Simple Moving Checklist discussed by Smartmove North East
Moving home is an extremely busy and stressful time, you might have never moved before and are a first time buyer or you might have moved several times before and your life is very busy. Whatever your situation it’s always good to create your own Simple Moving Checklist which will ensure you know everything you need to do and when, and you won’t miss anything through your selling, buying and moving process.
When you have a Moving Checklist it helps you feel in control knowing what needs to be done and when, and it enables you to get on with your everyday life during the process with minimal stress.
Moving Checklist When Putting Your Home on the Market
Moving is an expensive thing to do and there are lots of costs that you should factor in to check you can afford to move to before you take the first step.
You should know how much equity you have in your home before you put your house on the market so start by looking at similar properties which have sold in your road and area to understand how much your home might sell for. When you have done this, contact your mortgage company and check how much they would be willing to lend you, if you are able to change your mortgage and if there are any charges involved .
Next, you can look at homes for sale in the area online and check if there is anything that matches what you are looking for within your budget.
Make a list of must-have’s for your new home that don’t want to compromise on and the things that are your would like’s that you are willing to compromise on. Keep referring back to your list when you are looking at properties as it’s really easy to get fall in love with a newly renovated or beautifully decorated property which doesn’t actually tick all of your needs and wants.
When you know there are properties you would like to potentially buy within and area and within your budget you should create yourself a moving budget which includes all of the costs associated with moving:
- Estate Agent Fees
- Conveyancing/Legal Fees
- Mortgage Fees
- EPC Costs
- Stamp Duty
- Removal Costs
This allows you to understand how much you can spend on your new home after these costs have been accounted for and will be the financial reality of moving home.
Preparing your Home for Marketing
You should always tidy and declutter every room and space in your home before you ask estate agents to come to value it. Having lots of things out on display in every room won’t show off your homes full potential to estate agents or potential buyers. A lot of people can’t see past decor or clutter when they view a property so try and have as much of a blank canvass as you can. You can freshen up your kitchen and bathrooms with a deep clean, give rooms a lick of paint if they need it, add colour with cushions, throws and soft furnishings, clean windows and doors, clear out your garage and tidy and sweep your garden. Think about storage what solutions you could use, a simple cabinet or toy box can hide a lot of belongings. All of these things don’t take long to do and will always make your home more appealing to potential buyers and allow estate agents to see its true value.
Arrange for a minimum of 3 local estate agents to value your home. Always be aware that there are some estate agents that will want to market your property for less than it is worth so they sell it quickly, so a minimum of 3 valuations will ensure you know the true value of your home. When they come around you need to understand their fees, contract lengths, if they do all the viewings so you don’t need to be there, as well as how they will market your home so you can compare them all. At this point you will be in a position to decide which estate agent you want to go with and how much you want to market your home for. Good estate agents will tell you the true value of your home but always remember this is your decision and you don’t always have to go with their valuation. Before you sign a contract with them try and negotiate their selling fees as you will have an understanding of the fees being charged in your area now so it makes this process a lot easier.
When you put your house on the market you can then speak to your mortgage company to get a mortgage agreed in principle. Remember you may not always get the full asking price for your property and you need to add in all the costs of moving; conveyancing/legal fees, estate agent fees, remortgaging fees, EPC fees, stamp duty and removal costs when starting to view properties.
Some people won’t start looking for a new property until a sale has been agreed on theirs, however, some people start looking and viewing straight away. Most sellers won’t accept offers on their property unless your house is sold so be aware you may be heartbroken if you have fallen in love with a house but someone else buys it before yours has sold.
Moving Checklist – Your Home and Your Purchase has been Agreed
- Choose and instruct the conveyancer you want to use straight away so they can start the legal processes and searches
- Ensure a survey is arranged in the early stages of the legal process as these will often throw up things you weren’t aware of which need negotiation on for both your current and new property.
- Schedule a weekly call with your conveyancing solicitor to check for updates, issues and progress and ensure your sale and purchase remain on track.
