Your moving day has arrived. After several months of carrying out viewings, negotiating on price, communicating with the rest of the property chain and much more – it’s finally time to start a new chapter in your life.
For some people, moving day can be an exciting moment: the chance to leave a house that you don’t like, and move into one that you do. On the other hand, it might be a sad day, signifying the end of a chapter, and saying goodbye to lots of happy memories.
No matter how you feel about moving house, it is important that you know all the things that are required of you on this day. Some of them might seem trivial and unimportant, but preparation is always the key ingredient to a day like this going smoothly.
So, keep reading our blog for a checklist of everything you should do on moving day.
Declutter your house in the build-up to moving
In the weeks and months before moving day, your life will be made much easier if you declutter your house.
The fewer belongings that you take to your new place, the more room and storage space you will have. This can allow you and your family to ‘reinvent yourself’ in the new property. It is also gives you breathing space, in case of any changes in circumstances.
Decluttering will save you the time and effort of unpacking items that you don’t need or want, once you arrive at your new house.
Make sure that nothing is left behind
When the removal company arrives (which you should’ve booked in the weeks leading up to your moving day), they will take care of moving all your major belongings into a truck, and transporting it to your new location.
However, there may be smaller items left behind in the ‘nooks and crannies’ of your house that are easily forgotten. For example, you may have a football hidden away in a hedge, or one or two small items in the far corners of the loft.
If you have hired an effective removal company, they should take care of all of these things for you. But it is always worth double-checking, just to be sure.
It is generally recommended that you create an inventory when moving house, so you have a comprehensive list of everything that is being taken to your new place. This means that, if anything is left behind or lost-in-transit, you are far more likely to notice it, and can rectify the situation.
Ask the previous owners of your new home any last-minute questions
In the hustle and bustle of selling a house, and buying a new one, there might be a few details that you have forgotten to ask about. Moving day is your last chance to ask the sellers of your new home any questions. Some common examples include:
- Where are the gas and electricity meters?
- Do any surfaces need special cleaning products, such as wooden floors?
- What day are the bins collected?
- Do you have any instruction manuals or warranties on electrical items?
- Where did the kitchen and bathroom tiles come from?
- Which company supplies the energy, broadband and home phone?
- Where is the thermostat?
These may not seem like the most pressing questions on moving day, but in the months and years ahead, you will thank yourself for making a note of these small (but important) things.
Record meter readings for your utility suppliers
It is recommended that you record meter readings, for your utility suppliers, before moving house. This includes electricity, gas and water.
Meter readings will be used to calculate your utility bills – so, by taking readings before you move out, it guarantees that you will be charged accurately for only the utilities that you consumed while living there (rather than being charged too much).
Taking your meter readings will also help to avoid disputes with the utility providers.
Furthermore, in some areas, you are legally required to provide accurate meter readings when moving out. To avoid any unwanted fines or complications, it is best that you adhere to this.
Change your address
Ideally, this is a task that you will complete in the days or weeks leading up to moving day. There are several companies that you need to inform about your change of address. A few key examples include:
- Employer, Inland Revenue and National Insurance
- The Council, the Electoral Roll and DWP
- Friends and Family, Gyms, and Magazines
- Broadband, TV and Landlines
- DVLA and Car Insurance
- Dentist and Doctors
- Home Insurance, Health Insurance, and Contents Insurance
- Gardeners, Solicitors, Cleaners and Accountants
- Utilities
You don’t want to miss out on any important information, or for the new house owners to keep receiving mail that doesn’t belong to them. Changing your details with all of these organisations is important for this reason.
Cancel Council Tax
In the month before you move to a new place, you should contact your council and let them know that you are moving house. You should give them clear information about where you are moving from, as well as where you are moving to.
In most cases, you will receive your final council tax bill within one month of your moving date. You can also apply for a ‘tax refund’ if you are in credit on your tax account.
Use Royal Mail’s redirection service
In the UK, you can redirect your post using the Royal Mail’s redirection service. At a small fee, you can make sure that all post is sent to your new address. However, this usually takes around five days to come into effect – so it is recommended that you do this in the week leading up to your moving day.
As an additional aside, if you’re changing your number, you can arrange for your phone company to automatically inform callers of your new number for a few weeks after the switchover date.
Take photos of your new house when you arrive
Many property experts recommend that you take pictures of your new property, with empty rooms, once you arrive on moving day. This can be useful in the future, if you ever need to provide evidence of the condition of the house when you first moved in (for example, for insurance purposes).
Keep unpacking to a minimum
Once you arrive at your new house, it can be tempting to quickly unpack everything and ‘crack on’ with things. However, the easiest time to clean your new house (if it needs it) is when there is nothing yet in it – so ideally, you should get this sorted in the first few days, before everything comes out of the boxes. In the meantime, you should just try to unpack the essentials.
When you do start to unpack at a greater rate, it is recommended that you do it one room at a time. This can save you time and energy that would be involved with running around the entirety of the house. Instead, by concentrating your efforts on one room at a time, it will be a much more efficient process.
Keep food handy on moving day
When moving day arrives, you are likely to be very busy. Organising moving all your belongings and making sure that nothing slips through the net uses up a lot of time and brain power.
If you have young children, keeping food handy that they can nibble on is a good idea – you might not have time to stop at a place for food. Buying ready meals, crisps or any other snacks the night before is a good idea, as your children (and you!) can use these to keep themselves going throughout the day.
Think about your pets
If you own pets, such as a dog or cat, then you should consider them on moving day, too. They may become restless when surrounded by lots of new people, or a distraction from all the tasks that you need to complete. Finding a pet sitter for the day may be worth considering, or otherwise asking a friend or relative to take them for regular walks and keep them preoccupied and happy.
Consider your environmental impact
Amidst all the commotion of moving home, it is still worth considering your impact on the environment – especially if this is a cause that is important to you. We Buy Any Home has written an article all about the impact of moving home on the environment. Click on the link to read it.
Sell your house to We Buy Any Home
We Buy Any Home is proud to be one of the UK’s largest and most trusted cash house buyers. People across the UK get in touch with us everyday to sell their house fast.
You can contact us to sell your property for an up-front cash payment, with the deal being completed (and funds in your account) within 10 days of your initial enquiry. This enables you to move onto the next chapter in your life, without worrying about being part of a chain.
Contact us today for a free, no-obligation valuation of your house.
