Your 12-month timeline for moving to London

Last reviewed October 30, 2026

A move from the GTA to London is really two projects running in parallel: selling (or ending a lease) in one market, and buying in another. Much of the stress of a two-city move comes from those two projects being out of sync. That might mean a sale that closes before you've found a home, or a purchase that closes while your old home is still unsold. This timeline is designed to keep them lined up.

Twelve months is comfortable rather than mandatory. People do it in three. If your timeline is shorter, compress the early stages, but don't skip them.

12 months out: decide and research

• Write down your "why". Space, schools, commute, family, cost. Rank them. You'll come back to this list when you're choosing between two houses.
• Talk to your employer about remote or hybrid options, or start looking at London-area jobs. See jobs and the economy.
• Build a rough budget for both ends: what your GTA home might sell for (an agent there can give you a market evaluation), what you'd want to spend here, and the costs of moving in between.
• Read up on neighbourhoods. Our GTA mover's neighbourhood guide is a good shortlist builder.

9 months out: visit and get pre-qualified

• Do a weekday scouting trip. Drive your likely commute at rush hour. Visit two or three neighbourhoods in the morning, at school pick-up time and after dinner.
• Talk to a lender or mortgage broker about how you'll finance the move. Can you carry two homes for a short time? Do you qualify for bridge financing? What will you be approved for on a new mortgage? Our page on selling in the GTA and buying in London explains the options.
• Find your London team: a local real estate agent, a real estate lawyer, and the name of a home inspector. You don't need to commit yet, but have the conversations.
• If you have school-age kids, look up the school boundaries for your shortlisted areas with the Thames Valley District School Board or London District Catholic School Board locator tools. Boundaries matter here as much as in the GTA.

6 months out: prepare to sell, sharpen the search

• Start preparing your GTA home for sale. Declutter, handle small repairs, and get a listing plan from your GTA agent.
• Narrow to one or two London neighbourhoods and start watching listings there. Track how long homes take to sell and how sale prices compare to list prices, so you know what "normal" looks like.
• Decide your sequencing: sell first, buy first, or list and shop at the same time. There's no universally right answer, but there is a right answer for your finances and risk tolerance.
• Get a written pre-approval so you can move quickly when the right London home appears.

3 months out: transact

• List your GTA home, or firm up the sale if you've already listed.
• Make your offer in London. Include the conditions you need, typically financing and a home inspection, and in some cases a "sale of buyer's property" condition. Your agent will tell you how competitive the local market is for the kind of home you want.
• Align closing dates. The ideal is for your London purchase to close a few days before your GTA sale. That gives you keys and a little overlap without long-term double carrying costs.
• Book movers early, especially for summer and month-end dates, which fill up first.
• Give notice if you're renting. Ontario tenants on a periodic lease generally have to give 60 days' written notice. Check your lease and the Landlord and Tenant Board's guidance.

The final month

• Arrange utilities for your London address. London Hydro handles electricity and also bills water and wastewater for the City. Enbridge Gas supplies natural gas in most of the city. Our setup checklist has the full list.
• Arrange home insurance for your new home. Your lender will want proof before closing.
• Forward your mail through Canada Post.
• Register kids for school once you have a confirmed address.
• Do a final walkthrough of the London home before closing, if your agreement allows it.

After you arrive

• Update your driver's licence and vehicle registration with ServiceOntario. Ontario requires you to report an address change within six days.
• Update your health card address. Your OHIP coverage itself continues uninterrupted because you're moving within Ontario.
• Start the family doctor search. See our healthcare page.
• Learn your garbage, recycling and Green Bin schedule on the City of London's website or app.
• Meet the neighbours. It sounds obvious, but in a new city it's the fastest way to find a good plumber, a reliable babysitter and the best local takeout.