Moving day has a habit of feeling chaotic even when everything goes to plan. There are so many moving parts — pun entirely intended — that even the most organised person can find themselves standing in an empty living room at 7am wondering what on earth they’re supposed to be doing first.
The good news is that when you’ve booked a professional removal company in Birmingham, a huge amount of the heavy lifting — literally and figuratively — is already taken care of. But that doesn’t mean you can simply open the door and leave it all to us. A smooth moving day is a collaborative effort, and the more prepared you are when the crew arrives, the better everything tends to go.
This checklist is designed to walk you through everything you need to do before, during, and after your move. Save it, print it, screenshot it — whatever works for you. Just make sure you’ve got it to hand when the big day comes.
The Week Before Moving Day
Getting ahead of these tasks in the final week will save you an enormous amount of last-minute stress.
Confirm your booking Contact your removal company in Birmingham to reconfirm the date, start time, number of crew members, and vehicle size. At Middleton Moving, we’ll be in touch with you ahead of your move to make sure everything is confirmed and you know exactly what to expect — but it never hurts to have everything double-checked.
Arrange parking If the street outside your current home or new property requires a parking suspension for the removal van, this needs to be arranged in advance through Birmingham City Council. Don’t leave this to the last minute — suspensions typically require at least a few days’ notice, and without one, your crew may not be able to park close enough to load efficiently.
Finish your packing Ideally, the vast majority of your packing should be complete before moving day itself. The day will feel significantly calmer if your crew arrives to find neatly stacked, labelled boxes rather than half-packed rooms. If you’ve opted for our professional packing service, we’ll handle this for you — but if you’re packing yourself, aim to be done by the day before at the latest.
Label everything clearly Every box should be labelled with its contents and the room it’s destined for at the new property. This sounds obvious, but it makes an enormous difference at the other end — both for our crew, who will know exactly where to put things, and for you, when you’re trying to find the kettle at 6pm.
Disassemble large furniture Beds, wardrobes, large shelving units — anything that needs to come apart before it can be moved should ideally be disassembled before the crew arrives. If you’d like us to handle disassembly and reassembly, let us know in advance so we can factor it into the timing.
Defrost your fridge and freezer This needs at least 24 hours. A fridge or freezer that hasn’t been properly defrosted is messy to move and can damage flooring at both ends. Deal with it the day before and make sure it’s clean and dry before moving day.
Charge your devices Moving day involves a lot of waiting around and a lot of decision-making. Having your phone and tablet charged gives you access to your moving notes, contact numbers, and a way to keep children or pets occupied while the work is happening.
Pack an essentials bag More on this below — but the principle is simple. Pack a bag containing everything you’ll need for the first 24 hours in your new home so it doesn’t disappear into a sea of boxes.
The Evening Before Moving Day
Do a final walkthrough Go through every room and check that everything is either packed or clearly set aside as an item for the crew to handle. Check loft spaces, under-bed storage, garden sheds, and garages — these are the areas most likely to be forgotten.
Set out items you’re not moving If there are items that are staying with the property — curtains the buyers have agreed to keep, for example, or items you’re leaving for the new owners — make sure they’re clearly separated from everything else. A brief note left in the relevant rooms can help avoid any confusion on the day.
Confirm your keys and documents Make sure you know where your keys, completion documents, and solicitor’s contact details are. These need to be accessible on moving day, not buried in a box.
Get an early night This one sounds flippant, but it’s genuinely important. Moving day is physically and emotionally demanding, and you’ll handle everything much better — the decisions, the unexpected moments, the sheer volume of activity — if you’re well rested.
Moving Day Morning
Be ready before the crew arrives Our Birmingham removals teams work to a schedule. If your crew is booked for 8am, being ready at 8am — not 8am and still in your dressing gown trying to find a screwdriver — means the day starts on the right foot. Every lost hour at the loading end is a lost hour at the unloading end.
Do a room-by-room walk with the crew When the team arrives, take a few minutes to walk them through the property. Point out anything fragile, anything that needs disassembling, anything that needs particular care. Flag items that are NOT going — it’s easier to do this upfront than to have a conversation mid-move about why your old sofa is suddenly on the van.
Protect your floors and door frames If you haven’t already, lay down floor protection — old sheets, cardboard, or specialist floor film — in high-traffic areas. Your removal crew will take care, but a busy moving day means lots of foot traffic and heavy items being moved through narrow spaces.
Keep children and pets out of the way Moving day is not the time for your dog to be investigating every person who walks through the front door, or for small children to be underfoot while heavy furniture is being carried. Arrange for children and pets to be with a friend, family member, or at least in a safe, contained area of the house.
Keep your essentials bag with you Not on the van — with you. This bag should contain everything you need for the first night, including phone chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes, children’s essentials, important documents, medications, snacks, and crucially, the means to make a cup of tea the moment you arrive.
While the Move Is in Progress
Stay available but out of the way The crew work most efficiently when they have clear access and aren’t navigating around people. Stay nearby enough to answer questions and make decisions, but trust the team to get on with the job.
Do a final sweep before the van leaves Before the vehicle pulls away, do one last walkthrough of every room, cupboard, loft, garage, and outdoor space. Check behind doors, inside built-in wardrobes, in the loft, and in the shed. Once the van has gone, retrieving forgotten items is significantly more complicated.
Lock up and hand over keys Make sure the property is properly secured before you leave. Return any keys to your estate agent or solicitor as required by your completion arrangements.
At Your New Property
Be there before the van arrives if possible If you can get to your new property before the crew, use the time to do a quick walkthrough and decide where you want the larger furniture pieces to go. Changing your mind about where the sofa lives once it’s already been carried up two flights of stairs is nobody’s favourite conversation.
Direct the unloading As boxes and furniture come in, direct them to the right rooms. Your labelling system should make this straightforward, but being present to make quick decisions will keep the unloading process moving smoothly.
Check for damage as you go If you notice any damage to items as they’re unloaded, mention it to the crew immediately and make a note. Don’t wait until the crew has left and the van has gone — addressing concerns in the moment is always better.
Check utilities Before the crew leaves, make sure your water, gas, and electricity are all working. You don’t want to discover a problem after everyone has gone home.
Do a final van check Before the crew drives away, ask them to confirm the van has been fully unloaded. It’s rare for anything to be left behind, but a quick check costs nothing.
After Moving Day
Unpack the essentials first Resist the urge to tackle everything at once. Start with the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathroom — the rooms you need to function. Everything else can wait until you’ve had a good night’s sleep.
Update your address If you haven’t already set up mail redirection through Royal Mail, do it now. Work through your list of organisations that need your new address: bank, DVLA, electoral roll, GP, subscriptions, and so on.
Consider storage for the overflow If you’ve got items that don’t have a home yet in the new property — or things you’re not sure you want to keep — our storage solutions and self storage partners offer a flexible way to buy yourself some breathing room while you settle in.
Leave a review If your removal company in Birmingham did a great job, tell people about it. Reviews make an enormous difference to small businesses, and a few minutes of your time helps other people in Birmingham make better decisions when their own moving day comes around.
One Last Thing
A checklist is only as useful as the company behind it. All the preparation in the world counts for less if the removal company in Birmingham you’ve booked isn’t up to the standard your move deserves. At Middleton Moving, we bring the professionalism, the equipment, the experience, and the care that makes all of this preparation pay off — turning moving day from something you dread into something you can genuinely feel good about.
Ready to Book Your Move?
If you’re planning a move in Birmingham and you’d like to work with a removal company that matches your preparation with its own, we’d love to hear from you. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote — and let’s start planning a moving day that goes exactly the way it should.