If you’ve had an offer accepted or you’re waiting on exchange, the next eight weeks matter more than most people realise. Not because moving is complicated — it isn’t, if you plan it — but because things stack up fast, and Surrey has a few local quirks worth knowing about before move day arrives.
This Surrey moving house checklist is built around how moves actually happen: survey first, quote second, then a rolling list of tasks that don’t all land at once. Work through it at your own pace, and tick things off as you go.
The 8-Week Timeline at a Glance
Book your removal survey. Start sourcing packing materials. Confirm school transfer process if relevant.
Confirm your removal date. Notify key contacts of your new address. Research parking at both properties.
Begin packing non-essentials. Sort items for storage, sale, or donation. Check in with your solicitor.
Pack most rooms. Confirm removals logistics (access, keys). Arrange parking suspension if needed.
Pack your essentials box. Do final meter reads. Transfer utilities. Confirm school and vet registrations.
Defrost fridge/freezer. Charge devices. Confirm arrival time with your removal team.
Keys, essentials box, phone charger. Let the crew do the rest.
Week 8 — Get the Foundations Right
Book Your Removal Survey
The first thing to do is book a survey — not a quote, a survey. Any removal company worth using will want to see what they’re moving before they price it. At Britannia Sandersteads, we offer both home visits and video surveys, whichever suits you. The video option is particularly useful if you’re pressed for time or if the property is currently tenanted.
Four to six weeks is the sweet spot for booking a house removal in Surrey. Between May and September, and over bank holiday weekends, availability goes quickly. If your timeline is tighter than that, call us — we’ll find a way.
Start Thinking About Packing
You don’t need to start packing now, but you should start thinking about it. Walk around the house and make rough notes on what’s going in the removal van, what needs specialist wrapping, and what you haven’t touched in three years and probably don’t need to move at all.
If you have a lot of delicate items — china, artwork, wine, a complicated home office — it’s worth considering a professional packing service from the outset. Booking packing alongside removals at survey stage means it’s planned into the quote, not an afterthought.
School Transfers (if relevant)
If you have children changing schools, start the process now. Surrey’s school admissions are coordinated through Surrey County Council (for maintained schools), but in-year transfers — which most mid-year moves involve — are managed by individual schools or the local authority in your destination area. Waiting lists and response times vary.
Contact the school admissions team in your new area as soon as you have a confirmed address and a likely move date. Don’t leave this until Week 2. Surrey County Council school admissions: surreycc.gov.uk
Week 6 — Confirm and Communicate
Confirm Your Removal Date
Once exchange has happened — or looks imminent — confirm your removal date in writing with your removal company. This locks in your slot. Completion dates can and do change in Surrey conveyancing chains, so the earlier you can have a conversation about your removal company’s policy on date changes, the better.
We’ve been doing this since 1972. Date changes happen — we work with you to find the next available slot rather than charging you a fortune to rebook.
Start Notifying People of Your New Address
Don’t leave address changes until after the move — some of them take weeks to filter through. Start with the organisations that take longest:
- DVLA – update your driving licence and V5C (vehicle logbook). Do this at gov.uk/change-address-driving-licence
- HMRC – update online through your Personal Tax Account at gov.uk
- Electoral Roll – register at your new address via gov.uk/register-to-vote. Useful for credit checks too.
- GP and dentist – particularly important if you’re moving to a different part of Surrey where your current practice no longer covers you.
- Pension providers and investments – often overlooked until statements start going to the wrong address.
- Insurance policies – (home, car, life) — your premiums may change with a new address.
- Bank and credit cards – do this before the move, not after.
Check Parking at Both Properties
This one catches people out. Think about where your removal lorry will park at both your current property and your new one.
- Is there a dropped kerb, double yellow lines, or a residents’ permit bay?
- Can a large vehicle access the road without obstructing neighbours
- Is there a narrow lane or a private estate road with height or weight restrictions?
Note it down and flag it with your removal company during your survey. We plan van access as part of every job.
Week 4 — Pack Non-Essentials and Declutter
Start Packing
A practical rule: if you haven’t used it in six months and it won’t be needed before move day, pack it now. That means books, decorative items, seasonal clothes, spare bedding, and anything in the loft or garage.
Label every box with both the room it came from *and* the room it’s going to. “Books — office → new study” is more useful than just “books”. Pack heavier items in smaller boxes. Don’t overfill.
