Moving House Checklist: Clear Out First, Then Move
Every box you don't pack is one less to carry, move and unpack. A simple plan for decluttering room by room, then moving what is left.
Carried out by Kwikshift Removals & Storage · licensed waste carrier · £10m insured
Updated 6 October 2026
Why Clear Out Before You Move
Most homes hold more than the people living in them realise. Moving is the best chance you will get to deal with it. Everything you clear before moving day is something you don't have to pack, move or find a place for in the new home.
This checklist works whether you are moving to a bigger house, downsizing, or moving a parent into a smaller home or care. Tick off what applies to you.
It also works for a spring clear-out when you aren't moving at all. Skip the moving-day sections, and use the room-by-room list and the "where things can go" ideas on their own.
As Soon as You Know You Are Moving
- Get floor plans or measurements of the new home, including doorways and stairs.
- Measure your large furniture. Decide now what won't fit.
- Ask for removal quotes. Mention anything you want cleared as well.
- Start with the loft, garage, shed and spare room. They take longest.
- Set up four areas or labels: keep, sell, donate, and clear.
Room by Room
Work through one room at a time and finish it before starting the next. A simple question helps: "Would I buy this again today?"
Loft and garage
Old boxes, broken toys, paint tins, tools you no longer use, and things "kept just in case". Open every box. Paint and chemicals shouldn't go in with general waste, so check what your council tip accepts.
Kitchen
Spare crockery, gadgets you never use, out-of-date food and duplicate pans. Good kitchenware is welcome at many charity shops.
Bedrooms
Clothes and shoes you haven't worn in a year, old bedding and spare furniture. Think about whether beds and wardrobes will fit the new rooms.
Living room
Books, DVDs, ornaments and old electricals. Check sofas and armchairs will fit through the new doors.
Paperwork
Keep the important things together in one box that travels with you, not in the van. Shred old papers you don't need.
Garden and shed
Broken garden furniture, old pots and tools. Decide which plants and garden items are coming with you.
Where Unwanted Things Can Go
- Sell good furniture and working electricals online or in local selling groups. Start early, as buyers take time.
- Donate to charity. The British Heart Foundation and Emmaus North Staffs offer free furniture collections for items they can sell. Upholstered furniture needs its fire label.
- Give away through free reuse apps such as Freegle and Olio, which Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council suggests.
- Trade in old appliances. If you are buying a new fridge or washing machine, the retailer must offer to take back your old one of the same type.
- Clear the rest with a registered waste carrier, so you know it won't be dumped.
For more on what happens to cleared items, see what happens to waste after a clearance.
Clearing and moving? Get one quote for both.
Send the postcode, preferred date, access details and a few photos and Kwikshift will come back with a free quote.
Get a Free QuoteDownsizing, or Helping a Parent Move
Moving to a smaller home, or into sheltered housing or care, usually means letting go of much more. It can be hard, especially for an older person leaving a family home.
- Start with what is going to the new home, not what is leaving. Plan the new rooms first.
- Let the person moving make the decisions, at their own pace, where possible.
- Offer family members the chance to choose keepsakes early.
- Photograph favourite rooms and pieces before they are packed or cleared.
- Use storage for things nobody can decide about yet.
When the move and the clearance are planned together, the new home can be set up first and the old one cleared afterwards, in the order that suits you.
A Few Weeks Before the Move
- Book the clearance of unwanted items before moving day, so they are gone before packing starts.
- Confirm the removal date and time, and tell the removal company about parking and access at both ends.
- Decide whether you want a packing service, or order boxes and start packing rooms you don't use.
- Arrange storage if the new home isn't ready, or for things you aren't sure about.
- Start telling people your new address: bank, employer, GP, dentist, insurers and utilities.
- Use up frozen food and things that can't travel.
Moving Week
- Defrost and dry the fridge freezer if it is coming with you.
- Pack a "first night" box: kettle, mugs, toilet roll, phone chargers, medicines, bedding and a change of clothes.
- Label boxes with the room they are going to.
- Keep important papers, keys and valuables with you.
- Take meter readings, with photos, at both homes.
After You Move
- Change the address on your driving licence. GOV.UK says this is free with DVLA, and you must also update your vehicle log book (V5C).
- Register to vote at your new address. GOV.UK says you need to register again when you move.
- Set up council tax with your new council.
- Unpack the boxes you need first, and be honest about the ones you don't.
How Kwikshift Can Help
Kwikshift can clear what you don't want and move what you do. Their house removals include packing, protective covers, and taking furniture apart and putting it back together, with secure storage if you need it. For unwanted items, see our house clearance and furniture collection pages.
Trusted by Hundreds of Customers
Every job is carried out by Kwikshift Removals & Storage, an established removals, clearance and storage company with over 15 years in the trade.
What customers say about Kwikshift
- Friendly, efficient crews, often praised by name
- Belongings handled with care, from furniture to fragile items
- Clear communication from first enquiry to the finished job
Frequently Asked Questions
Plan Your Clear-Out and Move Together
Tell us what needs clearing, moving or storing. Kwikshift aims to reply promptly during business hours, normally within 60 minutes.