Moving home is a major life event – it’s exciting, stressful and brings up all sorts of emotions. You’re starting again in a new home, perhaps with new people or in a different place. Having worked as estate agents for nearly 30 years, we’ve helped hundreds of people move home. To help make things easier, here’s our guide to our top tips on jobs to do when you move into your new home…

1. Consider your finances

You have probably done this before even moving house, but when you move in it’s worth re-visiting. List not just your new monthly mortgage repayments, but also your monthly essential costs such as gas, electricity, water, council tax, insurance policies, pensions, broadband, loan repayments, child care, car expenses, food and more – everything that you absolutely have to cover each month.

Then take a look at what’s left for treats and fun like meals out, clothes and holidays. It’s much better to plan your budget up front and know what you’re working to in order to avoid financial stress.

2. Organise insurance

If you’ve not already got your buildings insurance organised – many mortgage lenders require this to be in place from the exchange date – then it’s vital that you get this confirmed. 

Buildings insurance covers the fixed essentials of your new home – bricks, mortar, doors, windows, kitchens and so on. But you also must have contents insurance, which covers all of the other items that you own that aren’t permanently fixed in your property. You can choose simply to update your existing policy by changing your address, or you may prefer to compare the options, but it’s important to get this in place.

3. Read your new meters!

Be on the ball with this so you don’t end up paying for the previous owners’ gas, electric and water usage! As soon as you move in, check the readings, take photos of them and contact the suppliers to update them on the change of ownership.

There will be separate meters for gas and electricity and there are various different types of meters – ranging from the latest smart meters, which let you know how much energy you’re using in real time, to prepay meters that you top up manually.

Energy meters are normally located in places like under the stairs, in a cupboard in the kitchen or in a box outside the house. To read gas and electricity meters you’ll need to note down the kWh numbers shown on the screen and then give the current suppliers the reading when you move in. 

Smart meters are the latest technology and with all UK households expected to have been offered a smart meter by the end of this year, you may well buy a home with one of these. The key benefit of these is that the meter automatically sends readings to your energy supplier – which means your bills should be more accurate and you don’t need to submit readings. You can use the display that comes with your smart meter to check your energy usage in real time, which can be handy in terms of monitoring and reducing your energy consumption. If your new home has a smart meter you just need to let the supplier know you’re the new owner – they will continue to automatically get the readings.

If you have a prepayment meter in your new home then you should be able to see how much credit you have on the screen. If you prefer not to have a prepayment meter then contact your supplier to discuss the options.

And don’t forget water! Most water meters will be found outside your home – often under a metal or plastic cover in your garden or driveway. The meter here is known as an odometer – you’ll need to write down all of the numbers you see here and let your water provider know the reading and that you’re the new owner. If you don’t have a water meter it could be a good option to help you save money and ensure you just pay for what you use.

4. Check your home’s vitals

Things like your central electricity box or fuse box and your main water valve are vital – in terms of safety and convenience. When you move into your new home check and know the location of them – that way if there’s an emergency, a leak or the electricity trips you can react quickly. The fuse box is usually located under the stairs or in a utility room, while the water valve is usually under the kitchen sink or in an airing cupboard if you have one.

5. Do an in-depth check

Once you’ve bought your new home, make sure you go round the whole house and check everything – from plug sockets and light switches to windows and doors. Look for anything that might be faulty or you weren’t expecting to see in the house, for example leftover belongings or broken locks, and note things down that you need to get fixed. You might also find things like instruction manuals or warranties for white goods, which you should keep in a safe place, and even spare tiles or paint if you need to tidy any areas up.

6. Change the locks

When you buy a new home you have no way of knowing who has had keys – and who still may have keys, so changing door locks is a good security investment. You should also check window locks and replace them if they’re broken or missing a key.

7. Introduce yourself

It’s always good to get to know your neighbours. Go and introduce yourself and it will help you to start getting integrated into your new local community. Neighbours are also a great source of information on what’s happening in the neighbourhood and local towns/villages, so pop round to say hello.

8. What day is bin day?

Moving home creates a lot of rubbish – empty boxes, unwanted items, take away meals and more! Make sure you’ve noted your first bin day – you can visit the website of your local council to check on the waste and recycling collections.

9. Communicate your change of address

This is one of the bigger jobs, but it’s important. There are various people and companies that you should contact to update your address details, including – 

• Friends/family
• Banks
• Credit card companies
• Insurance providers
• Your workplace
• Pension providers
• Medical care providers – doctor, dentist, physio etc.
• DVLA to update your driving licence
• HMRC for tax, national insurance, child benefit and more
• The electoral roll
• Your local council
• TV licensing
• Broadband provider

10. Consider your energy & broadband providers

These days it’s easier than ever to switch energy and broadband providers and moving home is the perfect time to reassess your options and ensure you’re on the best deal. 

You’re under no obligation to stay with the existing energy supplier and there shouldn’t be any exit fees – when you move in you’re automatically placed on a deemed contract, meaning you can switch providers from the day you become responsible for the property. You can compare the latest energy deals on a site such as Uswitch, and the new supplier will take care of everything for you. 

Similarly, whether you prefer to keep your broadband with your current provider and avoid a termination fee or switch to an alternative – prices are often cheaper for new customers – don’t forget to sort your broadband so you can easily stay connected. 

If you’d like to discuss your next home move, please give us a call or arrange a time to come in and meet with us – we’re always happy to help.