AnyVan’s moving house checklist

Moving house is said to be one of the most stressful experiences of your life, right up there with death, divorce and the Dartford Crossing approach road. It will be a little easier if you're as prepared as possible and make sure you've organised your move down to the last detail, from buying enough packing tape to hiring a removals company.

With that in mind, we've put together a ten tip checklist to help you out.

De-clutter

Moving house is the perfect time for a cull of those odd bits of junk that we all tend to accumulate. The less stuff you have, the less you'll need to move, so be ruthless.

Utilities

Make a list of all of the utilities that you pay for - water, electricity, gas, telephone - and notify them that you're moving. Give at least 48 hours notice so that your meters can be read. If you're changing supplier, make sure they know when you're arriving at your new home.

Notify the relevant authorities

Your bank, building society, car insurance provider, the DVLA, credit card company, doctor, dentist, car breakdown service and TV licensing authority will all need to know your new address. Get this done in advance so that you won't need to worry when you arrive at your new home.

Change of address cards

Send these out a couple of weeks before you move so that friends and family have plenty of warning. If the price of stamps is putting you off, use email or Facebook to let people know.

Remember your pets

Moving house will be as stressful for your pets as it will for you. Book them into a kennel or cattery, or arrange for them to be looked after by friends, so that you can move without having them under your feet.

Start packing early

All non-essential items (books, DVDs, out of season clothes etc.) can be packed a couple of weeks before you actually move, making sure you don't end up cramming stuff into boxes at the last minute.

Fridge and freezer

If you've got a big freezer you'll need to eat your way through it before moving day as those fish fingers won't last long on the drive to your new home. You'll also need to defrost your fridge and freezer a couple of days in advance of your moving date.

Hold on to your valuables

Things like passports, driving licenses, money or jewellery should be kept with you during the move. It's unlikely that anything will get lost, but you'll have greater peace of mind if you know what these bits and pieces are 100% safe.

Leave a note for the new owners

Apart from being a nice welcome for whoever is moving into your house, it's very useful to leave them a note explaining things like central heating instructions, locations of stopcocks and the fuse box and details of rubbish and recycling collection.

Choosing the right removal company

The first choice to make is between a man and van company and an experienced removals company. If it's your first home and you haven't got much to bring with you, then a man and van company would be a cheaper and better option. However, if you've got lots of furniture to take with you then a removals company will be able to pack your house up quickly and efficiently and deliver everything in one piece to the other end, saving you a lot of back-breaking work.