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Moving into your new home

Once you’ve found a house in the private sector and you’re ready to move in, there are a few crucial steps you should take before you can truly relax.

  • Complete your inventory

    This document is used to record the state of everything in the property (from the walls in each individual room to the sofa cushions to the shower curtain). Existing damage should be noted on the inventory; if it isn’t the charge for it could be deducted from your deposit when you leave.

  • Take meter readings

    You should be told where your gas, electricity and water meters are when you sign your contract or move in; if you haven’t, give your agent or landlord a ring.

  • Order your internet

    Depending on who you go with, broadband can take as long as three weeks to arrive and be installed, so you want to minimise the amount of time you spend waiting for Internet. Plan in advance and book an installation date for the day the first person moves in, or maybe the day after.

  • Organise your bills

    Many contracts have a clause that says you are not allowed to change your bills provider without permission, so make sure you check for this first if you want to shop around for the best prices on bills. Once you know you have permission to switch, it’s easy to change providers – they do all the work for you.

  • Figure out if you need a TV license

    This is probably an awkward thing to do when you first move in, but before you start celebrating the new academic year, try to find time to sit down together and have a meeting with all your housemates in one room. In that meeting you can discuss all the above things, and make sure that everybody knows what’s expected around keeping the house clean, putting out the rubbish, emptying the dishwasher, and safety and security.