- Arrange like for like Removal Quotes with 3 Local Removal Companies
Smartmove North East Removal Services
Option 1: You pack and we load and unload your belongings
You can pack your belongings and dismantle your furniture yourself in the weeks and days leading up to your move and then use us to load your possessions, drive them to your new home, wait outside until you get your keys and then unload your boxes. We will use as many vehicles as we need to on the day to ensure your belongings can be unloaded in one go as soon as you get your keys so you can start settling in.
Option 2: We come in and pack your belongings the day before your move and then load and unload your belongings on your moving day
One of our teams will come to your home the day before you move and they will wrap and pack all of your belongings. They come back on your moving day and load everything into our removal vehicles, drive to your new home, wait outside until you get your keys and then unload your boxes into the rooms you want them in. This option removes the stress of packing in the weeks and days leading up to your moving day and you don’t have to find the time you need to wrap and pack everything yourself. You often have a lot more things to pack than you realise and it is a time-consuming job which often ends up being quite stressful. When we come to your home for your removal survey we will know how long it will take our team to pack your belongings and always leave ourselves enough time to do this. This removal service enables you to carry on with your daily life without boxes being around you and the stress of packing in the weeks and days leading up to your move, as well as you having access to everything you need at any time as you haven’t packed it already.
Option 3: We come in and pack your belongings and dismantles your furniture the day before your move and then load and unload your belongings on your moving day
Our full removal service includes all of the above as well as us coming in and dismantling your furniture the day before you move, leaving your beds and bedding for you to use. We come in on the day of your move to dismantle the last pieces of furniture and load and when you get to your new property and you have the keys we unload your boxes and put your furniture back together again, all ready for you to unpack your boxes. This is the full removal service and really helps make the weeks before and the day of your move stress-free. If you calculate the time it takes you to pack your belongings yourself and to dismantle your furniture in the weeks leading up to your move and again on the day, it’s the best and most reasonably priced removal service you can opt for.
Moving Checklist – The Weeks Leading up to your Move
- Sell or ‘advertise for free’ any furniture or items you don’t want to take with you
- Put any items you want to keep but don’t want immediately in your new home and that can’t be stored anywhere into storage
- Start to pack belongings that you won’t need over the next few weeks. Keep out essential items only, minimal kitchen items, clothes and belongings
Tips for Packing
- Use strong sturdy boxes
- Pack heavier items at the bottom of boxes
- Wrap fragile items using soft furnishings to protect them if needed or wrap them in bubble wrap
- Tape your box openings with strong tape
- Label boxes clearly with a marker pen
- Pack boxes by room as this will help you when you are unpacking
Moving Checklist – When your Moving Date is Agreed
- Confirm your moving date with your removal company
- Make arrangements for children and pets on your moving day
- Contact Energy Suppliers; Water, Gas and Electric
- Contact; TV License, Internet, TV and Telephone suppliers
- Contact Doctor, Dentist, Opticians
- Notify; Insurance Policies, Banks and Credit Cards
- Arrange your post redirection service with Royal Mail
- Find all of the keys for doors and windows in your home
Moving Checklist – The Week Before your Moving Day
- You should be near to finishing your packing now but if not then you should have a final push
- Take any light fittings down that you are taking with you and leave in just the bulbs
- Run your freezer down and eat up as much of your frozen food as you can
- Check in with your Removal Company to reconfirm your moving date
Moving Checklist – Two Days Before Moving Day
- Defrost your Freezer and Fridge
- Pack a Moving Day Survival Kit (kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, biscuits, snacks, plates, cutlery, soap, towel, pyjamas and anything else that you think you might need)
- Dismantle any furniture that you don’t need
- Check in with your Removal Company
Moving Checklist – The Day Before Moving Day
- Take any curtains, curtain poles, blinds etc down
- Tape your remote controls to the backs of your TV’s so. they don’t get lost anywhere
- Dismantle any final furniture that you can
- Start to clean as many rooms as you can
Moving Checklist – Your Moving Day
- Dismantle beds ready for your removal company to load
- Put your Moving Day Survival Kit in your car
- Pack bedding and essential items you will need on your first day in your new home
- Start to clean each room as it is emptied
- Check meter readings and make a note of the readings to advise the relevant suppliers, take photos of your meter readings on your phone as paper can be easily lost on busy moving days
- After removal team has emptied the house, check through to ensure everything has been removed
- Switch off lights
- Have a final check of every room including garage and garden
- Hand your keys over to your Estate Agent
The most important thing to do when you are moving home is to create a moving plan with dates, a ‘to do’ list and files to keep all your documents together.
