Moving into a new home as a tenant or homeowner is an intense experience which can become quite overwhelming. What do you need to make your move and the early days of living in your new home, a smooth and easy process? A moving house checklist can make the whole process smoother and this article will provide a template and top tips to ensure you are fully prepared for the big day.
Do you know where you are moving to?
Knowing your moving date and where you are moving to can make the change of address easier because a lot of the effort will involve transferring your responsibilities to the new address. If you don't know your new address yet then you will need to cancel and restart your responsibilities when you have made the move. The following checklists can be followed for the house you are currently in and the one you are moving into.
Moving house checklist for the house you are moving out of
Planning your move with a checklist can simplify the whole process. Your checklist will be longer if you have lived at your old home for a long period of time.
The first step is to identify all your accounts that are registered at your current home. These can include:
- Home insurance
- Contents insurance
- Broadband
- Utilities
- Banking
You must inform the providers that you are changing home as soon as you know your new address to ensure your communication with them is not interrupted and all bills are paid. Your utility companies may require you to provide final meter readings on the day you move. You can choose to carry over your services to the new property but you should first determine if these providers are able to service your new home and if they offer the best terms.
You must also inform the local authorities about your move so that your council tax, electoral roll and TV licensing can be transferred smoothly. You should also inform your GP that you're moving as you might need to change practice if ever you move out of their area. You might also want to update your personal details with retailers you shop with to prevent offers being sent to the new occupants.
After transferring all your accounts and informing all your providers and authorities that you are moving, you can start planning your physical move. Regardless of whether you own the furniture or not, you should assess which items you would like to take to your new home, and which ones you'd like to leave behind. You can donate unwanted furniture, non-essential items and belongings to charity shops or sell them on marketplaces. Decluttering your old home will make it easier to clean and make the move easier as you will have less to bring with you. Depending on how many items you plan to take with you and where you are moving to, you might want to consider using a removal company to transport your belongings. Ask for removal quotes from multiple removal firms to ensure you are getting the best deal. Movers can also transport suitcases which can sometimes be more cost-effective and pain free. Tenants in particular are expected to clean the property to a professional standard so it is important to use the right cleaning products especially if they choose to not use a professional cleaning service. This will make the checkout process smoother. Once you have moved everything out you must provide the set of keys back to the landlord, letting agent or new home owner. You might also want to provide a forwarding address to the landlord and post office to not miss important documents or information from accounts you've forgotten about. Royal mail have a redirection service to ensure that all mail is sent to your new home.
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What to check before moving into a new house?
If you have completed the moving out checklist, you can go through this new home checklist to move in smoothly. If you are a tenant then you should read your tenancy agreement and make sure you understand your responsibilities as they are different for each house and landlord. In particular, the new home might have new shared facilities which you might need to take care of. You should also ensure that you have budgeted appropriately for utilities and other living expenses as these costs might be different in the new area. You can always improve the energy performance of your new home by upgrading your insulation and appliances.
Consider the most important rooms in your new home, like the kitchen where the family members will be spending a lot of their time. Is the kitchen up to your standards or does it need remodelling or touching up as well? You can plan this in advance as well and get professionals like Kitchen Capital to remodel your kitchen quickly so that you can have a brand-new kitchen ready for your move-in date. Most importantly, don’t move in before taking care of the most pressing issues around the house, because it will be much harder to organise any kind of remodelling once you’re settled in.
Once you have collected your new keys, check your electricity meters to ensure you do not end up paying for the previous occupiers. If you did not stick with the utility providers of your old address you should investigate which ones are available in the new area and which ones offer the best terms. You should also check if you need to register with a new GP or not.
Regardless of whether the home you are moving into has been cleaned or not, you might want to use a professional cleaning service to ensure that everything is clean before you move your belongings in. You might also want to redecorate or paint rooms so planning this in advance will ensure you can do this before you move in.
What to check after you've moved in?
After you have moved in and spent your first nights in your new home, you will probably realise that you are missing items or did not transfer everything over. Instead of purchasing everything in one go at the last minute, use your first couple of weeks to identify which items are missing and start to replace them gradually.
About Legislate
Legislate is an early stage legal technology startup which allows large landlords, letting agents and small businesses to easily create, sign and manage contracts that are prudent and fair. Legislate’s platform is built on its patented knowledge graph which streamlines the contracting process and aggregates contract statistics to quickly unlock valuable insights. Legislate’s team marries technical and legal expertise to create a painless, smart contracting experience for its users. Legislate is backed by Parkwalk Advisors, Perivoli Innovations and angel investors.