Tips for moving in...

YoungBaker

Hi there
Only a few weeks til I complete and get the keys to my first home now and am looking for any snippets of advice or info you have picked up from house moves that you would love to have known?

I am starting to look at paint/decoration etc. for the place but other than that haven't got much else organised and, hearing some horror stories from others on here, just looking any tips

Cheers

ermine

I am starting to look at paint/decoration etc.

Live there a little while before messing about with DIY, at least if money is short as it usually is on buying your first place. Get to know the neighbours, say hello at least. Make sure you have tea, coffee, beer, wine

Enjoy your space, If you can borrow tools and clobber from mates, do so. Freecycle/freegle are wonderful resources. Take digital photographs of the water, electricity and gas meters when you move in to avoid argy-bargy with the previous owners. Know where the main water stopcock and gas intake is and how to turn them off. Check what mcbs/fuses isolate what. Don't spend too much on DIY in the first three months till you know how much the house costs to run.

Have a housewarming party and invite some friends!

propertyman

I suggest you plan.

the bedroom is the first thing to have unloaded, make up the bed, drop of bathroom kit and then work backwards, as at the end of the day you dont want to have to find soap etc and to make up a bed.

if you are planning to redecorate etc consider just unloading and having the stuff stacked in the middle of the room so you dont have to move it there in two days time to paint.

when painting buy plastic sheeting on a roll, not the little bags of ready made 12 x 9 sheets as you can cut to fit protect the furniture etc and cover door ways to keep dust in one room.

shonzyd

Try and get flooring sorted before you actually move furniture in. Its far easier to do the measuring and fitting carpet without having to move furniture around into other rooms.

TTC40

Do a shop now for cleaning stuff & plenty of it! Houses often look clean until all the furniture is out!

Don't forget to buy brushes, mop etc.

Is it new or flooring already in? As already said, it's easier to do things in an empty house so get a carpet cleaner lined up before you move in.

martinsurrey

Are you a FTB currently in rented? How much time do you have between completion and the end of your tenancy?

If you’re doing work before you move in concentrate on getting 2 rooms finished (flooring and painting), a bedroom and a living room, that way if you run out of time, at least you can pile all your stuff in a few rooms and work in the others.

Take meter reading and photos of them on the day of completion, and email these to your solicitor on the day of completion (a bit OTT but the email to the solicitor gives you a definite date stamp in case of issues)

DONT do any major work as soon as you move in (unless needed to make the place liveable) You may think you want to move the kitchen around but until you’ve lived there and seen how the space works in a practical way, how the light works etc, you will make choices that you will regret later.

When budgeting and planning for work, add 30% to how much you think it will cost, and double the time it should take, things (nearly) always overrun.

cattie

I agree with not rushing into deciding on what to do regarding improving & decorating the place. I know a friend of mine always advised living in a place for 6 months before deciding what you really wanted to do, but it isn't something I'd ever chosen to do in the past myself, even though I've been a bit of a serial mover over the years.

However, I moved once again last August & fell seriously ill within just a few days of moving & ended up spending quite a long time in hospital. I'm only just now feeling up to getting the masses of work done that my rather outdated place needs & I find that I have changed my mind a few times over the past 3 months about what it is that I really want.

I now feel certain of the way I want things to be & having just had a new kitchen installed, am ready to make informed choices about getting the rest of the place done & happy that fate had forced me to give things proper thought this time round.

Make sure your boxes are properly labelled so you know exactly what is in them & if using removal men, get them to assemble your bed as they bring it in to the bedroom. Keep things such as kettle, tea, coffee etc in a separate box so they are close to hand & also keep toilet roll, kitchen towel & some bulbs close to hand too. Some people leave no toilet paper when they move out & some meanies even take the light bulbs too, so it's always best to be prepared.

Good luck in your new home and I hope that the move goes smoothly.

nakiwala123

This thread has all the information/advice that you will need. I plan on using it to conduct our own if our offer is accepted. Good luck with the move.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/36196317#Comment_36196317

murrayfan_2

Having moved about 14 times :eek:, I would say do any basic redecoration and new flooring that you can before moving furniture in.

As for moving day itself, be ultra organised with packing, write very clear labels on the boxes for yourself so that you can find things easily. And keep the kettle, oven trays, mugs, plates and cutlery in a handy place in the car so you can find them immediately .

Take meter readings asap, and organise your utilities a couple of weeks before moving. Put clean covers on your duvet and pillows the night before you move and if you can, stick them in the car too on moving day. You'll need a good night's sleep after moving!.

allybee101

Ooh congratulations! Just moved into my first home at the end of Feb.
I agree with what others have said. Unless there's anything major to be done, don't bother decorating till you've lived in there a few months and know how your furniture will look in there. My ideas have changed several times and I've only been in my place for 11 days!

I have wooden floors in my lounge and hall. They needed some serious TLC (pieces missing etc) so I had them sanded, repaired and sealed before I moved (much easier to do without the furniture in the way)! Other than that I've done nothing.

Again as has been recommended by others, have a box of kettle, mugs, tea coffee ( and loo roll!) etc you can unpack first. Get beds made up straight away - then you can collapse into them when you're done.
Good luck!

YoungBaker

Thanks everyone all some really good stuff I have noted down!

Don't get the keys til April 5th so 3 weeks and 4 days - cannot wait. In regards to decorating it's all cream walls and brandnew cream carpets so pretty straight forward and blank canvas for moving in.

Thanks!