Glasgow Moving Checklist: 8 Weeks to Moving Day

Most moving checklists you find online were written for England, so they talk about exchange and completion and forget that Scotland does things differently. This one is built for a Glasgow move, whether you are buying, selling or renting, and it follows the timeline we see our customers go through week after week.

Print it, stick it on the fridge and tick things off. Nobody remembers everything, but a list means you only forget the small things.

8 weeks before: the big decisions

• Confirm your date of entry. In Scotland the date of entry is agreed in the missives and is the day you get the keys. Once it is fixed, everything else hangs off it. For renters, confirm the start date of the new tenancy and the end date of the old one, and check whether they overlap.
• Get removal quotes. Book early if your date is a Friday, a month-end or in the school holidays. Read our guide to how much removals cost in Glasgow so you know what a fair quote looks like.
• Decide on packing. Full packing service, partial, or doing it yourself? Decide now so the quote is right.
• Start decluttering. One room a week. Charity shops, Gumtree, the recycling centres at Polmadie, Shieldhall, Dawsholm and Easter Queenslie.
• Check your new home for access. Floor, lift, stair turns, parking. If it is a tenement, read our tenement moving guide.

6 weeks before: paperwork

• Solicitor. Ask your solicitor to confirm the expected time of key release on the date of entry. In Glasgow it is often early afternoon once funds have cleared, which affects when your removal crew can start unloading.
• Landlord. If renting, give notice in writing and check your lease for the required period. Book a pre-checkout inspection if your letting agent offers one.
• Schools. Contact Glasgow City Council education services, or the relevant council if you are moving to East Renfrewshire or East Dunbartonshire, about school places.
• Work. Book the day off, and the day after if you can.

4 weeks before: services and suppliers

This is the week to tell people. Keep a simple table so nothing slips.

Who to tell	What to do	Notes
Glasgow City Council	Report your move for council tax	Online form; also tell the new council if leaving Glasgow
Royal Mail	Set up redirection	Allow at least 5 working days; 3, 6 or 12 months available
Energy supplier	Give moving date and take final readings	Photograph the meters on the day
Scottish Water	No action for most households	Water is billed via council tax in Scotland
Broadband and TV	Book installation at the new address	Lead times can be several weeks in some areas
Bank, insurer, DVLA	Update address	Driving licence and V5C both need updating
GP and dentist	Register at new practice if moving area
Electoral roll	Update registration
Employer and HMRC	Update records

Also start collecting boxes. Supermarkets, local shops and online marketplaces are good sources, or ask us to supply them.

3 weeks before: parking and access

• Parking bay suspension. If either address is in a controlled parking zone, apply to Glasgow City Council now. The council needs notice, typically at least a week, and longer around busy periods. Ask for enough space for a long-wheelbase van. Our parking guide covers the process and the other councils.
• Lifts and building managers. For flats with a concierge or factor, book the lift and check any rules on moving hours.
• Measure furniture. Confirm the big items will fit through doors and round stairs at the new place.
• Confirm the removal booking. Reconfirm the date, start time and both addresses with your mover.

2 weeks before: packing begins

• Pack rooms you use least first: spare bedroom, loft, garage, bookshelves.
• Label every box on two sides with the room at the new address and a one-line summary.
• Keep an inventory. A numbered list on your phone is enough.
• Use up food in the freezer.
• Arrange childcare and pet care for the day.
• Book a cleaner for the old place if your lease requires it, or block out time to do it yourself.
• Return library books, borrowed items and anything on loan from work.

1 week before: the final push

• Pack everything except the kitchen essentials and a few days of clothes.
• Dismantle furniture you are handling yourself, and bag the fixings.
• Defrost the freezer at least 24 hours before the move.
• Confirm key release timing with your solicitor or letting agent one more time.
• Put together a first-night box: kettle, mugs, tea, toilet roll, phone chargers, bedding, towels, basic tools, medication, and the paperwork for both properties.
• Check the weather and have plastic sheeting for the sofa and mattresses if rain is due.
• Walk the route from the flat door to where the van will park and clear anything in the way.

Moving day

Morning:

• Be up and dressed before the crew arrives. Have the kettle on.
• Walk the crew round the property, point out fragile boxes and anything not going.
• Photograph the meters and take final readings.
• Keep valuables, documents, keys and the first-night box in your own car.

Midday:

• If you are waiting on keys, the crew can head to the new address and wait, or hold at the old property. Agree this in advance so nobody is paying for waiting time unnecessarily.
• Do a final check of every cupboard, the loft, the shed and behind doors.
• Lock up and hand keys to the agent or solicitor as instructed.

Afternoon:

• Meet the crew at the new home and direct boxes to the right rooms. Clear labelling makes this fast.
• Check large furniture for any damage before the crew leaves.
• Make up one bed before you do anything else.

The week after

• Register with the new council for council tax if you have left Glasgow.
• Update your address with anyone you missed.
• Break down boxes for recycling or offer them on to the next person moving.
• Test smoke alarms and find the stopcock and fuse box.
• If renting, ask your old letting agent when the deposit will be released from the tenancy deposit scheme.

Need a hand?

If you would like the removal itself taken off the list, we can help with the whole thing or just the heavy lifting. Request a quote for your date, or call Peter on 07481 469221 and we will tell you honestly what is possible.