transit. If you need the TXM team to help, flag it on the survey so we bring the right tools and allow time in the schedule.
• Pack your essentials box last. One box per adult plus a shared household box: kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, milk, snacks, phone chargers, a first-aid kit, a change of clothes, prescription medication, important documents, toilet roll, hand soap, and a torch. Keep this box in the car, not on the van, so it is the first thing you reach when you arrive.

The day before moving day

• Do a room-by-room walk with a notepad. Check inside wardrobes, under beds, in the airing cupboard, the shed, and the garden. Things left behind on moving day are expensive to recover.
• Tape and stack all boxes near the front door or in the hallway. The closer the boxes are to the van, the faster the load. On an hourly rate job, this directly reduces your bill.
• Charge your phone fully. Keep a portable charger in your pocket on moving day, not in a box.
• Prepare cash or have your card ready. You may need it for parking, tips, or anything that comes up at the new property before the kettle is on.
• Get an early night. Moving day is physically and mentally demanding. Being rested means you can make clear decisions when the team asks which room a wardrobe goes in.

On moving day

• Before you move, ask the current owner or landlord where the stopcock, thermostat, gas, electricity and water meters are so you can make sure everything that needs to be turned off is off. If you want our team to handle the heavy lifting on the day, see what is included in our house removals service.
• Take meter readings for gas, electricity and water at both your old and new properties, and take photos of those readings, just in case. This will ensure you avoid paying for what you haven’t used.
• Re-direct your post to make sure you don’t miss anything important while you are still updating your address. Use Royal Mail’s postal redirection service to arrange this quickly and easily for as long as you need.
• Consider keeping an essentials box separate from the rest of your packing. Being able to make a cup of tea when you arrive will help you settle into your new home or office quickly without having to hunt for the kettle. If you would rather not pack at all, our professional packing service wraps, labels and unpacks for you.
• When you get to your new property, you might want to know what day the bins are collected, so you could leave a mini guide at your old property for the new residents or tenants with any helpful information on it. If completion dates fall on different days, our secure Manchester storage can hold your belongings between properties.

At your new home

• Walk the team through the property before unloading starts. Point out which rooms receive which boxes and where large furniture should land on first placement. Moving a sofa twice costs time and floor scratches.
• Check the property against the inventory or condition report before the previous owners leave or the agent hands over. Note any damage in writing on the day, not the week after.
• Locate the fuse box, stopcock, and boiler before the team leaves. If something goes wrong in the first 48 hours, you need to know where to go.
• Ask the new neighbours or check the council website for bin collection days, parking restriction details, and any residents’ permit requirements that apply to your new road.
• If you have items in storage that will follow once you have settled, confirm the delivery or collection date with the team. TXM runs secure storage at the Old Trafford depot with flexible weekly and monthly options.

Moving Day FAQs