Getting ready to move house in Northern Ireland? We’ve put together this guide to make sure you’ve got everything covered as you start your next chapter.
Whether you're a first-time buyer, moving between rental properties or moving the length or breadth of Northern Ireland, our moving house tips will make your relocation as smooth as possible.
At a glance, these are the 12 steps for moving house in Northern Ireland:
- Confirm your moving date and who handles the keys.
- Give your landlord notice if renting.
- Notify electricity, broadband, and other utility suppliers.
- Update your address with banks, HMRC, healthcare and others.
- Declutter your home to reduce what you take.
- Organise removals, child or pet care, and driving routes.
- Start packing room by room, label clearly.
- Pay final bills and take meter readings.
- Prepare an essentials box for your first night.
- Do a final walkthrough and clean your old home.
- Unpack key rooms first in your new home.
- Update locks, settle in, and think about energy efficiency.
Need a printable moving house checklist?
Simply download this 12-step checklist and tick off as you go along. But don not forget to read our full guide, as we have included extra tips and broken down the steps into three phases: Before the Move, On Moving Day, and After the Move.
Download moving house checklist PDF
First phase: Before the move
Step 1: Confirm moving date
The first step is to confirm your moving date. Once you know when moving day will be, you can start to put other plans in place. As well as deciding on a date, find out what the logistics will be on the day. Liaise with your estate agent to confirm who you need to give your keys to and who will give you the keys to your new home.
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Questions you should ask your estate agent
- Where are the gas and electricity meters?
- Where's the main stopcock to switch off the water supply?
- What day(s) are the bins collected?
- Are there spare tins of paint that match the current colours?
- Are instruction manuals or warranties available for appliances?
- Who are the current energy, broadband and landline suppliers?
- Where is the thermostat?
Step 2: Hand in notice to landlords (renters only)
If you’re currently renting, at this point you can hand in your notice to your landlord. It’s important to give plenty of notice to avoid having to pay rent for a property you’re no longer living in. But you don’t want to hand in your notice before you’re sure of your moving date and risk leaving yourself with no home.
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Tips for renters moving house
- Check your rental agreement for the required notice period.
- Look for a break clause if you're in a fixed-term tenancy.
- If there’s no clause, ask if your landlord would agree to end the tenancy early.
- Always speak to your landlord or letting agent directly.
- Follow up with written notice and be polite and clear about your moving plans.
Step 3: Notify utility suppliers
Next, it’s time to tell your utility suppliers that you’re moving. The main three you need to contact are your electricity provider, broadband/phone provider, and possibly your heating supplier.
If you're an existing Power NI customer, you can update your account details online up to 28 days before your move. If you're moving into a home where we're already the electricity supplier, it's quick and easy to set up your new account online now.
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Here’s what you need when informing us of your move
- Your move-out date for the current property
- A final meter reading (for bill pay meters) — if you don’t have this yet, you can provide it later
- Your new address
- The Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) or Keypad Premise Number (KPRN) for your new home
- Your move-in date
- An opening meter reading at your new home (if it has a bill pay meter) — don’t worry if you don’t have it yet, you can submit this later
If you're a current Power NI customer but are moving to a property that is registered with another electricity supplier, please contact us.
Moving to a house that’s registered with another supplier?
This could be a great opportunity to switch electricity providers. At Power NI we have a range of different tariffs, no fixed-term contracts, no exit fees and the option for 100% green energy.
Switch to Power NI
Step 4: Notify other important contacts
Now you can tell other contacts and organisations that you’re moving. This is usually a longer process than you first imagine so we’ve put together a list of all the important people to contact when you’re moving house in Northern Ireland.
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Other important people to inform when moving house
- Government bodies - Your local council for rates, the DVA for your driving licence, the Department for Communities for any benefits, HMRC for taxes, TV Licensing, and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.
- Post - Redirect your post to your new address using Royal Mail's redirection service.
- Financial - Your bank and savings account providers, credit card companies, store loyalty card providers and pension companies.
- Insurance - Your car insurance, home insurance, pet insurance, health insurance, life insurance and any other insurance providers.
- Healthcare - Your doctor's surgery, dentist, optician and any other healthcare providers you visit.
- Work and education - Your employer and company pension fund, your colleagues, professional associations, schools, colleges and educational institutions.
Step 5: Declutter
Packing is much easier when you're only taking the things you really need. A good clear-out saves time, space and stress — and it might even save you money if you need fewer boxes or a smaller van. Start early and tackle one room at a time. If it hasn’t been used in a year, ask yourself if it’s worth taking.
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Our advice for pre-move decluttering
- Donate to charity shops or local reuse centres.
- Sell unwanted items online on eBay, Gumtree, Vinted or Facebook Marketplace.
- Offer useful items to friends, neighbours or family.