If you’ve opted for a full or part packing service, the crew handles all of this for you on agreed days before the move. If you’re doing it yourself, we can supply professional-grade materials — boxes, wrapping paper, bubble wrap, and tape — instead of relying on whatever the supermarket has out the back.
Sort What Isn’t Moving With You
Four weeks out is the right time to sort what isn’t coming:
- Items to sell – list anything valuable on Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or Gumtree now. Leave time for collection.
- Items to donate – arrange collections with BHF, Emmaus, or your local charity shops. Don’t assume they’ll take everything.
- Items to dispose of – Surrey County Council household waste sites surreycc.gov.uk/waste accept most things, but check specific sites in your borough for opening times and restrictions.
If Your Dates Don’t Line Up — Storage
Completion dates don’t always line up. If you’re leaving your current home before you can access the new one, you need somewhere for your belongings to go.
We have over 1,000 containerised storage units at our Godstone depot, under 24/7 CCTV monitoring, with flexible terms and no minimum period commitments that make no commercial sense. Your belongings go into a dedicated container — not a communal warehouse — and they’re transported by the same team handling your move. No double-handling with a separate storage company involved.
Find out more about our storage options, or ask about it during your removal survey.
Week 2 — The Detail Work
Pack Most Rooms
By this point, you should be down to everyday essentials: kitchen basics, the clothes you’re wearing this week, toiletries, and work equipment you can’t live without. Everything else should be boxed, sealed, and labelled.
If you have an attic, garage or shed, do that now. These are almost always harder than people expect and take longer.
Sort Parking — If You Need To
If your removal lorry will need to park in a residents’ bay, single yellow line, or any other restricted zone, you need to arrange a parking suspension or waiver. Don’t leave this until the week before.
Surrey County Council handles parking suspensions across the county. The key figures (correct as of July 2026):
- Suspension – (reserves a specific bay): £90 per bay for up to three days, then £15 per additional day per bay/6-metre length.
- Waiver – (allows parking in restricted areas, but doesn’t guarantee a specific space): £35 for up to three days, then £10 per additional day.
You need to apply at least 10 working days before your move date.
Apply via Surrey County Council: surreycc.gov.uk — parking suspensions and waivers
Queries can go to NSL (Surrey’s contractor) on 0330 175 5930 or sccpermits@nslservices.co.uk.
Note: some districts — including areas of Elmbridge and Epsom and Ewell — may have different arrangements where parking is managed at borough rather than county level. Check with your local council if you’re unsure.
Confirm Logistics With Your Removal Company
About 10 days out, have a quick conversation with your removal team to confirm:
- Confirmed start time and arrival at your current property
- Key handover time and expected access to the new property
- Any access or parking changes since the survey
- Whether you’ll need a shuttle vehicle for a long drive or awkward road
Pets
If you have animals, arrange for them to be out of the property on move day — ideally with a friend, family member, or in kennels/cattery. Moving is stressful for animals and an open front door for six hours creates obvious risks.
Register your pet with a new vet before the move if you’re crossing borough boundaries. Waiting lists at popular practices can be longer than you expect.
Week 1 — Final Preparations
Pack Your Essentials Box
This is the one box that travels in the car, not the van. It should have everything you’ll need for the first 24 hours without unpacking:
- Kettle, mugs, tea and coffee
- Phone chargers and a portable battery pack
- Toilet roll, hand soap, basic toiletries
- Medication
- A change of clothes
- Children’s or pet essentials if relevant
- Snacks and drinks for move day
- Important documents (your paper copies of contracts, ID, etc.)
Take Meter Readings
Take gas, electricity and water meter readings at your current property on the day before or morning of the move. Email them to your supplier with a timestamp. Do the same at the new property as soon as you arrive.
Utility Transfers
Contact your energy supplier about transferring your account to your new address, or set up with a new supplier if you’re switching. British Gas, Octopus, and most other major suppliers can do this in advance with a confirmed move date.
Broadband is the one people forget. Lead times for new installations can be 2–3 weeks. Book this at Week 4 if possible, Week 2 at the latest.
Redirect Your Post
Royal Mail’s redirection service costs from around £39.99 for three months (prices correct at time of writing — check royalmail.com. Set it up at least five days before your move date. It’s worth having even if you’ve notified everyone — something always slips through.
Day Before Moving Day
- Defrost the fridge and freezer. This takes longer than you think. Start the night before. Put towels underneath to catch the water.
- Charge all devices. You’ll be grateful for a full battery on move day.
