Moving into your own home for the first time often brings a mixture of delight, stress, excitement and overwhelm.
There’s so much to think about and do.
To prove it, here’s an A to Z checklist of some of the basics everyone who is about to move into their first home will need to think about:
A is for change of address – it’s vital to ensure you notify official bodies of your new address. Don’t forget to update things like your driving licence. A short term forward on any mail can help.
B is for broadband provider – few of us can live without decent broadband nowadays, so ensure you have this all set in advance.
C is for council tax – you’ll need to be registered to pay this and remember that if you are living alone you may be eligible for a 25% discount.
D is for decoration – the fun bit! Most people can’t wait to put their own stamp on their new home. Even if you’re in a furnished rental where you are prevented from painting the walls and much of the furniture and fittings are included, you can still add colour and your own touches with throws, cushions and accessories.
E is for electricity meter – check out what type of electricity meter you have and know where it is. Likewise get familiar with the location of operation of the thermostat that controls your heating.
F is for fuse box – the fuse box or fuse board is a collection of switches that can cut the electric supply to parts of your home. They are often located in a utility room, garage or hallway. If your lights go off suddenly or sockets in part of the house stop working, you may need to slip a switch in the fuse box.
G is for garden – if you have a garden it can be a pleasure and a chore. Ensure you have basic equipment to keep it in order. Even if you only have a small amount of outdoor space or a balcony, you can grow things and make it into somewhere pleasant to be.
H is for home insurance – If you’re buying your first home, buildings cover home insurance is something that your mortgage provider is likely to insist on. Whether buying or renting you may also want to consider contents insurance to cover your belongings should there be a disaster (like a flood or fire) or a break in.
I is for other insurance policies – you may wish to consider separate cover for things like your boiler to ensure you can get it fixed quickly if anything goes wrong.
J is for joining local newsite and Facebook groups – this is a great way to get to know a bit about what is going on in your new neighbourhood and familiarising yourself with it.
K is for keys – as soon as you have them, it’s a wise idea to give a spare set to someone you trust who lives locally.
L is for look from the roadside to ensure your new house number is easily visible – delivery drivers and, even more importantly, emergency services often struggle to find the house they’re looking for.
M is for mortgages – A mortgage is a long term loan you take out in order to be able to buy a home. There’s a lot to know, understand and compare when looking for an appropriate deal for you.
N is for neighbours – getting to know your new neighbours can be a lovely plus of a new home. Building a good relationship with them and ensuring you’re courteous towards them (in regard to noise, for example) is definitely in your interests.
O is for an orderly move – your move will be so much easier if you’ve carefully labelled boxes with what’s inside and which room they are destined for.
P is for preparation for moving day – getting organised with plenty of boxes and people to help will make everything run much more smoothly. When moving day arrives, everyone ends up dying for a cuppa so ensure the kettle, tea, coffee and sugar are easily accessible.
Q if for questions for the estate agent or previous owner – many of the things on this list will be easier to get a handle on if you’ve thought to ask the estate agent or previous owner about them before you move in.
R is for recycling and refuse collection – you’ll need to find out what day the bin lorries come round to your new neighbourhood.
S is for stopcock – this is the control valve for the mains water in your house and knowing where it is will allow you to switch off the water fast if you have a burst pipe or broken tap.
T if for TV licence – if it is your intention to watch or record live TV, BBC programmes or to use iPlayer you’ll need a TV licence to do so lawfully and could be fined if you don’t have one. Even if you’re not going to do those things, you’ll need to make a declaration to that effect.
U is for utilities – ensuring all your providers are in place for gas, electricity and other essentials. If you’re renting you may have little control over the provider you use, but if it is something you can change, shopping around can save you lots of money.
V is for voting – ensure you are registered to vote at your new address.
W is for water – this is yet another bill you’ll have to pay if you own your own home (and either directly or indirectly if you’re renting). You can find out the supplier of water for your address via this tool.
X is for extra cash – you may well be able to use your new home to help generate you some extra money by renting out a spare room or your driveway as a parking place for commuters.
Y is for you – moving and preparing to move is stressful. Try not to expect it all to go perfectly or to expect yourself to remember everything. When things go wrong, as they will and do for everyone, be kind to yourself.
Z is for zzzzz – you’ll be pretty exhausted once you eventually move in and there will likely still be a million items on your ‘to do’ list so ensure your bedroom is the first room to get set up with the basics to allow you to rest. That can mean a made up mattress on the floor for now and a decent set of curtains at the windows. The rest can come later!