The essentials people forget to pack on moving day

Moving into a new home should be a moment to remember, one that you will look back on for years to come. But, for many, the first night is memorable for all the wrong reasons, with essential items like toilet roll and dinner for the first night, forgotten.

Packing up your home when moving can be difficult and sometimes chaotic, making it easy to overlook some of the essential household items you will need on your first night. With 1.5 million people expected to buy houses in 2025 1 it’s more important than ever that we’re prepared.

We surveyed 2,000 Brits to find out where we are going wrong when packing, and reveal the most forgotten items when moving, to see what essentials people overlook and offer a solution.

85% of Brits have forgotten at least one essential when moving house

Our survey data revealed that only 15% of movers were fully prepared on their first night in a new home. However, 85% forgot at least one essential item, and 71% forgot more than one.

This highlights a fact we all know to be true: moving house is one of the most mentally and physically demanding tasks we have to do. The stress of the move makes it easy to overlook small details like bin bags and toothpaste, as prioritising last-minute paperwork and physically packing and moving your belongings takes precedence.

Young movers are the least prepared, data reveals

Survey data found that first-time buyers, typically around 32 years old 2, are the least prepared when it comes to moving house. Of those aged 25 to 34, only 6% didn’t forget anything when moving house, but a staggering 81% forgot more than one essential on moving day.

Making the move from renting to buying, people aged 25 to 34 may be dealing with their first BIG move. Not yet had the experience of knowing exactly what they will need on the first night in their new home.

More experienced movers, aged between 55 to 65+, are the most prepared with 29% not forgetting any first night essentials. These movers have likely experienced house moves before, and therefore are more aware of the essentials they need to pack.

40% of those aged 18-24 have forgotten an essential when moving. This includes students moving into university accommodation, who are likely to be flying the nest for the first time.

Toilet paper is the most forgotten item when moving house

The last item you use in your old home and one of the first you will use in your new one. There are fewer things more essential than toilet roll, but over 1 in 10 are caught out on their first night when they forget to pack it.

Light bulbs and bin bags come in second and third place as the most commonly forgotten items. Many people surveyed stated they wrongly assumed light bulbs would already be in the property, leading to a dark first day.

Forgotten essentials:

1. Toilet roll
2. Light bulbs
3. Bin bags
4. Dinner for the night
5. Bottle opener
6. Toothpaste
7. Scissors
8. Tin opener
9. Toilet plunger
10. Screwdriver
11. Cutlery
12. Extension lead
13. Pet food
14. Batteries
15. Coffee
16. Duct tape
17. Bin

Functional tools like scissors and tin openers rank highly as the most forgotten items, with 8% not packing them in their moving bags, and essential wellness items like toothpaste are forgotten by 9%.

1 in 10 Brits are overlooking one key element when moving house

Interestingly, it’s not only cupboard essentials people are forgetting, even those who remember toilet roll, light bulbs and other seemingly boring essentials, fail to pack the most important of all, the first night food and drinks.

Data revealed 10% completely forgot to pack a first night meal and 9% forgot a bottle opener for their celebratory tipple.

Manchester are the most unprepared when moving house, survey reveals

Data from the survey found some insightful regional differences when it comes to the items people forget to pack. The people of Manchester came in top spot, with over two thirds (68%) admitting to forgetting to pack at least one essential when moving.

Cardiff is the most prepared region when moving house, with 61% forgetting no essentials

Two-thirds of respondents in Cardiff have proudly never forgotten to pack anything when moving, making them the most organised region of the UK by far. In comparison, the second most prepared were northern regions with 54% and and 52% of Leeds and Liverpool movers never forgetting their first night must-haves.

Most forgotten items by region, with light bulbs coming out on top
There are many regional differences between UK cities, whether it’s accents or lifestyle choices. The same is true with the items they forget to bring when moving house, with enlightening data on the regional differences in how their first night is spent.

While other cities are prioritising ambience in their new home, with Nottingham, Glasgow and Newcastle’s most forgotten item being a light bulb.

Those living in Sheffield need a caffeine pick-me-up on moving day, with their most forgotten item being coffee.

Only 7% of Brits unpack on the day they move in

After packing up your old home, the chaos doesn’t end; it’s now time to unpack again. Though due to the strenuous nature of moving house, many are putting off fully unpacking straight away.

Our survey data revealed that 42% of movers take longer than a week to unpack with 15% needing between 1 to 2 weeks, and 27% taking over two weeks. Over 1 in 4 Brits are still living out of boxes weeks after moving into their new home.