- Lay out essentials. Put your essentials box, car keys, and anything going in the car together somewhere obvious.
- Confirm your removal team’s arrival time. A quick message the evening before avoids anyone waiting on a doorstep at 7:30am wondering what’s happening.
- Get a decent night’s sleep. Move days are long. Rest while you can.
Move Day
- Be ready for the crew’s arrival time. The earlier the start, the more buffer you have.
- Do a final walk-through of every room, loft, garage and shed before the van leaves. Open every cupboard. Check under every bed.
- Take meter readings at the property you’re leaving.
- Hand over keys to your estate agent or solicitor as agreed.
- Head to the new property. Take meter readings on arrival.
- Direct the crew room by room. If you labelled your boxes well, this is straightforward.
- Make a cup of tea. You’re done.
Quick-Reference Checklist
-
Book removal survey.
-
Decide on packing option (full / part / DIY).
-
Start school transfer process (if applicable).
-
Confirm removal date in writing.
-
Begin address notifications (DVLA, HMRC, bank, insurance).
-
Check parking access at both properties.
-
Register on electoral roll at new address.
-
Start packing non-essentials.
-
Sort items for storage, sale, or donation.
-
Book broadband installation at new property.
-
Confirm storage if dates do not align.
-
Apply for parking suspension / waiver (min. 10 working days notice).
-
Pack most rooms.
-
Arrange pet care for move day.
-
Register with new vet / GP / dentist.
-
Confirm removals logistics and timing.
-
Book Royal Mail post redirection.
-
Pack essentials box (kettle, chargers, documents, medication).
-
Transfer utilities and take meter readings.
-
Defrost fridge and freezer.
-
Confirm crew arrival time.
-
Final walk-through of every room, loft, garage and shed.
-
Take meter readings at old and new property.
-
Hand over old keys to estate agent or solicitor.
Why It Pays to Plan Ahead in Surrey
Surrey properties are varied in ways that affect move logistics: Victorian terraces in Reigate with no off-road parking, long private driveways in the Mole Valley, gated developments around Epsom, and narrow lanes through the greenbelt that a long-wheelbase lorry has to approach carefully. We know these roads because we’ve been moving people along them since 1972.
Being a BAR (British Association of Removers) member means you have access to an independent dispute resolution service if anything goes wrong — though in 50-plus years of family-run moves, we’d rather just do it right first time. As part of the Britannia Cooperative — the UK’s largest network of independent removal companies, with over 40 locations — we can handle moves anywhere in the country without farming your job out to a third party.
Our National Quality Award wins in 2023 and 2024 reflect what our customers already know: that full-time, trained staff and consistent processes produce better results than seasonal crews pulled in for the busy period.
Whether you’re moving to Reigate, Epsom, Leatherhead, Banstead, or anywhere else across Surrey and the South East — the earlier you plan, the smoother it runs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should I book a removal company in Surrey?
Four to six weeks is the minimum for a straightforward move. If you’re moving between May and September, or over a school holiday or bank holiday weekend, book earlier. We can often accommodate shorter notice moves — call us to check availability.
Do I need a parking suspension in Surrey for a removal van?
Not always — it depends on your road. If there are residents’ permit bays, single yellow lines, or any restricted zone near your property, you’ll need either a suspension (which reserves a specific bay) or a waiver (which allows waiting in restricted areas). Surrey County Council handles this for most of the county. The application needs to go in at least 10 working days before your move. Full details here.
What happens if my completion date changes?
Completion dates shift — it happens more often than anyone plans for. Let your removal company know as soon as you do. We do our best to accommodate date changes and will always prioritise existing customers. If the new date doesn’t work, we’ll find the nearest available slot.
Can I put some items into storage if my moving dates don't overlap?
Yes. If there’s a gap between leaving your current property and getting access to the new one, our containerised storage at Godstone covers that gap. Items go into a dedicated container, not a shared space, and we manage the transport at both ends. Find out more about storage.
Do you offer packing services or just the move itself?
Both. We offer a full pack (we do everything), a part pack (we focus on fragile and high-value items while you do the rest), and a materials-only option where we supply professional-grade boxes and wrapping and you pack yourself. See packing options here.
Is Britannia Sandersteads a BAR-approved removal company?
Yes. We’re a member of the British Association of Removers (BAR), which means our practices, contracts, and customer processes meet the industry’s professional standards and you have access to an independent dispute resolution service.