Moving home can feel overwhelming. All you want to do is settle in and enjoy your new home, but there’s a ton of admin to do. To make it that bit easier, we’ve put together a moving home checklist.
Before you start, we recommend you check out our digital home move assistant, Tili. Tili helps you choose an energy, TV and broadband package, and notifies the council and water authority that you've moved. It can reduce hours of home move admin to just a few taps. Start your home move with Tili now.
If you’re buying a property
There are many different types of insurance available, including buildings insurance, life insurance, contents insurance and critical illness cover. What level of cover is right for you will depend on your circumstances. But it’s vital to have buildings insurance in place at the point of contract exchange. This is because you become liable for the property once you’ve exchanged, and any damage could cost you dearly.
It’s also important to update your address on your car insurance policy straight away. This is because having the wrong address on your policy could invalidate a claim.
If you’re renting a property
As a tenant, you’re not responsible for the structure of the property, so buildings insurance won’t be necessary. But you may want to cover your own belongings in case of theft, fire or a flood.
Tili is a digital home move assistant that makes moving simple. Register with Tili before you move in, so everything’s ready to go when you arrive. In just a few minutes you can organise your energy and broadband, choose home entertainment packages and inform the council and water authority you’re moving.
Whether you’re staying with your existing suppliers or not, you’ll need to tell them about the move. Give them your forwarding address and the expected date of your move. On your last day in your old property, take gas, electricity and (if applicable) water meter readings so you only get charged for what you’ve used. Submit these and you’ll receive a final bill to your new address shortly.
Remember to tell all your existing suppliers your new address, including:
To make sure all your mail comes to your new address, you may want to set up mail redirection. Even if you’ve changed your address with your regular suppliers, one or two are bound to slip through the net. Redirection requests should be made via Royal Mail. Redirection costs from £5.60 per month. When you set this up, you can specify your moving in date, so your mail will only start being redirected when you want it to. Redirection takes around a week to process, so don’t leave it until after you’ve moved.
If you drive, you’ll need to change the address on your driving licence, as well as on the paperwork for your car. Failing to do this could result in penalties. Start by visiting the Gov.uk website. And, as noted above, remember to update your car insurance with your new address too.
Congratulations – you have a new home! There are a few practical things to take care of as soon as you move in.
If you’ve already signed up with Tili, you’ll have your energy, broadband, TV, water and council tax all set up. But the below information should still be useful, to make sure you have everything covered.
Take gas and electricity meter readings straight away to ensure you only pay for what you’ve used. Keep these to hand when you sign up with your supplier, or if you’ve already got a supplier, submit them via your online account. If you have smart meters, readings shouldn’t be necessary. If you’re interested in getting a smart meter, let your energy company know.
If you don’t yet have a supplier, the existing supplier to the property will usually contact you to get you connected, but it’s wise to shop around.
Contact your local authority to set up your council tax payments. If you’re not sure who your council is, you can find out here. You may also find it useful to read our quick guide to council tax.
Your water is supplied by the local water company. If you’re not sure who this is, you can find your local water supplier here. Take a reading and get in touch with them. If you can’t find your water meter, let them know and they will help you. Some properties don’t have a water meter.
If you have a car, and you live in a residents’ parking zone, you can apply to your local council for a residents parking permit. You’ll need proof of address and vehicle ownership, and there will usually be a fee.
Don’t forget to tell your friends and family you’ve moved, or cards, invitations and important letters may get missed.
If you have a TV, or you watch programmes on BBC iPlayer, you’ll need a TV Licence. A TV Licence costs £150.50 a year, and can be paid in monthly instalments. If you had one at your old address, you’ll simply need to update your address on the TV Licensing website.
Being on the electoral roll allows you to register to vote in your local elections. It’s also important if you’re thinking of applying for credit, as your credit score will be impacted if you’re not registered. Your local council will be able to sign you up. It can take up to a month to get the records updated with your details.
Don’t leave it until you’re unwell to register with a doctor. The registration process can take around a week. Find a list of local GPs via the NHS website. Here you can also find a list of local dentists who are taking on NHS patients.
To help you get organised, we've created a printable home move checklist. Download the checklist here, and when you're ready to move, print it off and tick off each task as you complete it.
Don’t forget, the Tili Home Move Assistant can help you move home in just a few taps. It’s free, easy, and is available via desktop, mobile and tablet. Tili will tell the council and water authority that you’ve moved in, and can also help you set up your broadband, pick an energy plan to suit you and choose other home-related services.
