Moving House Checklist
You’ve been given the completion date for your property purchase but what to do next? We have pulled together a checklist of some things to think about when moving house.
Questions to ask the existing the vendors
There are a few things that you may not think about before you move into your new property which the existing homeowners will know about. Whilst you have the opportunity, it might be best to ask them a few questions about the house so you’re prepared for when you move in.
Questions such as:
- Where do you shut off the water?
- Where is the fuse box?
- Where are the gas and electricity meters?
- What days are the bins collected?
- Which company supplies energy and broadband?
- Where is the thermostat?
- Do the heating and hot water come on by a pre-set schedule? If so, when and how do you change it?
- Do you have any old tins of paint in the same colour of the walls?
Compare removal costs
If you haven’t got too much furniture to move (because you’re still living at your parents’ house or you’ve been renting a furnished property), a car and a few trips might be able to do the job.
If you do have a lot of furniture, hiring a van might be a cheaper option than using a removal company. However, if you are moving from one house to another, you may have more furniture and belongings so you may wish to use a removal company instead of doing it all yourself.
It is best to contact at least three different local removal companies and ask for quotes so you can compare prices.
Redirect your post
Royal Mail has a postal redirection service to ensure any letters are not left at your old house. You can choose whether you get your post redirected for three, six or 12 months (longer if you like).
If you choose not to use redirect your mail, ensure that you have informed companies about your new address and that you no longer live at the old address. This is important to do so any bills you don’t receive won’t damage your credit record or result in you being traced by a debt collection company. Plus, informing companies that you no longer live at the address prevents you from paying for bills from the new homeowners.
Top tips for moving day
Moving is considered one of the most stressful things that people can experience, however, if you’re prepared beforehand, you can make the day a little bit less stressful.
- Label all the boxes – when you’re packing your current house, write on the side of the boxes what’s inside the box and which room it is for. This will help you as you know which room the boxes are for and you will also know which way up the boxes should be to prevent any damages.
- Bag up your screws and bolts – when dismantling any furniture, bag all the screws and bolts for that piece of furniture and then tape that bag to a piece of the furniture. So when you’re rebuilding the furniture in your new house, everything that you need will be together.
- Move the furniture in first – moving any big pieces of furniture in first can save you time, as if you were to move the boxes in first, you will end up moving them around or out the way when you move the larger pieces of furniture in.
- Bring lightbulbs and batteries – This is something you may have not thought about but it’s best to bring some to save you nipping to the shop when you’re moving in or before it gets too dark and you haven’t noticed that you haven’t got any bulbs.
Compare prices on your gas and electricity
Don’t stick with the previous owner’s energy supplier as it’s always best to shop around and see if you can find a cheaper tariff. Many energy suppliers have offers for new customers and could save you £100s a year by switching.
One essential thing to do when you first move in is to take a meter reading. This is to ensure that you’re not being billed for the previous owner’s usage.
Register to vote
When you move house, you will need to register to vote again. It’s best to do this as soon as possible so you don’t miss out on having your say on any upcoming votes. You can register on the Gov.uk website.
Inform the council about your move
When you move, you will need to inform the council that you have moved. You will be able to do this online through your local’s authority website.
Protect yourself for the future
Buying a house is most likely to be the biggest purchase in your life and you may want to think about your future. Such as what happens to your house if you were to pass away? Do you have a joint mortgage with a partner, will they be able to keep up with the repayments when you’re not around anymore or if you were to get ill and unable to work, are you able to keep up with the mortgage payments?
There are different protection policies that you may want to consider such as life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team about a mortgage or about any protection policies, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Call us on 01270 443510 or complete our contact form and we’ll be in touch with you as soon.