10 Common Move in Day Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Move-in day mistakes are the little things that can get overlooked and often be the ones that cause the biggest headaches. In London, where traffic, parking restrictions, and stair-heavy properties are part of everyday life, even minor oversights can quickly lead to lengthy delays.
In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common move-in day mistakes and moving day mistakes London movers make, accompanied with simple, yet practical moving day tips to help you stay on track, avoid delays, additional costs, and unnecessary stress.
Mistake 1: Leaving Utilities, Address Changes and Admin to the Last Minute
One of the most common move-in day mistakes is underestimating exactly how much admin sits behind a smooth move. Leaving moving day utilities, address changes, and account updates to the last minute can lead to issues accumulating quite quickly. Moving into a new home with no internet, dealing with delayed post, or sorting out council tax can disrupt your first few days in your new home.
Boadband setup delays are quite common amongst movers, with engineer appointments often booked up weeks in advance. Forgetting to update your council tax or skipping a Royal Mail redirect only adds to the stress, which can quickly snowball.
To help you keep on top of your moving admin, we’ve compiled a mini checklist to ensure your move stays on track.
7 to 10 Day Moving Countdown Checklist
- ✓ Arrange mail redirection
- ✓ Book your broadband installation
- ✓ Update your council tax details
- ✓ Change your address on key accounts
- ✓ Take meter readings before moving day
The earlier you tick these off, the fewer surprises you’ll face and the smoother your move-in day will feel.
Mistake 2: Not Securing Parking or Access for the Van
Another common moving day mistake is assuming that the van will be able to park directly outside the entrance to the property without any planning, which, particularly in London, is rarely a safe bet. Without sufficient moving day parking in London, such as arranging for parking suspensions and access, delays can start before the move has got underway.
Restricted bays, red routes, or missing parking suspensions when moving house will mean the removals team will have to park the van further away, resulting in increased carry distances and handling time to transport goods to and from the van and property. Within the building, If you add in unbooked lift slots, restricted loading times, unexpected concierge rules, or delayed key handovers, these small issues can soon stack up and will ultimately reduce efficiency. These delays may at first seem minor, but they often lead to extra time and more cost. At Finest Van, we see first-hand how poor access planning can impact a London move.
But don’t worry, the good news is that these problems are easy to avoid with a bit of preparation. Here’s a quick checklist to ensure your move runs to plan: Apply early for bay suspension or red route dispensation Measure the carry distance in advance (or consult with your moving company) Confirm lift slots and building access before moving day.
Setting aside some time for planning access will go a long way in avoiding unnecessary stress and help to keep your move running smoothly. For further guidance, check out our guide to London parking suspension for moving house.
💡 Finest Tip:
If parking is limited, aim to reserve space as close to the property as possible and notify your neighbours or building management in advance. A few minutes of planning here can save a significant amount of time on moving day.
Mistake 3: Choosing Movers on Price Alone (or Booking too Late)
It can be tempting to choose a removals company in London based on the cheapest quote, but opting for a company solely on price, or even leaving it too late to book, can lead to issues on moving day.
Late bookings often mean limited availability and rushed planning, especially on busy days of the week, such as Fridays, or month-end. Before you book your movers in London, it’s a good idea to check a few key details:
- Insurance policies and cover (Insured movers)
- Customer reviews
- Pre-move surveys (if offered and/or available)
- Minimum booking hours
- Crew size and experience to handle the job efficiently
- Van size suitable for your moving needs
Booking movers in London early allows for better planning, clearer pricing, and a better overall experience.
Mistake 4: Packing Badly (or Still Packing When the Crew Arrives)
One of the easiest ways stress can creep into moving day - and one of the most common packing mistakes on moving day - is underestimating just how long packing takes. Many people only realise just how much stuff they own once they actually start purging through their belongings and packing gets underway. Leaving packing to the last-minute on moving day when the movers arrive will inevitably lead to avoidable delays from the start.
Overfilled boxes, unclear labels, no labels, fragile items packed without protection all slow things down. Using smaller boxes for heavier belongings, clearly labelling boxes, and marking fragile items properly will help your movers to work most efficiently.
Starting your packing for moving day one to two weeks in advance can make the whole process feel much more manageable.
💡 Finest Tip:
It’s a good idea to prepare a few boxes with essentials you’ll need right away. Items such as chargers, toiletries, medication, documents, and a change of clothes. Having these essentials close to hand will make settling in for the first few nights easier and more convenient.
Mistake 5: Skipping Declutter and Furniture Prep
The fifth common mistake we often see is clients skipping the decluttering and furniture preparation stage. Although it may not be a huge issue if there aren’t too many items that need to be moved, not taking some time out of your schedule to declutter before moving means more items to shift, which ultimately slows things down, increasing time and costs.
