Move home in Britain — with everything actually sorted.
Last verified 11 Jun 2026 · Source GOV.UK + Royal Mail Redirection (2026 prices) + DVLA + 22 UK organisations
A 12-week UK timeline broken into calm weekly tasks. 22 organisations that need your new address. Removals quotes done properly. Utilities + broadband + insurance transferred without paying twice. The full settle-in checklist for the week after move day.
Sourced to GOV.UK, DWP, HMRC, DVLATell Us Once coveredFree alwaysUpdated 1 Jun 2026
The calm timeline
Twelve weeks. Six clean stages.
If you do these things in this order, move day is a removal van and a kettle — not a panic.
12–8 weeks before
Lock the date. Quote the move.
Confirm completion / tenancy dateWith solicitor or letting agent. Get it in writing.Both buyers and renters
Get 3 removals quotesUse BAR (British Association of Removers) members. Quotes within 14 days price-stable.£800-£2,500 typical
Decide what you're keepingInventory by room. Anything not used in 12 months → donate or sell now.Saves removal £
If renting: read your tenancy agreementNotice period (usually 1 month for periodic), deposit return rules, end-of-tenancy cleaning expectations.TDP rules: 30 days for deposit return
8–6 weeks before
Notify the landlord / sellers.
Give written notice to landlordEmail with date of end-of-tenancy. Keep proof.Periodic AST: usually 1 month
Photograph the propertyEvery room, every wall, every floor. Date-stamped on phone. Protects your deposit.Critical for TDP dispute
Order packing suppliesBoxes, bubble wrap, tape, marker pen, labels. Free supermarket boxes for non-fragile.
Tell the kids' schoolsIf moving school: arrange leaving date, transfer paperwork, council in-year admission for new area.Schools Admissions Code 2021
6–4 weeks before
The address-change marathon.
Royal Mail RedirectionFrom £45 for 3 months UK (2026 price); up to 12 months. Lower concession price on Universal Credit or Pension Credit; free for under-16s. Apply 5+ working days before move. Moving because of domestic abuse? Call 03457 777 888 and ask for a Sensitive Redirection — do not apply online.royalmail.com/personal/receiving-mail/redirection
Update electoral rollFree at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Otherwise miss elections + credit-score hit.Critical for credit file
Update DVLADriving licence + V5C log book. Both free at gov.uk/tell-dvla-changed-address. £1,000 fine if you don't.
Notify HMRCPersonal Tax Account, Self Assessment, Child Benefit, Tax-Free Childcare, Marriage Allowance. All from one login.gov.uk/tell-hmrc-change-address
Notify DWP (single notification)UC / PIP / Carer's Allowance / State Pension / Pension Credit / Attendance Allowance. One change updates all.Universal Credit journal or gov.uk
Council Tax (both councils)Move-out notice to old council + move-in notice to new council. Final bill apportioned.
GP + dentistIf moving area: register with a new GP — no ID or proof of address needed (our guide). Dental records transfer on request.nhs.uk/find-a-gp
Bank + credit cards + ISAsEach provider separately. Often via app in 30 seconds. Affects credit file if not done.
Pension provider(s)Workplace + personal pensions. Find old ones via Pension Tracing Service if needed (free, gov.uk).
TV LicenceIf you're moving you may need to update or cancel. £169.50/yr.tvlicensing.co.uk
4–2 weeks before
Utilities, broadband, insurance.
Energy supplierBoth old + new addresses. Take meter readings on move day. Use them in your final bill request. Ofgem rules: refunds within 6 weeks for credit balances.
Water supplierDifferent supplier than energy. Both old + new addresses. Notice period varies.
Broadband + landline transferMost providers will transfer for free with 14 days notice. If new address has different cable: cancel + start new contract. Don't double-pay.Ofcom rules on early exit fees
Buildings + contents insuranceBuildings: starts at exchange of contracts (or new tenancy start). Contents: notify old + new dates. Get quotes for new property.
Car insuranceAddress affects premium. Change before move day. Same-day change usually free; some providers charge admin fee.
Mobile phone + streaming subsMost update easily online. Mobile is mostly cosmetic but can affect bill delivery.
1 week before
Pack & prepare.
