A moving house checklist turns the most stressful few weeks of the year into a sequence of small, manageable jobs. Whether you are moving across Ayr or from the other end of the country, the tasks are the same; it is the timing that matters. This guide works backwards from your date of entry, with the Scottish details, such as the date of entry itself and how council tax and water charges work here, built in. Print it, tick it off and enjoy the move.

What should be on a moving house checklist?

Eight to six weeks before: confirm dates and book help

1. Pin down your date of entry

In Scotland the moving date is the date of entry agreed in the missives, and once missives are concluded it is fixed on both sides. Confirm it with your solicitor before you book anything, and if you are selling and buying on the same day, ask what time the keys are likely to be released; funds usually have to arrive at the seller’s solicitor first. Our guide to selling with a Home Report covers the earlier stages if you are still on the market.

2. Book a removals firm or a van

Get three written quotes, check recent reviews and ask whether the price includes packing materials, insurance and a second day if settlement runs late. Good firms book up weeks ahead, especially for Fridays and month ends. If you are moving yourself, book the van, the helpers and any parking suspension now.

3. Give notice where you need to

Tenants should check the notice period in their tenancy agreement and give written notice to the landlord or agent. Book time off work for the move itself and, ideally, the day after.

Four weeks before: declutter, pack and start the paperwork

4. Declutter room by room

Every box you do not pack is a box you do not pay to move or unpack. Sell what has value on Vinted, eBay or Facebook Marketplace, donate the rest to a local charity shop, and book a bulky uplift with the council for anything that cannot be reused. This is also the moment to measure the new home and decide which furniture will actually fit.

5. Gather packing supplies

Sturdy boxes in two or three sizes, parcel tape, bubble wrap or paper, marker pens and labels. Label every box with the room it is going to and a one-line summary of what is in it, on the side rather than the top so it can be read when stacked. Nothing wastes moving-day energy like carrying a kitchen box up two flights of stairs to be told it belongs downstairs.

6. Pack the rooms you use least first

Loft, garage, spare room and bookshelves can be packed weeks ahead. Keep an inventory as you go, photograph the backs of televisions and routers before you unplug them, and keep screws and fixings for any dismantled furniture in a labelled bag taped to the piece they belong to.

7. Start the address changes

Begin with the ones that take longest: bank and credit cards, car and home insurance (your buildings cover must start at the new home on the date of entry), employer, pension providers and HMRC. Set up Royal Mail’s redirection service so anything you miss still reaches you.

Two weeks before: tell everyone and plan moving day

8. Notify the council and utilities

Tell both councils your moving-in and moving-out dates for council tax. In Scotland water and sewerage charges are collected with council tax rather than billed separately, so there is no water company account to transfer. Contact your gas and electricity suppliers with the dates, and arrange broadband at the new address early; installation lead times can run to several weeks.

9. Update the official records

Change the address on your driving licence and vehicle log book with the DVLA, register to vote at the new address, update your TV licence, and register with a GP and dentist near the new home if you are moving any distance. Tell your children’s school or nursery, and arrange transfer of records if they are changing school.

10. Plan for children and pets

Moving day is heavy boxes, open doors and people in a hurry, which is a poor mix with toddlers and a nervous dog. Arrange for a friend, relative or sitter to look after them, and pack a bag of their essentials and favourites for the first night. Update your pet’s microchip address with the database it is registered on.

11. Put the important documents in one box

Passports, birth and marriage certificates, the missives and solicitor’s letters, financial records, warranties and guarantees for the new home and the keys you have been given. This box travels with you in the car, not in the van.

The last few days

12. Defrost and empty appliances

Defrost the freezer at least 24 hours before the move, run the washing machine empty and disconnect it with the hoses drained, and use up or give away the contents of the fridge.

13. Pack an essentials box

Kettle, mugs, tea and coffee, a few plates and cutlery, phone chargers, toilet roll, hand soap, a towel each, bedding for the first night, basic tools, a torch, bin bags and the cleaning kit. It is the box that makes the first night feel like home.

14. Arrange cleaning and protection

Book a cleaner for the home you are leaving, or set aside a morning to do it yourself once the rooms are empty. In Ayrshire weather, moving day can turn a carpet to mud in an hour, so lay cardboard or floor protection at both ends.

Moving day

15. Read the meters and photograph them

Take dated photographs of the gas and electricity meters at both properties and send the readings to the suppliers. Leave the old home’s meter readings, any instruction manuals and spare keys for the new owner.

16. Keys and the final walk round

Keys are normally released through the selling agent once the seller’s solicitor confirms the funds have arrived, so expect a wait on the day if you are in a chain. Before you leave the old home, check every cupboard, the loft and the garden, lock the windows and leave it as you would want to find it.

The honest part: something will go wrong

Settlement funds arrive late, the van is smaller than promised, the broadband engineer does not turn up. A good checklist cannot prevent all of it, but it can stop one problem becoming three. The two things that most reliably save a move are a removals firm with capacity for a second day, and an essentials box that means you can eat, wash and sleep whatever else has happened. If a delay on the day is caused by funds, your solicitor is the person to call; the agent cannot release keys without their confirmation.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a moving house checklist I can print?

Yes: this page is laid out so that it prints cleanly. Use your browser’s print option (right-click and choose Print, or Ctrl+P on Windows and Cmd+P on a Mac), and tick off the numbered steps as you go. If you would rather have a tailored version, your local Lomond branch will happily talk you through the timings for your own move.

When should I start packing for a house move?

Start the rooms you use least four to six weeks before the move and leave the kitchen and bedrooms until the final week. Decluttering should come first, because it reduces everything else. Most people underestimate the time packing takes by at least half, so if you think it will take a weekend, allow two. Our guide to preparing your home for sale covers the decluttering stage in more detail if you are selling first.

Who do I need to tell when I move house in Scotland?

The two councils (for council tax, which in Scotland also covers water and sewerage), your energy and broadband suppliers, bank and card providers, insurers, employer and pension providers, HMRC, the DVLA for your licence and vehicle, the electoral register, TV Licensing, your GP and dentist, schools, and any subscriptions or deliveries. Royal Mail redirection catches whatever you miss.

What is the date of entry?

It is the completion date in a Scottish property sale: the day the buyer pays the price, becomes the owner and gets the keys. It is agreed in the missives and is binding once they are concluded, which is why it is the anchor for every other date on this checklist. If you are buying and selling together, both dates of entry are usually set to the same day. Our guide to buying in Ayrshire explains the rest of the process.

Moving in Ayrshire or Glasgow?

If the move is still ahead of you and you have a home to sell, the first step is knowing what it is worth. Book a free, no-obligation valuation and one of our local team will visit and talk you through the timings, or get in touch with your nearest branch.

This article is general information, not legal or financial advice. Property rules differ across Scotland and the rest of the UK and change over time; check the current position with a solicitor or the relevant council before acting.

Last verified: 5 October 2026.

Before the move comes the valuation. Our guide to how property valuations work in Scotland explains the Home Report figure that lenders and buyers work from.