Six weeks out is when the move stops being paperwork and starts being logistics. The legal process is running in the background, but the jobs that now matter are the ones with lead times attached: notice periods, furniture deliveries, time off work, and finding someone to look after the children on the day.
One of those is more urgent than it used to be, so start there.
If you are renting, your notice may already be overdue
The rules changed. Since 1 May 2026, under the Renters' Rights Act 2025, assured tenancies in England are periodic and a tenant must normally give at least two months' written notice to end one. Fixed terms were abolished, and existing tenancies converted automatically.
Two months is longer than the six weeks you have left. If you are renting in England and have not served notice yet, you are behind, and you may end up paying rent on the old property after you have moved into the new one.
What to do about it:
- Serve notice in writing immediately if you have not already. It must expire at the end of a rental period, normally the day before rent is due.
- Ask your landlord to accept a shorter period. Less than two months is permitted if the landlord agrees in writing, and many will if the property is easy to re-let. Get the agreement in writing rather than relying on a phone call.
- Check the date arithmetic carefully. Notice that expires mid-period is not valid, so the effective end date may be later than you assume.
- Joint tenancies: notice given by one tenant ends the tenancy for everyone, so agree it between you first.
Shelter's guidance sets out the current position in detail. Wales and Scotland operate under different legislation with different notice periods, so check the rules that apply where you are.
Confirm the storage decision
By now the decluttering should be done, which means you know what is actually coming with you. That makes this the right moment to decide whether anything needs storing rather than moving.
Three situations where the answer is usually yes: the new place is smaller and some furniture has nowhere to go; there is a gap between moving out and moving in; or building work is happening before you properly move in.
Your removal firm can arrange it, and there is a real advantage in doing so, since one company handles the loading, transport and delivery with one point of contact and one insurance policy. Our container storage is collected from your address and returned to whichever address you choose, which avoids the depot trip a walk-in facility requires. Worth comparing against a self-storage unit if you already own a van and enjoy driving it.
Order furniture now, not later
If the new house needs anything essential — a bed, a sofa, white goods, blinds — order it now for delivery to the new address.
Furniture lead times are the thing people consistently underestimate. Anything made to order can run to several months, and even stocked items can sit in a delivery queue for weeks. Six weeks out is roughly the last moment at which ordering something substantial has a realistic chance of arriving on time.
Two practical points. Check the delivery date can be changed if completion slips, since a sofa arriving at a house you do not yet own is a problem. And measure the access at the new property before ordering anything large: doorways, stairwell turns, and lift dimensions if there is one. Furniture that will not fit through the door is an expensive mistake and a surprisingly common one in London conversions.
Book time off work
Do not assume the move fits into a single day.
Moving day traditionally falls on a Friday, which gives you the weekend to unpack. That also makes Fridays the busiest and priciest day for removal firms, so a midweek move can be both calmer and cheaper if your employer is flexible.
Book more than one day. A large property, a long distance, or a chain that might shift all argue for a buffer. Also worth checking your employer's policy: some organisations offer a day of moving leave, and it is not always advertised.
If completion has not happened yet, book the leave provisionally and warn your manager that the date may move. Dates slip regularly, and it is easier to change leave than to explain why you need it at two days' notice.
Arrange help, childcare and pets
People. Ask friends or family now while they can still get the date free. Be clear about what you need: someone to watch the van, make tea, take the children out, or take a car load of fragile things.
Children. A moving day with a toddler underfoot is a different job entirely. Arrange for them to be somewhere else, ideally somewhere they enjoy, and plan how they get to the new house at the end of the day.
Pets. Kennels or a cattery for the day, or a friend's house. Order new identity tags with the new address now so they arrive in time, and if your pet is microchipped, note that you will need to update the registered address.
School places. If you are changing schools, confirm start dates with both. If you have applied and are waiting, chase it now rather than in the final fortnight.
Two things worth doing early
Parking. If either address sits in a controlled parking zone, a bay suspension usually has to be applied for in advance and councils vary in how much notice they need. Find out now what your two councils require. A removal lorry with nowhere legal to stop costs you time on the day and possibly a penalty notice.
Confirm the removal booking. Quotes gathered at eight weeks become a booking once you exchange and have a date. Most firms will not hold a slot before that, so confirm the moment you can, particularly for a Friday or a month end.
Six weeks to go: the short version
- Serve tenancy notice if renting, or negotiate a shorter period in writing
- Decide what is going into storage and book it
- Order essential furniture, checking delivery flexibility and access measurements
- Book time off work, provisionally if the date is not fixed
- Arrange help, childcare and pet cover for the day
- Find out what each council needs for a parking bay suspension
- Confirm the removal booking as soon as you exchange
Frequently asked questions
How much notice do I have to give my landlord in England? Since 1 May 2026, tenants on assured periodic tenancies must normally give at least two months' written notice, ending at the end of a rental period. A shorter period is possible if the landlord agrees in writing. Wales and Scotland have separate rules.
Can I give less than two months' notice? Only if your landlord agrees, and you should get that agreement in writing. Landlords will often accept a shorter period where the property is easy to re-let, but they are not obliged to.
How far in advance should I order furniture for a new home? As early as possible. Made-to-order furniture frequently takes several months, and even stocked items can wait weeks for a delivery slot. Check whether the delivery date can be moved if completion slips.
How many days should I take off work to move? At least the moving day plus one, and more for a large property or a long-distance move. Fridays are traditional but also the busiest and most expensive day for removal firms, so midweek can be easier and cheaper.
Should I book storage through my removal company? It is usually simpler, since one firm handles loading, transport, storage and delivery with a single point of contact and one insurance arrangement. Compare against a self-storage unit if you are happy to transport things yourself.
When do I need to arrange parking for the removal van? As soon as you know the date. Councils differ in how much notice they need for a bay suspension, and in a controlled parking zone there may be nowhere legal for a lorry to stop without one.
Next steps
Four weeks out, the job becomes notifying everyone. Our guide to four weeks to go covers utilities, council tax, insurance and the rest, while eight weeks to go covers the stage before this one and the moving house checklist sets out the whole sequence.
RMV Storage & Removals has moved households across London for over fifteen years, with house and office removals, packing services and container storage delivered to your door, across every area we cover. Get in touch whenever you want to talk it through.
Written by Riki Migliori, Director at RMV Storage & Removals. Originally published July 2014. Fully reviewed and updated summer 2026.