Bulky furniture can also cause delays if they’re not prepared in advance. Dismantling furniture before moving, such as beds and wardrobes, allows for quicker and safer handling. Just always remember to keep the fixings safe. Alternatively, if you’d prefer your moving company to handle dismantling tasks for you, let them know in advance so that they can factor this into timings.
Protecting corners, banisters, and stairwells, and taking the time to measure doorways and landings, can also help to avoid last-minute hiccups. A bit of preparation before the move goes a long way, helping the move to stay on track and making moving day feel much less stressful.
Mistake 6: Overloading Move-In Day with too Many Tasks
Attempting to do everything on moving day is a sure way to add stress. Packing, cleaning and unpacking all in one day can quickly derail your moving day schedule. Once you plan your moving day in the UK, a better approach is to stage these tasks over 48-72 hours. Finish the packing before moving day, pre-book cleaners if needed, and then focus on settling into your new home.
Mistake 7: Forgetting Keys, Fobs, Meter Readings and Photos
Another easy mistake to make on moving day is forgetting keys, fobs, or taking meter readings. Writing up a quick moving day checklist can save you a lot of last-minute stress.
Make sure you collect all keys, fobs, and remotes, note meter readings in and out, and snap time-stamped photos of the property’s condition. Make sure you collect any remaining mail and conduct a final walk-through of the property to protect your deposit and ensure everything is accounted for, ready for a smooth handover.
Mistake 8: Not Budgeting for Real London Costs (Time, Extras, Parking)
Moving costs in London can quickly add up on moving day if you don’t plan for extras, especially when moving in the city. Removal costs in Londontypically include parking fees or suspensions, waiting time fees for keys, long carries, stair carries, and packing materials costs.
When planning your moving budget in London, it’s important that you account and budget for these potential extra charges so there are no unpleasant surprises on moving day.
Mistake 9: No Plan for Kids, Pets, or Fragile/Valuable Items
At Finest Van, we know how hectic moving days can be, so having a plan for kids, pets, and valuables is essential. When moving with kids in London or looking for moving with pets tips, make sure they’re looked after by a family member, friend, or caretaker to keep them entertained, safe, and away from areas such as stairs and van ramps where movers will require constant access.
Pack fragile and valuable items separately and keep a day bag of essentials close by. Setting up a safe zone also helps avoid accidents and keeps everything organised. In addition, check your insurance coverage for any limits on valuable items to avoid any surprises.
In summary, a little preparation here keeps kids and pets safe and lets the movers focus on the heavy lifting.
Mistake 10: Going DIY when Stairs, Distance or Volume Say “Hire Pros”
After planning for kids, pets and valuables, it’s easy to underestimate just how challenging a move can be. If you’re dealing with multiple floors, the absence of a lift, long carries, bulky items, tight access, or a multi-stop move, hiring professional movers is generally a smart choice.
Hiring professional movers in South London ensures experienced crews handle tricky star carries and navigate areas with tight access for large items safely and efficiently. Not only does this make the move faster and less stressful, it also greatly reduces the risk of damage or injury.
If you need support with a challenging move, our team of professional South London movers at Finest Van has the skills, experience, and equipment to handle even the most complex moves with ease.
Moving Day Checklist
The Finest way to a smoother moving day. Use this simple step by step moving day checklist to keep your move efficient, safe, and as organised as can be:
✓ Utilities and Admin
Set services to go live 7 to 10 days before moving day, including broadband, council tax and key accounts.
✓ Parking and Access
Apply for parking suspensions 1 to 2 weeks ahead and confirm lifts, entrances and access points.
✓ Choosing Movers
Book early and check insurance, reviews, crew size and experience before confirming your removals company.
✓ Packing
Pack ahead of time, label boxes clearly and prepare a first night essentials kit.
✓ Declutter and Furniture Prep
Dismantle large items if needed, protect corners and stairwells, and measure doorways in advance.
✓ Overloading Tasks
Spread jobs over 48 to 72 hours for packing, cleaning and unpacking.
✓ Keys, Fobs and Meter Readings
Take all keys and remotes, record meter readings, snap photos and complete a final walk through.
✓ Budgeting
Allow for extra costs such as parking, waiting time, stairs and packing materials.
✓ Kids, Pets and Valuables
Arrange care, keep valuables separate and create safe zones during the move.
✓ Professional Assistance
Hire experienced movers for long carries, bulky items, tight access or multi stop moves.
At Finest Van, we see how quickly small oversights can turn into bigger problems on moving day. By following this step-by-step moving day checklist, planning ahead, and prepping carefully, you can avoid moving mistakes and enjoy a seamless, stress-free moving experience, allowing you to focus on settling into your new home from the moment you step through the door.
Planning a move in London? Let Finest Van take the stress out of moving day.
