What to Consider When Moving Home
Buying and moving into a new home is exciting, but it can be stressful if you don’t plan. To stay organised, you must consider finances, location, utilities, and packing up before the big day arrives.
Below, we’ll outline the key areas to think about when preparing to relocate to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.
Budgeting and Costs of Moving
The average cost of moving house in 2024 was reported to be £10,500, but it can be significantly higher in pricey cities like London and Brighton. Aside from the deposit, the stamp duty, conveyancing costs, and moving-in day payments can quickly add up and catch you off guard.
If you’re already a property owner, you can use the equity in your home to cover the 5% to 20% deposit. Remember that there are set-up fees for your mortgage, which you can either pay upfront or add to the mortgage. If you take the latter option, you must pay interest charges on the fees.
Stamp duty will likely be your highest moving cost, but first-time buyers can get relief in England and Northern Ireland. If the property is under £250,000, or £425,000 for most first-time buyers, you won’t have to stamp duty.
Choosing the Right Location
Location is a key determinant of a home’s price, but it also affects school catchment areas and proximity to other essential amenities. Look up what the local rental market is like before you move, as you may come to regret moving your young family into a student area with regular loud parties in the early hours of the morning.
Whether it’s a train station or easy access to the motorway, transport links will be important if you commute to work. Ask yourself what amenities you would like within walking distance and which you are happy to drive to. Generally, you want supermarkets, petrol stations, shops, restaurants, garages, post offices, GPs, and gyms within easy reach.
Setting Up Utilities and Services
Transferring or setting up new gas, electricity, water, and broadband deals will prepare you for the move and let you focus on unpacking and settling in. A few months before your move, notify your current energy supplier of your new address and contact your water supplier to arrange your final bill and set up the new house.
Check for broadband deals with high-average upload, download, and Wi-Fi speeds to cover the whole house. Being connected to the internet on day one will save you from paying expensive data bills.
Packing and Organising Your Belongings
Packing can feel overwhelming if you leave it to the last minute. Starting a few months before moving day and splitting it down into smaller bits will make it more manageable. Pick a room to begin with and take the opportunity to sort your belongings into different piles for keeping, selling, donating, and recycling to cut down on unnecessary possessions and reduce the amount of packing.
Try to disassemble any bulky or heavy furniture to ensure it can be transported easily, wrapping them in blankets or bubble wrap to avoid scuffs. If you live in a multi-storey house, organising all these pieces as close to the door as possible the day before ensures you don’t need to overexert yourself on an already stressful moving day.
To stay organised, set aside a clearly labelled box for essentials you’ll need as soon as you arrive in your new home. Having basic kitchen supplies, important documents, toiletries, and a change of clothes on hand will make the first night more comfortable.
Redirect Your Mail
It can take time to properly change all your details when moving home and while redirecting your post may not be at the forefront of your mind, it should be a priority. Failure to update organisations of your new address can lead to important documents and bills going to your old residence, meaning you may never receive them.
However, you can make this process easier in the short term by utilising the Royal Mail’s redirection service. Any documents with your name and old address will then automatically be delivered to your new property without any involvement of your own. Organise this ahead of time, starting the redirection on the day of your move.
Choose to redirect your mail from 3 months up to 12 months and simply cover the cost of service. Be sure to inform the DVLA, your doctor’s surgery, and any insurance companies of your new address immediately, contacting the rest in your own time.
