Moving home can often be a stressful time, from securing the house of your dreams to the reality of packing up your belongings, and remembering to update your new address. There are often things that slip through the net when you’ve settled into your new home and could be costly if forgotten about.
We’ve moved
Most of us remember to tell our utility providers when we move, but forget a host of other contacts, especially ones we deal with online or only occasionally. The most commonly forgotten are usually pension and insurance providers, National Insurance, HMRC, banks, employers, schools, doctors and other parts of the NHS, and any clubs you belong to.
Don’t pay for things you no longer need
If you’re moving away, you won’t want to pay for old parking permits, gym membership, and the like, so be sure to check cancellation terms and stop direct debits.
Don’t fill someone else’s fridge
The first time you do an online supermarket shop or Amazon order in your new home remember to change your default address. Otherwise, you may gift your buyers your weekly shop, new pair of trainers, or case of wine.
Be smart about smart appliances
If your new home has web-based security systems or app-controlled smart products, ask the previous owners to remove apps and log-ins. You don’t want their phones to control your central heating! If you’re the seller of a smart home, be sure to log out when you leave.
Change the locks
The sellers may be 100% trustworthy, but who else may have keys to your new home? A dog walker, gardener, cleaner, neighbour, or sundry relatives may also have a key long forgotten about, so it may be worth starting afresh with new locks.
If you’d like other practical tips on buying, selling or moving, our Residential Property team would be happy to help.