Your moving house checklist

Easy steps to plan your move

Here’s everything you need to consider when moving home, in 15 easy steps.

1. Confirm your moving day with your landlord, solicitor or conveyancer.
2. Get van hire or removal quotes and book as soon as you’ve got a moving date to get the best price.
3. Book time off work for moving day; and bear in mind you may need several days off for moving, cleaning & unpacking.
4. Arrange childcare or any help you need in advance to help moving day run as smoothly as possible.
5. Create a packing schedule and list the rooms to clear; this is especially important if you work full time and only have weekends to sort out, pack and clean. Source boxes in advance for packing your belongings.
6. Declutter & clear out; contact local charities to arrange for unwanted furniture or household items to be dropped off or picked up.
7. Start packing; tackle one room at a time as per your schedule. Pack away ornaments, books, CDs and personal belongings first and leave items you use daily until last.
8. Label boxes once filled; make sure fragile items are packed together and labelled clearly. Securely seal any boxes that won’t need to be opened until after your move and store in one room.
9. Contact utilities and service providers to let them know your moving date and new address. Use our handy ‘Who to Tell & When’ checklist.
10. Redirect your mail with An Post to automatically forward post to your new address. This needs to be done at least five days before your move.
11. Arrange a visit to your nearest recycling centre if you have items to dump or recycle.
12. Clean and make good any damage to the property; if you rent refer to your signed inventory and carefully check any instructions provided by the landlord for leaving the property.
13. Create a moving day box; add essential items like drinks, snacks, loo paper, cleaning products, phones and chargers, lightbulbs and basic tools. Make sure your kettle, teabags and milk are easy to access too!
14. Arrange to pick up keys to your new property; make sure to get any alarm codes, garage, shed and window keys.
15. Make the move; once you have entered your new property, find the gas, electric and water meter and take a reading. Locate the stopcock and trip switch/fuse box as soon as possible and test in case of emergencies.

Remember to leave your old property as you would want to find your new property.

How much will moving house cost?

Legal & estate agency fees make moving house costly, but there are other expenses to consider. You may also need to factor in these costs:

• Removal firm costs
• Van hire costs
• Professional cleaning (if required)
• New furniture or white goods
• Utility cancellation or connection fees

The actual move can cost as much as €1,000 if you live in a family home, are moving to another part of the country and hire removal men. If you want help with packing up and disassembling your furniture, it will cost even more.

Doing it yourself is cheaper, but may not be the best choice if you are in a house move chain and short of time. The price of hiring a van varies depending on size so it’s worth shopping around for quotes from several firms.

Another cost to watch out for is early termination fees. If you have to change your energy or broadband provider because your new house is in an area not served by them, be careful you are not stung by early exit fees.

It’s worth jotting down all your additional costs, so you don’t end up with a cash shortfall and end up in overdraft or using your credit card.

What happens if your stuff is damaged in transit?

This depends on whether you choose a removal firm who are fully insured or hire a man with a van who is not insured.

If you opt for a fully insured removals firm, then any damage caused by the removal firm will be covered. However, they will suggest that you cover any single items that are especially valuable.

If you are doing it yourself, you will need to check your contents insurance policy to see if you are covered for moving home. If in doubt, call your insurer and inform them of your plans.