So, you’ve found your dream home, and now you’re eagerly awaiting the big day – moving day. We all know that moving home can be one of the most stressful things to go through in life. With everything that you need to do at this time, it’s easy for some things to slip your mind.
To help make sure you don’t get caught out at the last minute, property expert Thomas Goodman at MyJobQuote.co.uk has created this ultimate moving day guide, highlighting everything that you need to do and have before the big day. Follow this list when moving home to make sure everything goes smoothly, and you don’t come into any unexpected mishaps along the way.
What Do You Need to Check Before Moving Day?
Once you’ve got your moving day confirmed, there are a few things you need to do to prepare for the big day. Below is a list of things that you may need to do or think about before moving day comes around.
Make Sure the Moving Day Is Confirmed
The first thing you’ll need to do when moving house is make sure your moving date is officially confirmed by the conveyancers and house sellers.
If you are renting a property, you may be able to have some wiggle room and move into your new home over a few days. This makes things easier as you can get things into your new home and do any work, such as painting or cleaning, without experiencing the stress of moving all on the same day.
If you’re at the end of the chain, you could find that you have to wait a long time for all of the other transactions to go through. It’s a good idea to find out where you are on the chain and then plan accordingly in case things end up taking a bit longer than anticipated.
If Renting, Give Notice to the Landlord
If you are currently renting a property, you will need to inform your current landlord of the exact date that you’ll be moving out. You need to provide them with the very last date that you expect to be at the property. This will be the day when everything is finally out of your current property, and all cleaning and repairs have been completed.
Contact All of Your Utility Providers
It’s essential that you inform all of your current utility suppliers that you are planning on moving out and provide them with the date that you will be moving. Your electricity, gas, broadband, and phone providers will need to know when you are moving out.
Things such as your landline and internet providers will need to be informed as soon as possible if you are planning on moving them over to your new address. They need as much notice as possible so that they can book in and confirm getting everything moved over to your new address.
You may need to wait a bit to get your internet set up at your new property. Make sure you download anything important, such as directions, appliance instructions, and anything else you may need, until you get internet at your new address.
If you do have to wait for the internet to be activated at your new address and you’re in need of the internet, consider turning on the hotspot on your mobile phone so that you can connect to other devices and use the internet via your mobile data. This isn’t a long-term solution, but it’s definitely a good option if you need it.
Finally, you’ll need to take meter readings at your current address and pass these on to your suppliers. Take a picture of the meters with the date so that you have proof of the readings on the last day that you’re at the property.
Get Some Quotes For Removals
Moving everything from one property to another is one of the most difficult parts of moving. Hiring a removal company can help to take a lot of the stress out of moving everything over. When looking for removal companies, you need to think about what is practical for you and your budget.
If you don’t have a lot of things to move or if you’re on a low budget, it may be better to hire a van for the day and get some friends and family members to help you out with moving everything over to the new property. However, that can add to the stress of moving day, so you need to consider whether that’s the right option for you.
You can decide to pack everything yourself and just have the removal company move everything over for you. This can help you to save some money. Alternatively, you can take all of the stress out of moving everything by paying extra for the removal company to pack everything up for you and take care of all of the work of moving everything. Choose whichever option works for you and your budget.
Make Sure you Know Where All of the Important Things Are In the New Home.
It’s important that you’re aware of where everything is in your new property before you move in. This can help you down the line when something happens, and you need to locate something.
You should ask the sellers where the stopcock, thermostat, gas and electricity meters, and fuse boxes are. Also, ask the owners if they have instructions for any appliances that will be coming with the property, such as the oven or stove.
Make Sure Everything Is Packed
If you are packing everything up yourself, it’s important to ensure that all of the packing is done before the moving day arrives. There are a few packing rules that you should follow to make sure there is as little stress as possible.
When packing everything up, make sure all of the boxes are labelled properly. Provide a brief overview of what’s in the box and add a note of which room that box should be going into when it’s taken into your new property. This will prevent you from running around the new home trying to find things that you need.
Pay Your Owed Bills
When leaving your old property, you need to make sure you’ve settled all of the bills for that home. Make sure you’ve paid your electricity, water and council tax bills at the old home so they don’t come back and surprise you when you’re settled in your new place.
There are a few places you’ll need to inform when you’re moving to let them know your new address. Make sure to inform the following bodies when you move:
- Your work
- Your local council (electoral roll)
- You bank
- Insurance companies
- Your pension
- Credit card companies
- TV Licensing
- The DVLA
- Your doctors
- National insurance and DSS offices
- Your dentist
You can also contact the post office to set up post-redirection services. This requires at least five days’ notice. This will ensure that any post for you that is sent to your old address is redirected to your new address instead.
Also, don’t forget to change your address on any online retailers that you use. You don’t want to find yourself accidentally ordering a parcel to your old address.
Let Your Friends and Family Know Your Moving Date and New Address
It’s important that those close to you know that you’re moving. Be ready to send out a mass text message or email informing everyone of your moving date and your new address.
Although they may not need it right away, you don’t want someone to accidentally show up at your old address looking for you.
Create an Essentials Bag For Moving Day
There are some essentials that you will need to pack separately as a priority, ready for moving day. This will ensure that you can feel comfortable on your first night in your new home.
Make sure you pack the following items separately and have them on hand:
- Cleaning products
- Toilet roll
- Kettle, mugs, and coffee/tea/milk/sugar
- Phone chargers and any other chargers you may need
- Kitchen roll
- Bedding
- Food
What to Do When Moving Day Arrives
So, now that you’re fully prepared for the big day, all that’s left is to get moving. On moving day, there are some rules that you should follow to make things easier.
Firstly, it’s good practice to do a deep clean of the property before you start unpacking. That way, you can start completely fresh. Plus, it’s much easier to clean before everything is unpacked.
It’s best to unpack room by room. Start with the kitchen, as this is the most important room in the home. Once the kitchen is unpacked, you can then begin to unpack room by room according to your priorities.
Make sure all of the utilities are up and running. Turn on things like the mains fuse box and water and test everything to make sure it is all working. While it’s still daytime, check that the lights are working and that all of the lights have bulbs so that you don’t find yourself in the dark when night arrives.
Make sure you have the keys to all doors, windows and cupboards that have locks. Test out the keys to ensure they are all working and to make sure you’ve got the right ones.
Find out which days the bins are collected on your street so that you can be prepared.
When night arrives, it’s best to chill. It’s unlikely that you’ll get everything done in one day, and you don’t want to overwhelm yourself or put too much pressure on yourself. As long as you’ve moved in, you know where everything is, and the essentials are unpacked, you should be able to take the night off and continue over the following days. Take some time to chill at night, find a local takeaway, and enjoy yourself for a bit.
Final Thoughts
Moving home can be very stressful. However, if you’re prepared, you can ensure that the move goes smoothly and that you don’t come into any unexpected issues. When moving home, use this guide as a checklist to make sure you’ve not missed anything. This will help to ensure nothing is missed and that you can start enjoying your new property without any worries.
