New homeowner checklist

Spring is the most popular time of the year for house moves, and with the market being much more active around this time of year there can be a lot more choices for prospective buyers.

After you have found the perfect home and completed the purchase of your property, there is still a lot to be done, and a moving home checklist can be a big reassurance that nothing has been forgotten. The list of things to do for new homeowners can be long, but below we have listed some of the things we think are essential for anyone moving into a new property.

If you have not yet completed a purchase and are still in the buying stage of the process, see our purchase fact sheet for everything you need to know when buying your new house, and how we can help.

Book a moving van

Because Spring is the most popular time of the year to move house, it is important to inquire about the costs of a removal company as soon as possible, to make sure you aren’t left disappointed if there are none available on your move in date. While this is an important part of the process for most people moving house, you may be able to move just with the help of friends and family. It is worth assessing how much stuff you are moving and whether hiring a van is necessary. 

Pack everything into labelled boxes

While packing may seem like the most obvious part of the moving process, making sure to label all of your boxes will be something you will thank yourself for later. Labelling everything correctly will make the process of moving much easier on the day and will help whoever is assisting you in the move to make sure they are leaving your items in the correct place.

Remember the essentials

While it is important to have labelled all of the items you are moving correctly, some items are too essential and frequently used to be boxed up. Because the moving process may take multiple days, it is important to remember the essentials on your first trip. Things to remember include bedding, tea, coffee and a kettle, your laptop and charger and any important documents you need to keep safe.

Notify your change of address

One of the most essential aspects of a moving home checklist is your address change. It is important to contact the following people or organisations as soon as possible to make moving into your new property as seamless as it can be:

  • Doctor
  • Local council
  • Employer
  • Bank
  • DVLA
  • Post Office
  • Online retailers
  • Utilities
    • Electricity
    • Gas
    • Phone
    • Broadband

Appoint a Lasting Power of Attorney

While it might not be the first thing on your mind when you have just purchased your new home, appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney is important at any stage of life, made even more of a priority after purchasing a home. 

Having an LPA in place can really offer you peace of mind when moving to a new home.

 Unfortunately, we can’t anticipate if and when something will happen in our lifetime, and owning a home makes our financial affairs even more important to have covered. Appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney for property and financial affairs will allow you to designate someone to make decisions about your finances, taxes, and property if you lose the capacity to do so. 

How can we help?

Remember, everyone’s moving checklist will be different, but above we have listed some of the more important things to remember that will be relevant to most people.

If you need help with appointing a Lasting Power of Attorney, purchasing a home, or any of our other services, get in touch with one of our specialists by filling out a contact form or by calling 0330 016 7847.