Pack room by roomLabel every box: room of destination + brief contents + fragile y/n. Survival box separately (kettle, tea, kids' essentials, chargers, toiletries, toilet paper).
Defrost the freezer72 hours before. Or eat through everything in the week prior.
Confirm with removals firmDate, time, address, contact number. Re-confirm 24 hours before.
Parking on move daySome areas need a council parking dispensation for the removal van. Apply 5+ days ahead.
Move day & week after
The settle-in.
Meter readings — old + new propertyPhoto + date + time. Submit to energy + water suppliers same day.
Test smoke + CO alarmsUK law: rented properties must have smoke alarm on every level + CO alarm where solid fuel.
Locate stopcock + fuse boxPhotograph and note location. Save you a panic later.
Update last 5 things you forgotLoyalty cards, gym memberships, magazines, online retailers, friends. Use Royal Mail Redirection to catch what slipped.
Council Tax: confirm receiptNew council should issue first bill within 21 days. Apply for any reductions (single-person 25%, Council Tax Reduction).
Deposit return (if renting)Landlord must return your deposit within 10 days of agreed deductions. If disputed: free TDP scheme adjudication (Deposit Protection Service / MyDeposits / TDS).
The full address-change list
22 places that need your new address.
Marked as Tell-Us-Once eligible where applicable. Tick each off as you go.
DWP (UC / PIP / etc.)
One change updates all DWP benefits.
gov.uk · instant
HMRC
Personal Tax Account — updates Child Benefit, SA, tax code automatically.
gov.uk · 7 days
Old council (council tax)
Final bill apportioned to move date.
Council website
New council (council tax)
First bill within 21 days. Reductions check.
Council website
DVLA — driving licence
Free. £1,000 fine if not updated.
gov.uk · free
DVLA — V5C log book
Separate from licence. Free.
gov.uk · 4 weeks
Electoral roll
Critical for credit score. Free.
gov.uk/register-to-vote
Royal Mail Redirection
From £45 / 3 months. Concession rate on UC or Pension Credit.
The "Tell Us Once" service — one update, many bodies
Tell Us Once is a UK government service that notifies multiple departments of a death (and, to a lesser extent, change of address). For moves, the equivalent shortcut is the Personal Tax Account on gov.uk which updates Child Benefit, SA, Marriage Allowance, tax code, and your HMRC record at once.
For benefits, the Universal Credit journal updates UC + any linked DWP records. For pension benefits, the State Pension change goes through the same login.
There is currently no single "tell every department" service in the UK for living adults moving home. Sorted is working on a single-form forwarding tool but it requires login + ICO Tier 1.
The good news: the 22 address changes above cover ~95% of UK households. Set aside 90 minutes one evening for the batch.
Removals quotes — doing it right
Average UK home move costs £800–£2,500 with a removal firm, or £400–£800 if you DIY-hire a van. Three things make a quote honest:
Pre-move survey — either in-person or video walkthrough. Quotes without this are guesses.
BAR membership — British Association of Removers. Members have insurance + complaints scheme.
Insurance details upfront — Goods in Transit cover. Limits vary. For valuable items declare separately.
How to compare quotes
Get 3 quotes. Reject the cheapest if it skips the pre-move survey.
Compare on: man-hours included, van size, fragile-item handling, dismantle/reassemble of furniture, insurance level.
Ask for a fixed-price quote, not hourly. Hourly quotes overrun on move day.
Watch out for "house removals" cold calls. If a firm contacts you out of the blue offering removals services, they're often unlicensed agents reselling the job to whoever shows up. Use BAR's "Find a Mover" tool at bar.co.uk.
If you DIY
Van hire: Enterprise, Sixt, Hertz. Often £90–£150/day for Transit-size van.
Need a Cat C licence (issued before 1 January 1997 you got it automatic; post 1997 takes a separate test) for anything >3.5 tonnes.
Friend / family help: budget for food + petrol + a thank-you.
The honest note
SortedUK is not a removals firm, not an estate agent and not an insurance broker. The recommendations above are general UK guidance.
The "single-form forwarding" tool described above requires backend + login + ICO Tier 1 to build safely. It's in the post-foundations backlog and will ship the moment SortedUK Ltd is registered. For now, the 22-place address-change list is the best calm route.