- Taking anything that isn’t suitable to sell or donate to your local recycling centre.
Step 6: Organise removal logistics
Now you need to plan for the logistics of moving from A to B. As well as finding a removal company, you’ll probably need to plan ahead to make sure any friends or family members who will be lending a hand are available.
Keep in mind that weekends and the end of the month are popular times to move, so removal companies and van hire may get booked up fast.
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Follow this removals checklist
- Compare quotes from 2–3 removal companies and ask what’s included (packing materials, insurance, etc.)
- Book a van if you're doing the move yourself.
- Ask friends or family to help with heavy lifting or driving.
- Confirm parking or access at both addresses.
- Plan childcare or pet care for moving day.
- Book time off work if needed.
- Map your route ahead of time, especially for long-distance moves.
Step 7: Begin packing
At this point, you can start packing boxes for your move. It’s best to do this around a month before your moving date — close enough that you can be reasonably confident you won’t need things that you’re packing, but far enough away that you’re not throwing things into boxes in a state of panic.
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These packing tips will make your move easier
- Get strong cardboard boxes, tape, labels, markers and even bubble wrap.
- Start by packing items that you don’t use often e.g. seasonal clothes or decorations.
- Pack room-by-room, keeping items from the same room boxed together.
- Label each box with contents and destination room in your new home
- Leave everyday essentials (plates, toiletries, devices) to pack last
Second phase: On and around moving day
Step 8: Pay remaining bills & finalise plans
In the final days before your big move, put in place plans for tying up any loose ends at your current property. This will include arranging to pay any final bills and confirming your moving plans.
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Final to-dos before the big move
- Take a final meter reading and submit this to your electricity provider. If you’re a Power NI customer, you can contact us with your meter reading.
- Get in touch with the removal company to confirm times and arrangements for moving day.
- Get in touch with your internet provider to make sure everything is ready for your switch.
Step 9: Stock up on essentials
Ahead of moving day, stock up on all the essentials. This is a box to prepare for everything you’ll need on your first night in your new house. You could even take your essentials box yourself instead of leaving it to the removal company. That way you’ll know it's close at hand. Remember to pack:
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Remember to pack…
- Essential toiletries, including soap, toilet roll, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
- Basic food and drinks, such as snacks, tea bags, milk, bread and butter.
- Kitchen basics, such as a toaster, kettle, cups, crockery and cutlery.
- Bedding, nightwear and towels.
- Work clothes, school uniforms or other clothes for the next day.
- Important cleaning and household supplies, including surface cleaner, kitchen roll and rubber gloves, bin liners, a torch and light bulbs.
Step 10: Final walkthrough (& goodbyes)
When moving day arrives it’s time for a final check of your old house before leaving. Since everything has become part of the furniture, it’s easy to overlook things so it’s important to do a final walkthrough.
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Final checks before leaving your old home
- Check all rooms a final time for any belongings you’ve forgotten.
- Remember to check the loft and any other storage spaces you might have overlooked.
- Pack final items such as curtains and bedding.
- Clean the house ready for the new owner.
- Clean any appliances and defrost the freezer.
- Take photos to document how the house was left, particularly rental properties.
Step 11: Enjoy moving day
Moving house can be a stressful time. Going through all the steps we’ve mentioned so far gives you the best chance of being able to enjoy moving day!
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Don’t forget about these moving day tasks
- Lock up your old house, drop off the keys and pick up your new keys.
- Take a meter reading at your new house.
- Start wiping surfaces, mopping and hoovering floors and cleaning cupboards.
- Unpack your essentials box so you have anything you need urgently.
- Next, unpack your kitchen boxes so that your appliances and food preparation items are ready.
- Move on to the bedrooms so that your bedding is ready and you’ll have somewhere to sleep.
- Do the bathroom next, making sure the water supply is turned on and unpacking towels, toiletries and other bathroom items.
- Assemble and arrange the furniture in your bedrooms, living room and dining room.
- Finally, unpack utility rooms, the garage and outdoor spaces.
Third phase: After the move
Step 12: Post-move duties
While you’re settling into your new house, there are just a few post-move jobs to take care of to make sure your move comes to a smooth conclusion. It might be tempting to sit back but it’s worth one final push to get your new place just right.
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Once you’ve moved house, you should also…
- Continue to clean, unpack and rearrange furniture to get everything looking perfect.
- Change the locks to give you peace of mind that nobody else has a key to your home.
- Think about any new appliances or furniture that you need for the new space. With Power NI Perks you can get discounts at retailers like IKEA, Argos, B&Q and M&S.
Want to future proof your new home?
Some final food for thought to leave you with - if you have just bought your home, now is a great time to go green. We can help you install solar panels to lower your electricity bills, or fit an EV home charger to add value to your new house.
Go Green with Power NIFurther reading
Written by: Power NI Energy Experts
