Plan the clean after the property is empty and before the keys are due back. Work backwards from those two points, leaving enough time for loading, travel, cleaning and a final check. Confirm the actual schedule with the people doing the work.
Make your moving plan
Choose your moving date. These are planning reminders, not legal deadlines or confirmed bookings. Your date stays in this page.
Candour currently needs at least 7 days’ notice for one-off cleans. Confirm availability and the full moving-day schedule before relying on a date. Tenancy notice and deposit deadlines are separate.
Six to eight weeks before: establish the dates
Check your tenancy agreement and the current notice rules that apply to your tenancy. If you are buying, discuss exchange, completion and removals commitments with your solicitor. Do not treat a date in a planning checklist as a legal notice deadline.
Find your check-in inventory. Get written removals quotes and explain stairs, lifts, long carries, fragile items and parking restrictions. Ask what happens if the date changes and what the quote includes.
Start decluttering. Decide what will move, what is being sold or donated and what needs a lawful disposal arrangement. Leave time to organise collections.
Four weeks before: agree the sequence
Contact removers early and ask what dates they can offer. Request a clean for after the furniture has left, with a buffer before the check-out. Candour's earliest selectable date is governed by its booking lead time; requesting a date is not confirmation.
Sort access and parking. For Brighton & Hove, consult the council's parking suspension guidance. Do not rely on a generic notice period: the council's current process and your location determine what is possible.
Check cancellation and rescheduling terms with each provider. The removal service and the clean are separate arrangements; don't assume their terms are identical.
Two weeks before: suppliers and packing
- Arrange Royal Mail redirection if needed, checking current prices and lead times directly.
- Tell utility and broadband suppliers about the move and ask what readings or access they require.
- Plan meals around freezer contents. Defrost the appliance according to its manual before it needs to be moved or cleaned.
- Pack by destination room and label fragile items clearly.
- Confirm any lift booking, building access or parking arrangements.
One week before: prepare for the day
Pack a first-night box with medication, chargers, bedding, towels, toilet roll, drinks and basic kitchen items. Keep identification, financial documents and valuables with you.
Confirm where and when keys will be handed over. Check who is dismantling furniture and whether the removers have agreed to do it. Share access information privately with the relevant provider.
For a shared house, name a person responsible for the final kitchen and bathroom check after the last housemate leaves.
Moving day
- Photograph meter readings and record the condition of items before loading.
- Walk the removers through what goes and what stays.
- Keep exits and stairways clear while loading takes place.
- Once the van is loaded, check cupboards, drawers and any storage spaces.
- Clean the empty property or give access to the confirmed cleaning team.
- Inspect the finished rooms, take photographs and check the inventory.
- Return keys as agreed and keep confirmation.
There is no universal loading time or crew size for a two-bedroom home. Stairs, distance to the van and volume of belongings can change the day substantially. Don't promise your agent a same-evening handover without a realistic agreed schedule.
Why the clean goes after the van
Furniture hides floor edges and marks, and moving it can release dust. Boxes and shoes can leave new marks during loading. Cleaning after the move avoids doing the same floor twice.
If the schedule is too tight, discuss another day while you still have lawful access. Do not assume a cleaning team can compress the job to fit a late-running move. Use our room-by-room checklist to plan the scope.
Once you have moved
Notify the relevant councils about your move for council tax. GOV.UK explains where to start.
Update your driving licence, vehicle log book and any other relevant DVLA records. They are separate updates; changing one does not necessarily change the others. Follow DVLA's change-of-address checklist.
Work through your bank, employer, insurers, healthcare providers and other accounts. Give the landlord or agent a forwarding address privately and follow up on your tenancy deposit.
The Candour removals bundle
When you select the removals bundle with a move-out clean, the cleaning price is reduced by £25. ET Services quotes for removals separately. Confirm both scopes and dates; an enquiry alone does not reserve either service.