5 Things Everyone Should do Before and After Moving into their First Home

*Collaborative Post

Buying and moving into a first home is an exciting moment for most people. But, once the excitement settles in, you will need to take care of business. You first have to have to make sure that everything is OK on the legal side and take the steps necessary to ensure your security and that of the house’s inhabitants. There may also be some professionals or services you’ll need to contact that you weren’t aware of. Let’s take a look at some of the things everyone should do when moving into their first home.

Check the Paperwork

All the legal work and contracts exchanged will be done before you move into your property. Do not rush this process. You can contact an experienced property lawyer or conveyancing expert. A trusted conveyancing service will make sure that everything is in order and will give you advice in case there are any issues.

Change all the Locks

Have the locks on your property changed as soon as possible. This isn’t something that you need to do immediately when you move in, but the sooner you do it, the better it will be. You never know what the previous owners’ intentions are or how they will dispose of their old keys. Changing the locks will give you some peace of mind and really feel like this is your home.

Change Your Address and Redirect Your Mail

You then need to contact your bank, credit card companies, and your insurers and let them know that you changed addresses. It’s also very important that you update your address on your car logbook and driver’s licence or you could get a £1000 fine from the DVLA. In addition to that, we suggest that you have your mail redirected before your move, so you don’t fall victim to identity theft.

Record Your Final Meter Settings

A lot of people forget or overlook that part, but you must record the readings on your electricity, gas, and water meters before you move. You can either mark them down on a piece of paper or take a picture. Taking a picture will be even better since it will have a time signature.

You need to do this as you may end up having to pay for the new tenant’s usage, so do not take this part lightly.

Start Looking for Important House Components

You need to know where the house’s most important components and controls are in case something goes wrong. You should know where things like the stopcock, boiler, and fuse box are. You should also get instructions on how to use them and other major appliances around the house.

Get information about the electricity and gas meters and get details on the thermostat too. And make sure that you get the contact information for a good plumber and electrician right now in case of an emergency.

These are all things that will help you get settled into your new home quicker and feel comfortable as soon as possible. This will also avoid you from getting into legal trouble or issues with your previous and current suppliers.

*This is a collaborative post. For further information please refer to my disclosure page.

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