You’ve found your dream home, exchanged contracts and sorted your mortgage. Now all that’s left to do is move in. That’s the straightforward part, right? There are actually lots of things you might not have considered that you need to do – from finding where the fuse box is in your new home to letting your broadband supplier know that you’re moving.
Read our home-moving checklist so you’re all set for the big day
This article at a glance
- Let important companies know you’re moving
- Take note of gas and electric readings
- Make sure all your household day-to-day needs covered
- Sorting your car insurance and breakdown cover
- Last minute home-moving checklist tasks
1. Let important companies know you’re moving
Even if you use the Post Office’s mail redirection service, it’s still a good idea to inform important companies, such as banks and utility companies directly.
Make a list of all the companies and other organisations you need to tell about your move, including their contact details and when you’d need to do it by.
Companies will include:
- Phone company – mobile and landline
- All utility companies – water, gas, electric
- Banks
- Council tax
- Update your details on the electoral roll
- Your work and any related pensions companies
- Student loans company
- Your child / children’s schools
- Update your driver’s license when you’ve moved
2. Take meter readings
Take gas and electricity meter readings at the property you are leaving the day of the move, and let your old energy supplier know what these are as soon as you can.
Let your energy provider know in advance that you are moving and ask to close your account. You’ll need to do this at least 48 hours before your move takes place. Give your supplier your new address, so that they’re able to send you your final bill. If you’re on a fixed tariff which charges a termination fee if you leave it early, check if you’re able to take this deal to your new property and if they’ll let you off the fee if you can.
3. Household day-to-day needs to sort
Make sure you’ve considered:
Cable/ Satellite – you need to let them know your change of address for billing purposes and so they can update your contact information. It’s also worth checking whether your new home will need a new satellite dish or cable to be installed before you update this information.
Phone – for landlines, you’ll need to inform the phone company that you are changing address as you’ll receive a new phone number for the home that you move to. For your mobile update your address so that they can send the bill to the correct location and you can do that by contacting your provider over the phone or visiting one of their stores.
Broadband – it’ll probably make sense to cancel your broadband subscription as you’ll most likely be able to get a better deal when you move to your new home – there’s usually plenty of great deals out there
for new customers
TV Licence – be warned that your TV licence won’t be valid when you move to a new property so you have to change this information on the TV Licensing website.
4. Sort your car insurance and breakdown cover
You’ll need to inform your car insurance provider about your change of address. Prices can go up and down when you move – depending on the area you’re moving to, and whether there are fewer or more claims from that postcode. You can usually change your information online.
Change your information for breakdown coverage on your provider’s website.
This is particularly important for providers who charge different rates based on area and for knowing where they may need to take you to in the event of a breakdown.
It might be a good time to shop around for both car insurance and breakdown cover, to see if you can get a better deal. Finance savvy customers tend to do this every so often as a matter of routine.
5. Your last minute home-moving checklist tasks
Around 2 weeks before moving you should:
Pack up your non-essential items
De-register from your doctors if you’re moving out of the area
Arrange for your post to be re-directed
Organise for someone to have your children and / or pets on moving day
Send out change of address cards / e-cards to friends and family
Arrange what time you’ll collect the keys for your new home from the estate agent
Set up any new standing orders or direct debits that you need sorting for your new place
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