Moving can be a busy and stressful time. There are lots of things to remember to make sure that everything goes smoothly. We hope our useful checklist below will help you keep on track of what you need to do and other important things to remember.
Giving notice
If you are moving into one of our homes, remember to tell your current landlord. Most landlords will require a notice period and depending on when you do this, you may end up owing rent on two properties, so it is important to make sure you can pay for this. If this is the case, some local authorities may help you with this, but not all. If you think you may be affected by this then you should speak to your local authority straight away.
If you are leaving one of our homes, you should make sure that your rent is paid up until the end of your tenancy, and if not already done, make sure you give your notice in writing.
Removal costs
Moving home can be expensive. If you do not have much furniture, you may be able to manage this with the help of friends and family. If you are going to use a professional removals company, do your research and get some quotes. www.reallymoving.com is a useful website that can give you quotes from local removal firms. You should check that any firm you decide to use is registered to the British Association of Removers.
If you are leaving one of our homes remember that the property should be left empty of belongings to avoid being charged for clearance and disposal of goods.
Redirect your post
It is a good idea to set up mail redirection when you are moving. You can do this easily in a post office for three, six or twelve months (and longer if needed). The Royal Mail website has more information on how to do this.
Or you can contact senders individually and update your address with them.
Any bills you don’t receive and pay may damage your credit rating or result in you being tracked by a debt collection agency. Stray letters can also increase the risk of ID fraud.
If, when you move into your new home, there is post from the previous customer, the best thing to do is write ‘return to sender, not known at this address’ and pop it back in the post. It is illegal to open post addressed to someone else and this should let the sender know the person has moved and stop anything further arriving.
Change your address
There will be lots of people that need your correct address and you will need to contact them even if you have set up a post redirection service. Here are just a few examples:
- Friends and family.
- Your employer.
- Your Housing Benefit/Universal Credit.
- Your bank (and any credit cards, loan companies, pensions, etc).
- The council covering both your old and new home in relation to your council tax bill.
- Electoral roll – this doesn’t happen automatically when you move and being registered can boost your credit score. You can register on the gov.uk website.
- TV licence.
- DVLA – for your driving licence and your vehicle registration.
- Utility suppliers e.g. gas, electricity, and water (also see next section).
- Mobile phone, Sky/cable TV, internet companies.
- Any company that you hold insurance with.
- Any online companies you have an address registered with – Amazon for example, or mail order accounts.
- Your Doctor (remember you may need to register at a new surgery).
- Your Dentist or other health professionals.
- Your children’s school.
- Vets, especially if you have your pets microchipped.
- Any sports clubs/subscriptions.
Take meter readings
You should contact your gas, electric and water suppliers to let them know you are leaving. When you leave the property, you should take a photograph of the meter readings and then contact the provider with them so that they can finalise your account. You should make sure that any other bills are paid and up to date (e.g. council tax).
You will also need to contact your suppliers at your new home. Remember to check the meter readings at a signup appointment. Remember to check the meter readings when you first move in and give these to the suppliers in order to set up your account.
Property condition
If you are leaving one of our homes, remember to leave it clean and tidy and ready for re-letting. You should have had an inspection before the end of the tenancy with us and it is important to complete anything raised in the inspection to avoid any recharges being added to your account.
Leave the keys to the property inside the keysafe, and any additional keys, gas cards inside the property. If you are unsure about what to leave and where your lettings advisor will help you. Remember to take all your belongings with you and dispose of all rubbish in the proper bin areas.
Read our Leaving your home guide here.
You can also watch our guide to leaving your home in the video below.
Moving in
If you have been offered one of our homes you will need to pay rent in advance before your sign up appointment. Speak to your lettings adviser if you are unsure about how to do this. You will also be expected to set up a direct debit for your rent payments going forward. Your Housing Officer or a member of our Income team can help you with this.
We appreciate that you will have lots of things to think about when moving into a new property to make it habitable. Have you thought about:
- How you will pay for carpets or flooring?
- How you will pay for curtains or blinds?
- How you will pay for white goods such as oven or washing machine?
If you are struggling with any of these items, your Housing Officer may be able to give advice on local places to look. It is important to remember that if your rent is being covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, then you need to be living at the property, otherwise they may stop payments.
We are here to help, and we want you to love your new home. If you think you may struggle with any of the above, then please let us know and we may be able to help or advise.
If you are moving into one of our homes, click here to find out what to expect.
You can watch the video below to help you better understand your tenancy agreement.