Moving Checklist – Legal Documents Required when Buying and Selling a Property
Collate all of the legal documents you will need when selling your home and buying a new one as soon as you pout your home up for sale. This means you know you have everything you need and there isn’t any last minutes stress of missing documents.
1) Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) is a document which is legally required when you are selling a property in the UK. Your estate agent can arrange for an EPC assessment of your home before they market it as they need to provide the energy efficiency of your home in your property’s information pack for any potential buyers to see.
2) Property Title Deeds are your original property title deeds. These official documents state the chain of ownership of your home. If you don’t have the original deeds then you can check whether they are digitally registered with HM Land Registry under your name, or they can often be held by your mortgage company.
3) Leasehold/Shared Freehold Documents depending on the type of property you own. If the property is leasehold, you will need a lease and a share certificate is required for shared freehold homes.
4) Alterations and Extension Documentation are needed of you have added an extension to your property or made any significant structural alterations. This proves to your buyer that you gained any required building regulation approval and planning permission before the changes were made.
5) FENSA Certificates for Windows and Doors are certificates supplied if you have had replacement doors or windows since 2002.
6) Replacement Boiler Certificates are needed if you or a previous owner has replaced the boiler in your home. Gas safety certificates and service records are also needed to show the age of your boiler, any warranties and its service and safety records.
7) Electrical Certificates certifying that any electrical work (rewiring or electrical replacements) within your property have been completed by a qualified and certified electrician.
8) Fittings and Contents Form (TA10) enables both parties to reach a clear agreement of what will be included in the sale of your home. The form states if any or what white goods, light fittings, wardrobes, curtain poles and curtains are included as part of the sale. The document is presented with information on a room-by-room basis to ensure a thorough disclosure of all the items you are leaving to the buyer. If you have a garden or any outdoor space then the TA10 will also specify the contents within these areas.
9) Property Information Form (TA6) is required when selling your property and it gives your buyer detailed information about your property. The form includes everything from any current tenants, through to boundaries, along with any ongoing complaints and disputes with neighbours which you are legally bound to disclose.
10) Proof of Identity Documents that prove your name address. These can include a recognised photo ID, either a driving licence or passport and a utility bill or bank statement from the last 3 months for your proof of address. Its always a good idea to be organised with this as most people have online accounts now and don’t receive printed versions through the post.
About Smartmove North East
We are a family-owned and we have many years of experience of home, office and commercial moves in the North East. It doesn’t matter if you’re only heading a few doors down the road or to the opposite end of the country, we can make your move stress free and easy for you and your family.
Our experienced teams will ensure your move goes smoothly and our professional movers can pack your home up in the days leading up to your move and, or will move your belongings on the day with no lifting, loading or unloading heavy boxes and furniture needed from you, your family or your friends, leaving you to enjoy the excitement of moving home. There is no such thing as a “standard” move as each and every one is different so we will adapt our removal services to suit your needs.
We offer different moving services and these change depending on the amount you want us to do in the lead up and on the day of your move. Our complete packing and moving service allows you to leave your whole move to us, or you can pack yourself and our professional teams will load and unload for you on the day. If you want to pack your own belongings we can supply you with moving boxes and clothes storage containers a few days before which will make packing easier.
We will give you a competitive and exact moving quote and will arrange for one of our experts to come to your home and discuss your moving requirements and budget. When our experienced and knowledgable team member comes out to your home they will give you an in-depth summary of the services we offer so you can decide which of our removal services is best for you.
If you use our Simple Moving Checklist you will be organised and confident you have everything covered in the lead up to and on your moving day. Contact us today on 0191 244 9311 and one of our professional team will be happy to answer any questions you may have or will arrange a removal survey at a time to suit you.
Martyn works for Smartmove Northeast as a marketing specialist. He takes great pride in creating quality content for people looking for a removal company in Newcastle.