Fix the date before anything else
Exchange of contracts is the point of no return. The move is happening, the date is real, and you have roughly four weeks to turn a vague intention into a plan that works on the day.
Every task below hangs off one number: your completion or tenancy start date. Confirm it in writing with your solicitor or letting agent, then treat it as the anchor for everything else.
With the date fixed, book your removal firm immediately. Fridays and the last working day of the month are the busiest slots in the calendar and they go first, particularly between May and September. If you are moving in or out of London, book earlier still. You can get a quote from our team or check the London removals cost guide if you are still working out the budget.
This is the stage most people underestimate. The packing gets all the attention, but the jobs that actually go wrong four weeks out are the administrative ones: the meter reading nobody took, the broadband engineer booked for the wrong week, the contents insurance that lapsed at midnight on completion day. None of them are difficult. They just have lead times, and four weeks is when those lead times start to bite.
Who to notify four weeks before you move
Work through this in one sitting rather than piecemeal. Almost all of it can be done online in an afternoon, and doing it together means you only look up your account numbers once.
Energy suppliers. Tell your gas and electricity suppliers the date you are leaving. You do not need to switch supplier now, only to close the account at the old address and open one at the new. Ask whether the new property is on a smart meter, because that changes whether you need to submit a reading manually.
Water. Notify your water company of the move-out date. If the property is metered, you will need a final reading; if it is on rateable value, you simply need the date.
Council tax. Tell both councils, the one you are leaving and the one you are moving to. Most authorities handle this through a short online form. GOV.UK will point you to the right council if you are unsure which covers your new address.
Contents and buildings insurance. These behave differently and it catches people out. Contents cover should move to the new address from the day you move in. Buildings insurance is the one to watch: under the Standard Conditions of Sale used by conveyancers across England and Wales, risk in the property passes to the buyer at exchange, not completion. If the house burns down the week before you get the keys, you are still legally obliged to complete. Most lenders require proof of cover from the exchange date for exactly that reason. Leasehold flats are often the exception, where the freeholder insures the building, so check your lease and confirm with your solicitor.
Broadband, phone and TV. This is the one with the longest lead time, so start it today. If the new property already has an active line, activation can take a few days. If it needs a full fibre installation and an engineer visit, one to two weeks is normal, and complications such as blocked ducts or wayleave consent in a block of flats can push it to a month or more. Since Ofcom's One Touch Switch rules came in, your new provider handles the switch and you no longer contact the old one. If you work from home, arrange a 4G or 5G fallback rather than gambling on the date.
Mobile and landline. Update the address on the account even if the number is not changing, since it affects billing and credit records.
Employer and HMRC. Give your new address to HR. If you are self employed, update HMRC directly.
Schools and childcare. Update emergency contact details, and if you are changing schools, confirm the start date with both.
Banks, cards, pensions and investments. Anything that posts you a statement or a card needs the new address.
Benefits and licences. Update records for any payments you receive. Your driving licence and vehicle logbook also need changing, though those can wait until you have moved in.
GP, dentist and vets. Register locally once you arrive, but request your records now so the transfer is already in motion.
Solicitor and conveyancer. If your conveyancer is not your usual solicitor, make sure they hold your new details.
Royal Mail redirection. Set up a redirection to catch everything you forget, and there will always be something. It runs for three, six or twelve months, and Royal Mail asks for at least five working days to process it, so do not leave it to moving week. You can apply up to six months ahead. One point people miss: the redirect only covers the names on the application, so everyone in the household who wants their post forwarded needs to be listed.
Meter readings: what to record and when
Take gas, electricity and water readings on the day you leave, as late as you reasonably can. Photograph the meter with the reading visible rather than only writing it down. A photograph is timestamped and settles any dispute about a final bill in seconds.
Do the same at the new property the moment you get the keys, before you switch anything on. Those two sets of readings, four in total, are the cheapest insurance you will buy all month.
The floor plan trick that saves hours on moving day
Sketch the layout of your new home and give each room a colour. Put a matching sticker on every box and every large item, and stick a coloured sheet of paper on each doorframe when you arrive.
The crew then never has to ask where anything goes, which means the van empties faster and you spend the evening unpacking rather than moving boxes between rooms. Label the side of the box, not the top, so the labels stay visible once boxes are stacked.
Mark two or three boxes as first-night essentials and keep them with you rather than in the van: kettle, mugs, chargers, bedding, toiletries, medication, a change of clothes.
What if the dates do not line up?
Chains slip. Completion moves. If there is a gap between moving out and moving in, you do not need to rearrange your whole life around it. Storage bridges the gap, with your belongings loaded into a container at your old address, held securely, and delivered to the new one when you have keys.
It is also worth considering if your new home is smaller, if renovation work is happening before you properly move in, or if you simply want the first week in an emptier house. Boxes, wrapping and materials are available from the packing shop if you are packing yourself.
Four weeks to go: the short version
- Confirm the completion or tenancy date in writing
- Book the removal firm, and storage if the dates do not align
- Notify energy, water and the council at both addresses
- Move contents insurance across; check when buildings cover must start
- Start the broadband transfer, since it has the longest lead time
- Update employer, HMRC, banks, schools, GP and licences
- Arrange a Royal Mail redirection
- Order packing materials and start on the rooms you rarely use
- Book a locksmith for the day you arrive
- Plan the floor plan and colour code
Frequently asked questions
How far in advance should I book a removal company? Four to six weeks is comfortable for most moves. For a Friday, a month end, or anything between May and September, book as soon as you have exchanged.
When should I take final meter readings? On moving day itself, as late as possible, at the old address. Take readings at the new address as soon as you have the keys, before using anything. Photograph both.
When does buildings insurance need to start? From exchange of contracts, not completion. Under the Standard Conditions of Sale used across England and Wales, risk passes to the buyer at exchange, and most mortgage lenders require proof of cover from that date. Contents cover moves across from the day you move in. Leasehold flats where the freeholder insures the building are the usual exception.
What should I do if my completion date moves? Tell your removal company immediately, since a date change is far easier to absorb with notice. If the gap is unavoidable, container storage holds everything until the new date is confirmed.
How long does a Royal Mail redirection take to set up? Royal Mail asks for at least five working days, and you can apply up to six months in advance. Each person whose post needs forwarding must be named on the application.
Do I need to change the locks in a new home? It is sensible. You have no way of knowing how many keys are in circulation. Book a locksmith for the day you arrive rather than adding it to a list you will not get to.
Four weeks out is early enough that none of this is stressful and late enough that it all matters. Work through the list once, properly, and the fortnight before the move becomes packing and nothing else.
The stage before this one is covered in six weeks to go, and the next is two weeks to go, where the packing starts in earnest. The moving house checklist sets out the whole sequence.
Questions about a move in or out of London? Talk to our team, check the areas we cover, or read more on the RMV blog.
Written by Riki Migliori, Director at RMV Storage & Removals. Originally published August 2014. Fully reviewed and updated summer 2026.