As clean as your new home may seem, you’ll feel very aware that someone has lived there before you – unless it’s a new build, in which case it will need a clean anyway. Keep your cleaning equipment to hand on the day of the move so you can start as soon as you open the door. Alternatively, you could treat yourself and get the house professionally cleaned – saving you hassle and stress. In particular, check all the little nooks and crannies, as these are often missed out by previous owners.
Check everything’s working 
The last thing you want is to move in, unpack and then realise, come night time, that the electricity isn’t working. Ideally, you’ll have moved in during the morning so if there are any problems and essentials like hot water and electricity aren’t working, you’ll have time to fix it before the evening.
You should also check all the appliances if they were included with the house. Put the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher on a phantom wash to clean them out and make sure everything’s working properly.
Make sure your post is being redirected
By the time you move into the house, all of your bills and regular correspondence should have your new address. Sit down and make a list of all the bills you pay and the providers that need your new address before you leave your old home. It’s a good idea to look into getting your post redirected for a while until you can be fully sure that everything you need has the right address on. It’s not uncommon to move to a new home and forget about one bill or bank statement that ends up going to your old address, which could lead to things like credit card fraud.
Change the locks
This should be very high on your list of priorities. The previous owner may have forgotten they gave a spare key to someone and it would be very easy for someone to enter your new home, however unknowingly. Arrange to have a locksmith call out to the house on the day you move in and get the locks for the front and back doors changed.
Replace the batteries in the smoke detectors
Changing the batteries in the smoke detectors could be life-saving, but unfortunately it’s often overlooked. You don’t know when they were changed last and you don’t want the first time you find out they’re not working to be in an emergency. New batteries will only cost a few pounds and will put your mind at ease. You should also check anything else that needs batteries such as the doorbell or a burglar alarm.
Switch energy suppliers
By switching energy suppliers, you could save a great deal of money by moving to a better deal. Having just moved in, this is the perfect time to do this – and it’s really simple. Simple improvements like new lightbulbs or replacing your old boiler can also save you hundreds of pounds on electricity bills.
Find the fuse box
If your electricity blows, you don’t want to be scrambling round with a torch searching for the fuse box. Find it and label the switches, so you know exactly where everything is.
Check for leaks
Unfortunately, you probably won’t discover leaks until you decide to run a bath or have a downpour of rain. Even so, you should walk around your new home looking for any structural problems, leaks or condensation beside the windows; anything that might not have been spotted on the survey. Issues like leaks are something you’ll want to get fixed straight away as they can lead to numerous other problems, like damp.
