It's easy to feel stressed when you're moving home. The legal process is arcane and intimidating; you'll need to deal with the ever-looming prospect that the deal will fall through, and the financial pressure can be immense.
In this kind of situation, it can be easy to overlook a few essential details. Let's take a look at four of the most important of these.
Notify people about the move
To begin with, you'll want to let people know that you intend to move. Your friends and family will need to know where to send birthday and Christmas cards. But arguably just as important are bodies like your local council, the DVLA, and any services to which you might be subscribed. The easiest way to do this is to first divert your mail and then create a checklist of services that need to be notified.
Sort providers
Your new house will need to be connected to essential services, ideally from day one. Read the meters in the old house, and provide your suppliers with the figures. This will prevent you from being overcharged for gas, electricity, and water that you didn't use.
Make sure that you've contacted any new providers well in advance. Be aware also that you might need to pay an exit fee to break out of a contract when switching.
Certain services aren't technically straightforward to connect. Switching broadband may be required if your current provider doesn't operate in your new area. You might need to get new cables installed, new routers delivered, and the necessary setup performed on the provider's end. Anticipate this hassle and make the necessary arrangements well in advance.
Arrange a removal van
Whether you intend to hire a professional removal company or simply hire a van and do the moving yourself, you'll need to make the necessary arrangements so that the vehicle (and possibly the removal people) are available on the day of your move. If the parking situation around you is less than ideal, you'll also want to think about how close you can get the van to your property and how long it will take you to get it loaded.
Check insurance details
A removal company will often come with its own insurance, so that you're covered against losses suffered while your stuff is in transit. But it's worth making sure that this is the case. It might be that the terms of the insurance are limited, such that you'll only be covered if you pack certain items in a certain way. On the other hand, if you're going to be transporting everything yourself, you'll need to either accept the risk and take appropriate precautions or invest in your own insurance.
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