Your 6 moving tips to move home without the stress
From the printable moving house checklist and the real cost of a UK move to council tax bands, change of address admin and where to find free moving boxes, here is every Selectra UK guide to make your next move smooth and cheap.
6
Practical moving tips
£1,200
Average UK move starts at
8 wks
To plan a stress-free move
25+
UK cities covered
Moving home is rarely as straightforward as it looks on the listing. Between removal quotes, council tax, change of address admin, packing and the inevitable last-minute panic, even a short move can swallow weeks of weekends.
This hub pulls together every Selectra UK tip into one place — practical guides covering planning, costs, logistics and admin, plus links across to our renting, buying, utilities and city-by-city sections.
Start here
The four tips every UK mover should read first
If you only have time for four guides, these are the ones that will save you the most money, hassle and frustration.
Definitive moving house checklist
A printable, week-by-week checklist that walks you through every box to tick from 8 weeks out to move-in day, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Average cost of moving house
How much will your move really cost? A full breakdown of removal fees, surveys, conveyancing, stamp duty, packing and the hidden extras most people forget to budget for.
Cheapest places to live in the UK
A ranked guide to the most affordable cities and towns in the UK in 2026 — rents, council tax bands, energy costs and lifestyle compared side by side.
Complete change of address checklist
Who to notify when you move home — banks, HMRC, DVLA, employer, utilities, GP, electoral roll and more. Print the full list and tick as you go.
Every moving tip
Filter all 6 tips by what you need today
Planning the move, working out the cost, sorting the logistics or chasing the paperwork — jump straight to the part you are stuck on.
Definitive moving house checklist
A printable, week-by-week checklist that walks you through every box to tick from 8 weeks out to move-in day, so nothing slips through the cracks.
Average cost of moving house
How much will your move really cost? A full breakdown of removal fees, surveys, conveyancing, stamp duty, packing and the hidden extras most people forget to budget for.
Cheapest places to live in the UK
A ranked guide to the most affordable cities and towns in the UK in 2026 — rents, council tax bands, energy costs and lifestyle compared side by side.
Complete change of address checklist
Who to notify when you move home — banks, HMRC, DVLA, employer, utilities, GP, electoral roll and more. Print the full list and tick as you go.
Council tax when moving house
Bands A–I explained for England, Scotland and Wales. How to notify your council, avoid overlap bills and check whether you can reduce your band.
Where to get the best moving boxes
Free, cheap and premium options compared — from supermarket runs and Gumtree pickups to specialist boxes for fragile items, wardrobes and books.
Move by stage
Pick the right guide for where you are in the move
Three stages, six tips. Find the one that matches the week you are in.
8–4 weeks before
Plan & budget
Moving week
Pack & move
Save while you move
Moving home is the perfect moment to switch energy supplier
The average UK household saves up to £250 a year by switching tariffs at move-in. Before your first bill lands at the new address, compare deals in two minutes and pick the cheapest plan available on your postcode.
2 min
To compare every supplier
£250
Average annual saving
21 days
Switch window, no break in supply
Keep exploring
Every other moving section on Selectra UK
Tips are just the start. Whether you are buying, renting, sorting utilities or settling in the UK, we have a full hub for each.
8 guides
Buying a home
Mortgages, deposits, first-time buyer schemes and the full UK housing market.
Open section8 guides
Renting
Tenancy agreements, deposits, notice to landlord, house shares and rent-to-buy.
Open section6 guides
Utilities setup
Switch your energy, find your supplier, sort a new gas connection and your TV licence.
Open section7 guides
Settle in the UK
EU settlement, visas, right to rent and right to work — your new life sorted.
Open section3 guides
Student moving
Halls of residence, uni checklists, student flats and city-by-city living costs.
Open section25+ cities
City moving guides
Practical guides to moving to 25+ UK cities, from London and Edinburgh to Bournemouth.
Open sectionMoving FAQ
Quick answers to the questions every mover asks
Eight weeks is the sweet spot. That gives you time to budget for the real costs, get three removal quotes, declutter, book leave from work and notify utilities before completion day. Anything under four weeks tends to mean rushed quotes, last-minute packing and overlap on bills.
For a like-for-like move, budget £1,200 to £2,000 for removals, packing materials and a few miscellaneous fees. If you are buying, add conveyancing (≈£1,200), survey (£400–£900) and stamp duty depending on the price band. Our full cost of moving guide breaks down every line item.
The non-negotiables are HMRC, your bank, the DVLA (driving licence and V5C), your employer, the council (council tax and electoral roll), your GP, your energy and water suppliers and your broadband provider. Use our printable change of address checklist to tick every name off.
Notify both councils — the old one to close your account from the move date, and the new one to open the new account. You'll usually need your move-in date, the property address and the names of every adult occupier. See our council tax guide for bands A–I and how to avoid overlap bills.
Supermarkets (Aldi, Tesco, M&S), corner shops and Gumtree are the three big sources of free boxes. For fragile items, books or wardrobes, paid specialist boxes are worth the spend — our moving boxes guide compares free, cheap and premium options.
After. You are legally on a "deemed" contract with the existing supplier from day one, which is almost always the most expensive tariff available. Take meter readings on move-in day, then compare deals and switch within the first two weeks for the biggest annual saving.
Sort the bills before move-in day
One last thing — compare energy deals for your new address
You can plan, pack and notify until midnight, but the easiest way to lower your bills at a new home is to switch off the default tariff in your first two weeks. Compare every supplier in two minutes.