When you’re moving your home overseas, there seems to be an endless list of things to think about and arrange. Here’s a helpful list to remind you.
5-6 weeks before moving:
- Check that your passports and visas are valid
- Check whether any permits are required e.g. for residency, work or vehicles
- Check your travel documents and tickets
- Collate all your personal documents e.g. birth certificates, marriage certificates and medical records
- Advise your solicitor, bank, doctor, dentist, insurance company, building society
- Cancel subscriptions to clubs and magazines
- Notify Schools
- Obtain invoices for new purchases (for customs import facilities)
3-4 weeks before:
- Complete the Marine Insurance Proposal form
- Dispose of the items you don’t want to ship
- Supply a contact number in the UK for after you have moved
- Supply your overseas contact address and phone number
- Check with your Dedicated Move Manager with regard to VAT refunds on new purchases
- Ask for final accounts for gas, water and electricity
- Complete all outstanding credit agreements
- Cancel all rental agreements
- Run down stocks of food and drink
- Confirm your removal date with your Dedicated Move Manager
1-2 weeks before
- Arrange for mail to be forwarded
- Clean garden tools, bicycles, etc
- Arrange care for children and pets on moving day
- Arrange for mains services to be disconnected
- Advise your newsagent and milkman and pay their final accounts
- Empty lockers at school and work
- Return or retrieve any items on loan
- Drain fuel from motor mowers
- Dispose of plants and perishable food
1-2 days before
- Separate all personal items which are to travel with you e.g. keys, documents, passports, tickets, certificates, currency, clothing, etc
- Disconnect, clean and dry any electrical appliances that you wish to ship
- Arrange with neighbours to leave sufficient parking space for the removal vehicle
On Moving Day
- Remain on hand in case the packers have any questions
- Check all rooms, cupboards, walls, loft, garage and shed to make sure nothing has been left behind.
- And finally, try and relax and let the packers do the work!
Notification Checklist
In summary, here’s a list of organisations and people you may need to notify of your move:
- Doctor
- Dentist
- House insurance company
- Car insurance company
- Electricity Board
- Water Board
- Gas Board
- Telephone company
- Internet provider
- Bank
- Post Office
- Building Society
- Inland Revenue
- School/college
- Local council
- Library
- DVLA
- Motor organisation
- Milkman
- Newsagent/magazine subscription
- Sports/social club
- Satellite/cable TV provider
- Church/place of worship
- Vet
