Buying a new home is an exciting time and once everything is arranged, the final thing to do is to prepare your move. Depending on how much you need to move this can be a big job, and in our guide to moving home we cover all the essentials you need to know.
Pick a moving date
Try to avoid peak periods such as Bank Holidays, end of school terms or Fridays for your moving date. Once you’ve picked a date, confirm it with your conveyancers and house sellers to ensure everything aligns. If you’re renting, you may be able to stagger the moving out process over a number of days, which enables you to prepare your new home for your arrival.
Giving notice to your previous Landlord (if renting)
Renters should check their tenancy agreement to confirm how much notice they need to give to their landlord. Let the landlord know in writing and ask them to confirm they have received it.
Make a list of utility providers to inform
You’ll have to tell your utility providers about the move too, including gas, electricity, phone, TV Licensing, water and broadband companies. Let them know when you are leaving and provide your new address and date you will commence living there from. Do this as early as possible as it can take some suppliers a number of weeks to set things up.
Internet connections tend to take the longest, so if you don’t have internet when you move in, perhaps use your mobile as a hotspot as a short-term solution. Your electricity and gas suppliers will want a final meter reading on the day that you leave (a photo is a good idea for proof) and will also want a meter reading from the meters at your new home on the day that you move in.
Contact the local authority in the area you are moving to so your council tax payments can be set up and do the same for the area you are leaving. Also tell your bank and insurance providers, along with pension and credit card companies.
Informing health services
Don’t forget to get in touch with the doctor and dental surgery to let them know you are moving. You should still be able to remain on their registers as you no longer need to live in the local area to receive treatment. Also contact opticians and vets if needed.
Redirecting your mail
There will still likely be the odd letter that finds its way to your old address once you have moved, be it from utility providers, company mailing lists or even from distant family or friends on Christmas and birthdays. Consider setting up mail redirection through the Post Office for a few months so you don’t miss anything important, which can be done for a small fee.
When to start packing
It’s a good idea to be ahead of schedule when it comes to packing as life doesn’t always go to plan and the last thing you want is a manic final week frantically getting everything ready for the move. Start packing things around 4 weeks before the move date, separating the things you want to dump or give away to charity shop.
Firstly, pack away items that will not used before you move, leaving the essentials to last. Label every box with its contents so you know where to place each one after you arrive in your new home after the move. It’s helpful to create an inventory of everything you are packing so you can give this to the removal company.
Ask the estate agent you are buying from to get in touch the sellers of your new home to ask where things like gas and electricity meters are located, along with appliance instructions, thermostats, fuse boxes and the like. You should also do the same for others if you are selling up your own home.
Arrange a removal company
Get a quote from three removal companies and compare the cost and features of the service against hiring a van and doing it yourself. If you do use a removal company, try to make sure they are members of the National Guild of Removers and Storers who provide some regulation for removal companies.
Check if the company offers packing materials and insurance and review your own insurance and the removal company’s contract to see what happens if items are damaged in the move.
Prepare your property for the new owner
You will want to move into a new home that is clean and tidy, so you should ensure you leave your current house in a similar condition for the new owners.
Get rid of any junk or litter that is lying around and give the floor in each room a good sweep and mop. Wipe down the kitchen and bathroom and clean off marks on doors and walls, while also fixing any other cosmetic issues such as chips or holes.
Gather all the keys needed for house, check the utilities are working well and leave behind any leftovers such as spare bulbs, flooring or paint that could be useful for the new owners.
