What Should You Do on Moving Day?

The van is outside, the kettle is in a box somewhere, and your phone has three missed calls from the solicitor. Moving day has a rhythm, and once you know it the whole thing feels calmer. The short version: have the essentials bag in the car before the crew knocks, walk the house with the crew leader, let them load while you take meter readings and lock up, keep your phone free for the keys, then at the other end point at rooms, photograph the new meters and make up the beds first. Here is each step in order, with what to do if the keys run late.

What should you do the night before moving day?

Finish packing, then set three things aside: an essentials bag, a clear path and a parking plan. White & Company's moving day guide says to keep the survival kit box, phone chargers, the kettle and snacks to one side so they are not packed in the morning, and to make sure pathways through the house are clear. Put the bag in your car before the crew arrives, with passports, medication, keys and the paperwork for the sale.

Parking is the one people forget. The same guide warns that removal lorries need space to manoeuvre, and a blocked driveway or street can add unnecessary time. If your street has residents' bays or yellow lines, a parking bay suspension solves it, and in London that means asking the council in advance. Foundations arranges the suspension as part of the service, with the council's fee passed through at cost. Tell the neighbours there will be a lorry outside for a few hours. The guide also suggests that if you have children or pets, you arrange for them to be elsewhere during the loading phase, so nobody is underfoot on the stairs.

What happens when the removal crew arrives?

An early knock and a quick walk round. A professional crew typically arrives early, often between 7:30am and 8:30am, according to White & Company, whose guide adds that you'll usually be given an estimated arrival window when your booking is confirmed. The team leader will introduce themselves, walk around the property with you, and confirm what is going and what is staying. Those ten minutes matter more than any other part of the morning. Point out the glass table, the mirror you love, the wardrobe that comes apart, and anything that stays for the buyer.

Then step back and let them work. Barratt Homes' moving day checklist suggests you designate one person as the coordinator to direct removal staff and make decisions, which stops the crew getting three different answers to one question. If you have packed yourself, make sure every box is sealed and labelled with the room it is going to, because the crew will load by room and unload by label.

What should you do while the van is being loaded?

Three jobs that only you can do: readings, locks and a last look in every cupboard. Loading is a skilled sequence, and White & Company explain that heavy, bulky items like wardrobes, sofas and white goods go in first, with lighter boxes layered on top, while furniture is wrapped using specialist protective materials so nothing shifts in transit. You do not need to supervise that. Use the time to make a note of gas, electric and water meter readings, which Sanctuary's moving day checklist puts on the list, and photograph each meter so the reading is dated.

Once the rooms empty out, check all storage spaces have been cleared and lock all windows and doors, and turn off central heating and all electrical appliances, as the same checklist advises. Loft, shed, garage and the cupboard under the stairs are where things get left. Before the van leaves, walk every room one last time. And keep the kettle out until the end if you can: White & Company say that offering refreshments throughout the day, tea, coffee, cold drinks and perhaps a sandwich at lunchtime, goes a long way on a long physical day.

What should you do while you wait for the keys?

Keep your phone free and your expectations realistic. On a completion-day move the crew is usually loaded well before the keys are released. The HomeOwners Alliance says that with no chain, completion will usually take place around 11am, while White & Company note that in England and Wales the keys can be released any time between late morning and mid-afternoon, occasionally later. Keep your solicitor's number to hand and stay in touch with the estate agent through the morning.

If the money is slow, the crew waits with the van loaded. Ask about waiting time when you book rather than on the day: Compare My Move reports that many movers now offer a flat key-wait waiver to cover waiting time on completion day. If completion fails altogether, overnight holding on the van or in a secure overnight hold is part of the Foundations removal service, so your belongings are safe until the next working day. That is separate from storage, which is a different product for longer gaps between homes.

What should you do first at the new house?

Readings, then rooms, then the beds. Barratt Homes' checklist says to record the meter readings for gas, electricity and water as soon as you arrive and to photograph the meters showing the readings in case any billing disputes arise later. Do that before a single box comes in. Then stand in the hallway and tell the crew leader which room is which. Sticky notes on bedroom doors save a lot of shuffling, and Barratt suggest a simple room plan showing where the furniture should go, so the heavy pieces are carried once.

Good movers won't just dump boxes in the hallway; they'll deliver items to the correct rooms based on your labels or instructions, as White & Company put it, and the crew will reassemble any furniture that was dismantled and agreed in your pre-move survey. While they do that, find the kettle and make up the beds. Barratt suggest starting by unpacking your essentials first, such as bedding and clothes, and locating the fuse box and the water shut-off valve on day one. Check that the curtains, carpets, light fittings and any white goods listed on the fixtures and fittings form are present, because that is easier to raise today than next month.

What happens at the end of moving day?

A walkthrough, a thank you and an empty hallway. White & Company say that by early evening most professional removal moves are wrapped up, and that before the team departs you should do a final walkthrough with the crew leader to confirm everything has arrived, nothing is damaged and all rooms have been addressed. Raise anything on the day rather than later. Crews take away the packing materials they used; boxes you packed yourself are usually yours to flatten and recycle.

Then the admin that has to wait until you have an address. Barratt note that the Royal Mail redirection service typically lasts 3, 6 or 12 months, which buys time to update everyone else, and the DVLA says you must update your driving licence, vehicle log book and vehicle tax details when you move home. Tonight, though, the only job left is the kettle.

How does Foundations make moving day easier?

By taking the moving parts off your list. Every Foundations move comes with a fixed all-in quote, so the price you agree is the price you pay. We arrange parking bay suspensions as part of the service, with the council's fee passed through at cost. All our vans are ULEZ-compliant and no ULEZ charge is ever passed to the customer. We are fully insured, ISO accredited and SafeContractor Approved.

If packing is the part you dread, our packing service takes it on. Goods packed and wrapped by the Foundations crew are covered under the company's insurance, while the contents of boxes you pack yourself are not, which is worth knowing before you decide who wraps the glasses. A London move needs at least a week's notice, and two to four weeks gives the best choice of dates, though short-notice and completion-day moves are often possible subject to crew availability. Get a fixed all-in quote and we will plan the morning with you.