Key takeaways
Make sure your home is safe and secure by changing locks, testing smoke alarms and checking that you have building and contents insurance
Set up utilities and take meter readings so you’re not paying any unnecessary extra costs for gas, water, or electricity
Get settled into the new area by saying hello to your neighbours and familiarising yourself with local services
Update relevant contacts with your new address
Start unpacking your essentials before letting the house-warming celebrations begin!
When you first move into your home, it’s tempting to want to get settled in straight away.
But before you unpack, there are a few things you should do to help keep you safe, protect your property, and get your new homeownership journey off to a smooth start.
You want to be able to relax in your new home. There’s no way of knowing how many keys were printed or who the previous owners gave keys to, so getting the locks changed is an important first step to give you peace of mind that your property is safe and secure.
Meters and fuse boxes are usually found under the stairs, in a utility room or in the front porch. Knowing where your fuse box is and how to work it is extremely useful – you’ll need to use it if you ever need to restore power quickly, or for any electrical work during your next DIY project. It’ll also allow you to quickly turn the power on or off in an emergency.
Your stopcock (water valve) will usually be under the kitchen sink or in the airing cupboard. This is important to locate in case you need to shut the water off quickly for any reason.
Now that you’ve located the meters, you’ll want to check your meter readings. You may want to change your gas and electricity supplier, however it's important to submit meter readings to the current supplier so you don’t end up paying for the previous owner’s usage.
There will be separate meters for gas and electricity. Jot these readings down and send them to your gas and electricity supplier, along with a quick notice to let them know you’ve moved in. If you're unsure of who your supplier is, you can check here.
Meters are usually found in a box outside your home, in kitchen cupboards or under the stairs.
You may have already set these up before your move, so your broadband and TV are ready to use as soon as you move in. Although don’t worry if not – these are usually easy to set up and can be sorted after you move in.
Broadband providers usually offer lower prices and deals for new customers, so it’s worth considering switching and comparing providers to see which offers the best deal in your area
You may want to stay with the broadband and TV provider from your previous home. If this is the case and your contract is still ongoing, most providers will allow you to transfer it to your new home.
To help budget for utilities costs, you can view our average ongoing costs estimates below.
These are essential to keep you and your family safe in case of emergency – so it’s important to test these are functioning. You can view how to safely test each of these here.
You may also want to set up a reminder to regularly check both are working – it’s recommended to check them at least once a month.
Now that you’ve moved, it's time to let a few important contacts know about your change of address. You might want to list down the following contacts and check each one off as you update them with your new address:
You’ll likely have already sorted buildings insurance, as mortgage lenders require you to have it in place before exchange.
However, you might still want to check it's sorted. This covers the physical structures of your home such as the bricks, windows, as well as the bathrooms and kitchen of your property in case of damage.
Contents insurance covers everything that’s not fixed in your home – your belongings. If you already have contents insurance and want to remain with your existing provider, you can simply update them with your new address. However, it could be worth comparing new providers to see if you can get a better deal for your new home.
If you’ve moved to a new area, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with local services that you’ll likely need day-to-day.
Check your bin day
Get to know the nearest shops and emergency services
Find out any parking rules
Saying a quick hello to the neighbours can help you settle into your new community – if you’ve moved to a new area, they might be the first friendly face you meet and may even offer some valuable local wisdom to help you feel at home.
Before unpacking, you’ll want to do a quick search of the property to double check for any belongings that might have accidentally been left behind by the previous tenants.
This is also a good time to check everything in the property matches what was agreed – such as all fixtures and fittings. Any unwanted surprises will be a lot easier to identify when the space is clear, before you have unpacked your belongings.
Unpacking everything might feel a bit overwhelming – so don’t try to tackle it all at once. Start by unpacking your essentials box. This might include:
Anything to make you feel comfortable for the first evening in your new home.
Now you’ve sorted all the move-in admin, it’s time for the fun part of settling in and making the place feel like home. Let the house-warming celebrations begin!
The previous owner may leave this information with you, but if not, you can use your postcode and meter details to identify the current suppliers.
Buildings insurance is usually required from exchange of contracts, while contents insurance should be arranged before you move your belongings into the property.
Start contacting utility providers as soon as you complete your purchase. You’ll need to provide meter readings and your move-in date, so bills are correctly assigned.
Most moving experts recommend unpacking the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen items first, so you can live comfortably whilst unpacking the rest.