Moving home checklist

Moving home is up there with life’s most stressful moments. As with anything, it helps to be prepared for each part of the journey. We’ve put together a to-do-list to help make the move smooth as possible.

The first major step in any move – your offer is accepted! Getting the keys to your new place can feel like a long way away, but preparation is key. Here are the things we recommend doing at this stage.

Get the legal paperwork ready 

Everyone needs a solicitor when moving home. They’ll communicate with the relevant parties regularly and make sure everything progresses as it should. It doesn’t hurt to have a solicitor in place even before you have an offer accepted. They can do things like ID checks and other paperwork so you’re ready to hit the ground running when the time comes. 

Arrange a property survey

When buying a house, it’s a good idea to get a survey to check the property is in good condition. You can do this straight away to keep the ball rolling. 

There are three types of home survey, these are called Level 1, 2 and 3. The type of survey you need depends on the type of property you’re buying – how old it is, it’s size and condition are all taken into consideration. The cost of a survey is different for each level, starting at around £300 all the way up to £1000 ^{Footnote [1]}.

Some solicitors and estate agents may recommend a company or surveyor to carry out the survey. Or, you can do this yourself and find a RICS surveyor.

Why life insurance matters when applying for a mortgage

Complete your mortgage application as soon as possible. Some lenders are likely to ask you about life insurance. Having this sort of insurance in place would mean if you die during the term of your life insurance policy, you're covered – subject to policy terms and conditions. Your partner or loved ones could use the money to stay in your home when you’re gone, so they don’t need to move at an already difficult time. When you apply for our life insurance, you’ll receive 90 days of free house purchase cover. This begins from the date you apply and lasts until your policy starts, or for 90 days - whichever comes first

We’ve got more information about our mortgage life insurance here.

Take a look at home insurance

When it comes to insurance, there are a couple of other things to consider:

• whether your current home insurance covers your new home as well as your current property during the process 
• if your contents insurance covers you for any damages during removals.

If the property you’re moving into is a house, then it’s your responsibility to put buildings insurance in place. Leasehold flats work differently – usually the freeholder will have buildings insurance for the whole building. It’s always worth checking this though, which you can do through your solicitors.

Most mortgage providers require you to have buildings insurance in place to cover the cost of rebuilding your property. You’ll need this in place when you exchange contracts ^{Footnote [2]}. If you don’t have a mortgage, you’re not legally required to have buildings insurance - there’s no UK law that makes it compulsory - but it’s still strongly recommended to protect you from potentially high rebuild costs.

Our Aviva Signature home insurance combines buildings and contents insurance, so you only need to arrange your cover once.

Declutter and pack

Moving home can be a good opportunity to declutter and cut back on the number of things you need to pack. Donate, sell or recycle things you no longer need and start fresh in your new home. 

If you decide to use a removal service, it helps to get a few quotes to compare prices. Some provide packing materials, but these can come at an extra cost, so it’s best to check beforehand. Checking your contents insurance to see whether your items are insured in transit can help give you peace of mind, too.

Exchanging contracts is when you pay your seller the deposit and you’re legally bound to buying the property. You’ll set a completion date shortly afterwards. These are some of the things that you can do now to prepare.

Update your details 

You can start updating your essential providers – utilities, broadband, council tax and bank accounts - by letting them know your new address. Royal Mail offer a redirection service to your new address for 3, 6 or 12 months. This can help to reduce the risk of ID fraud ^{Footnote [3]}.

Make a list

Some people find it useful to create a detailed inventory, which is essentially a list of your belongings. You can start to pack your non-essential items now – things like spare bedding, towels, glassware. Labelling boxes clearly will help when it comes to directing them to the right rooms when you’re unloading. And don’t forget to pack fragile items securely.

Things are official now, so you need to finalise your moving plans. Here’s a list of things you should do at this point: 

• set a date with your removal company and double-check their insurance policies
• prepare your new property if able – test utilities, smoke alarms and boiler service if you haven’t already
• update your home insurance with your move date and new address so your cover switches to the new property
• pack your essentials – important documents, keys, chargers, cleaning supplies and all-important snacks to keep you going on the big day.

The property is finally yours. It’s advisable to take meter readings at both properties for your energy suppliers.

Oversee the move

Check your items off against your inventory during loading and unloading. It might help to keep a close eye on fragile or valuable items if using a removal company.

Check, check, check

Once all of your belongings are out of your old property, you might want to do a final walk through to check you have everything. Collect all your keys and check you've left everything in place as per the fixtures and fittings list you completed with your solicitor.

When you get to your new home, test any alarms, heating and water to check everything works as it should. Keep your essentials box handy – the last thing you’ll want to do is search through all your boxes to find a phone charger.

There are a few last things we recommend doing once you’ve had time to make a cup of tea and put your feet up:

• check your belongings for damages and report these to your removal company quickly if using one
• consider changing your locks for reassurance and peace of mind
• if you haven’t already, update your details with insurance providers, GP, dentist, and other services
• notify HMRC, DVLA, the electoral roll and any subscriptions with your new address

Finally, you can relax and enjoy your new home.