We've moved plenty of families around Bradford, Leeds, Halifax and the rest of West Yorkshire, and we've watched the same avoidable problems happen on moving day again and again. This checklist is built from that experience, a week-by-week plan with the local details that generic lists leave out.
Six to eight weeks before
- Confirm your completion or tenancy dates, then book your van. Saturdays at the end of the month go first.
- Decide what you're not taking. Selling, donating or booking a council bulky collection before you move is far cheaper than moving things twice.
- If you're renting, check your tenancy for cleaning and end-of-tenancy requirements now, not the night before.
- School move? Bradford Council in-year admissions can take a couple of weeks to process. Start early.
Four weeks before
- Start packing rooms you don't use daily: spare room, loft, garage, books.
- Order or collect boxes. Double-walled boxes stack safely; supermarket fruit boxes don't. If you'd rather not, book a packing service for the day before.
- Tell your landlord or mortgage lender, and start the address-change list (bank, employer, DVLA, GP, dentist, insurance, TV licence, electoral roll).
- Check parking at both addresses. Bradford city centre, Saltaire, Ilkley and Harrogate centre all have permit or restricted streets. A parking dispensation or suspension needs applying for in advance with the council.
Two weeks before
- Plan your meter readings: note where the gas, electric and water meters are at both properties.
- Book a Royal Mail redirection, it takes about five working days to start.
- Set up broadband at the new address; lead times are often two weeks.
- Confirm your van booking, timings and access details with us. Tell us about stairs, lifts, long carries or anything unusually heavy.
- Plan the freezer defrost: it needs 24 hours empty and switched off before it moves.
The week of the move
- Pack everything except a "first night" box: kettle, mugs, tea, phone chargers, toilet roll, bedding, medication, a change of clothes, basic tools.
- Dismantle beds and flat-pack furniture the night before if you can, it saves paid time on the day. Keep screws in a labelled bag taped to the item.
- Disconnect the washing machine (turn off the water, drain the hoses) and fit the transit bolts if you still have them.
- Label boxes by room on the top and one side, and mark fragile boxes clearly. It makes room-to-room unloading fast.
- Photograph meter readings and the condition of a rental property before you hand back keys.
Moving day
- Be up, dressed and packed before the van arrives. A move that starts on time finishes on time.
- Walk the van driver through the house: what's going, what's staying, what's fragile.
- Keep kids, pets and the first-night box out of the way, in a car or with a neighbour is ideal.
- At the new house, stand near the door and direct boxes to rooms. It's the single biggest time-saver.
- Check the loft, garden, shed and behind doors before you leave the old place.
- Take final meter readings and hand over keys.
The Bradford-specific bits
- Council tax: tell Bradford Council (or Leeds, Calderdale, Kirklees, Wakefield as appropriate) you're moving; it's done online and takes minutes.
- Bins: bin days and colours differ between districts. Check the new council's website before your first collection.
- Bulky waste: Bradford Council's bulky item collection has a waiting list that can run to several weeks. If you need old furniture gone before completion, book it as soon as you know your moving date.
- Hills and weather: a lot of Bradford, Halifax and Keighley housing is on steep, narrow streets. Tell us in advance and we'll plan the parking and bring the trolley.
- Parking permits: Bradford Council and North Yorkshire (Harrogate, Skipton) can issue dispensations for removal vans on restricted streets, apply at least a week ahead.
Ready to book your move? See house removals or get a fixed quote. We're open 8am–8pm, seven days a week.