Skip to content
Taupia logoTaupia logo
Move-home guide

What do I need to do when I move house?

Short answer

Eight weeks out, book removals or a van and, if you rent, give your landlord notice: two months for most private tenancies in England. Four weeks out, sort broadband for the new home. In the last two weeks, tell your energy, water and broadband providers the date and book post redirection. On the day, read every meter at both homes.

In the first week, register for council tax, put the bills in your name and update your address with DVLA, your bank and your GP.

Updated

  • 2 months

    Notice a tenant gives to end a rolling tenancy in England

  • 48 hours

    Minimum notice Citizens Advice says to give energy suppliers

  • £1,000

    Most you can be fined for not telling DVLA your new address

See the bills for your new address

Pick your new address to see its council tax band and charge, its water company, who supplies the energy, and broadband deals, in one list.

You pick your exact address on the next screen. Nothing is priced before that.

England, Scotland and Wales. The water figure is the company's average bill.

The whole move in order, from the weeks before to the first month in the new home, with the notice each organisation asks for. The checklist prints on its own, and each line links to the guide with the detail.

Moving house checklist

WhenWhat to doHow, and where to read more
Eight weeks beforeBook removals or a van, and give notice if you rentIn England, tenants on rolling tenancies give two months' notice in writing, on or the day before a rent day.
Six to four weeks beforeSort broadband for the new homeCheck what is available there. Plusnet asks for four weeks' notice, Sky two to four and BT about two.
Two weeks beforeTell energy, water and broadband providers your moving dateCitizens Advice says at least 48 hours for energy. Give each a forwarding address for the final bill.
One to two weeks beforeBook post redirection if you want itFrom £45 for three months to a UK address; you can apply up to six months ahead.
Moving dayRead and photograph every meter at both homesGas, electricity and water, with the date, so the final and first bills start from the right figures.
First weekRegister for council tax and put the bills in your nameTell the council the date you moved in, and contact the energy and water suppliers at the new home.
In the first two weeksUpdate your address with DVLA, the electoral register, your bank and GPChanging your licence address is free, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA. Tell HMRC after you move.
First monthCheck the first and final bills against your readingsYour old supplier must send the final bill within 6 weeks and refund any credit within 10 working days of sending it.

What should I do in the weeks before I move?

Give notice, sort broadband, tell your suppliers and book redirection.

  • Renting in England: GOV.UK says you end a rolling tenancy by giving 2 months' notice in writing, on the day rent is due or the day before, and you keep paying rent during the notice unless you agree a shorter period in writing.
  • Broadband: check what is available at the new address first, as Ofcom advises. Plusnet asks for at least four weeks' notice, Sky two to four weeks and BT about two.
  • Energy: Citizens Advice says to give your suppliers at least 48 hours' notice, and a forwarding address for the final bill.
  • Post: the Post Office says you can apply for redirection up to six months before you move.
Sources (7)

What should I do on moving day?

Read every meter at both homes, and keep the readings with the date.

  • Citizens Advice says to read your meters on the day you move out, give the readings to your supplier and keep a note of them and the date.
  • Read the meters at the new home on the day you move in, and give the readings to the supplier already there.
  • At the new home you are on a deemed contract, on the supplier's default or standard variable tariff, until you choose another, Citizens Advice says.
Sources (1)

What should I do in the first week in my new home?

Register for council tax, put the bills in your name and update your address.

  • Council tax: GOV.UK says your bill depends on the home's band, your council's charge for that band and any discount, and that a full bill assumes at least two adults live there.
  • Driving licence: GOV.UK says changing the address costs nothing, you can drive while you wait for the new licence, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA. Update the vehicle log book (V5C) too.
  • Electoral register: you need to register again when you change address, GOV.UK says.
  • HMRC: tell HMRC once you have moved, not before.
Sources (4)

What should I check in the first month?

The final and first bills, the council tax band and your redirection.

  • Citizens Advice says your old supplier must send the final bill within 6 weeks, and refund any credit within 10 working days of sending it.
  • Check the first bills at the new home against the readings you took on moving day.
  • If you think the new home's council tax band is wrong, GOV.UK says you have a legal right to challenge it while you have been paying council tax there for less than 6 months.
  • Once the important senders have your new address, you can let the post redirection end.
Sources (3)

What are the steps of a move, in order?

Six steps, from giving notice to updating your address everywhere else.

  1. 1

    Give notice or agree your completion date

    Renters in England on a rolling tenancy give two months' notice in writing. Buyers agree the completion date at exchange.

  2. 2

    Sort broadband for the new home

    Check what is available at the new address and give your provider the notice it asks for, from two to four weeks.

  3. 3

    Tell your suppliers the moving date

    Give energy suppliers at least 48 hours' notice, with a forwarding address for the final bill, and tell the water company too.

  4. 4

    Read every meter on moving day

    Read and photograph the gas, electricity and water meters at both homes, with the date.

  5. 5

    Register for council tax

    Tell the new council the date you moved in and who lives with you, and close the account at the old address.

  6. 6

    Update your address everywhere else

    Tell DVLA, register to vote again, update your bank and GP, and tell HMRC once you have moved.

Sources (4)

Where does Taupia fit when I move?

  • For the bills part of the move, the address block above lists your new home's council tax band and charge, its water company, who supplies the energy and broadband deals. It covers England, Scotland and Wales; in Scotland it shows the council rather than the band.
  • Taupia compares energy, broadband and mobile deals and switches once your household approves. Nothing changes without your approval.
  • Taupia does not set up council tax or switch water: register with the council and the water company yourself. DVLA, HMRC and the electoral register each have their own service.
  • Taupia is free to use.
How Taupia is free to use

Moving house: common questions

What do people forget when they move house?

Meter readings and post are the two that cost money later. Read and photograph the gas, electricity and water meters at both homes on moving day, so neither bill includes someone else's energy, and book post redirection or tell senders your new address before you go.

How far in advance should I tell my energy supplier I am moving?

Citizens Advice says to give at least 48 hours' notice. Read your meters on the day you move out and give the readings to your supplier, along with a forwarding address. Your old supplier must then send the final bill within 6 weeks.

Do I have to tell DVLA when I move house?

Yes. GOV.UK says changing the address on your driving licence is free, you can keep driving while you wait for the new licence, and you can be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell DVLA. Update your vehicle log book at the same time.

How much notice do I give my landlord when I move out?

In England, if you have an assured periodic tenancy, GOV.UK says you can end it by giving 2 months' notice in writing, given on the day rent is due or the day before. You keep paying rent during the notice, though you and your landlord can agree a shorter period in writing.

When should I set up council tax at my new home?

As soon as you move in. Tell the new council the date you moved in and who lives with you, and close the account at your old address. GOV.UK says your bill depends on the band, the council's charge for that band and any discount you can get.

The detail behind each step

Each line of the checklist has a guide of its own.

Start here

Who to tell when you move house

Recommended

DVLA, the electoral register, HMRC, your council and every bill, by when.

Setting up the bills at your new home?

Pick your new address above to see its council tax band and charge, its water company, who supplies the energy and broadband deals, in one list. Taupia is free, and nothing changes without your approval.

Start with your postcodeBack to move-home hub
Already moved in?

Cite this page

Taupia. "What do I need to do when I move house?". Last updated 1 November 2026. https://taupia.com/move-home/moving-house-checklist