Three things to remember when moving house

Whether you’re buying your first home, transitioning to a new location or upgrading to your dream property, moving house is a stressful experience. Between solicitors and surveys, reaching this milestone can seem impossible at times, and there are many elements to juggle simultaneously along the way.

While there’s little you can do to make the process of purchasing a property any easier, making these essential arrangements in advance of your move means you’ll have everything you need in place when you walk through the door. This will help ensure a seamless transition into life in your new home, allowing you to focus on celebrating this exciting achievement.

1. Notify key organisations

Did you know that you can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t inform the DVLA of a change of address? And they’re not the only organisation that you need to contact. Your bank, employer and pension provider need to have accurate information, most importantly as they often send private letters containing personal data which you don’t want to fall into the wrong hands.

Other organisations you need to contact are more directly associated with the move. Inform your energy, water and internet providers, update your council tax information and register to vote at your new address. If you’ll need a TV licence at your new home, you must fill out an online form to avoid accidentally watching TV illegally.

2. Arrange home insurance

None of us like to think about things going wrong in the home, especially when we’ve just moved in! However, you never know when disaster might strike, so having a comprehensive home insurance policy in place from the start is a must to avoid being burdened with eye-wateringly expensive repairs. Additionally, most mortgage lenders insist that you have insurance in place when you exchange contracts – in other words, when you become the legal owner of the home.

It’s simple to update your home insurance policy with your new address if you have an existing policy in place, or you can create one online in minutes. Before you commit to an option, ensure it covers your property and your requirements appropriately. Remember to check if contents insurance is included.

3. Organise your move early

Life is busy, and it often feels that there’s never a spare moment in the day. However, carving out time to organise your move early will make the process much more straightforward and calmer when the time comes and will likely save you time in the long run!

Begin by decluttering your house room by room to save yourself the trouble of taking unwanted items with you. This will give you more space and make it easier to organise your belongings in your new abode. When you have a moving date, book professional removal services and start planning how you’re going to box up your possessions for effortless unpacking on the other side. Keep your essentials easily accessible so you can start using these as soon as you’ve moved in.