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Your Moving House Checklist

Thursday 21st April 2022

Moving house is widely publicised as the third most stressful life event that you’ll ever face, but with our Moving Checklist it doesn’t have to be. We’ve compiled this handy guide, to reduce the stress of moving house and help you get all of those initial jobs done, so you can finally relax and enjoy your new home.

Planning Your Move

Choose Your Move Date

Try to avoid moving on a Friday or a Bank Holiday, as this is when removal companies are at their busiest.

Book Your Removal Company

Before you book, ask for recommendations from friends, neighbours or local Facebook groups.

Plan The Layout Of Your New Home

Using the floor plan of your new home, make sure that your furniture and appliances will fit. If there’s not enough space for something you can always put it in storage, or even better, give it to one of the local charity shops.

Change All External Locks

There may be people on the Island who have copies of your keys. Even if the previous owner has given you every set, there may be other people, such as cleaners, tradesmen, dog walkers and more, who have a copy of your keys. Even with the safest company practices in place, these could still fall into the wrong hands. Don’t risk it – contact a professional locksmith to change all the locks before you move in.

DIY, Improvements & Repairs

Aim to get all home improvements completed before you move in. Wiring, painting, sanding and plastering are a lot more difficult when all of your worldly belongings are in the way.

Now is also a great time to start a home improvement fund. Aim to save around 2-3% of your annual salary each year so you have the cash available for essential home maintenance. And if the cash builds up and you don’t need it for maintenance, you have a great fund for redecorating or upgrading appliances.

Deep Clean

Before you start moving in, do a very deep clean, or hire a cleaning service to do it for you. Nobody likes the idea of someone else’s dirt in their house, and more importantly, a fresh home is a fresh start.

Your deep clean should include:

Order Furniture & Appliances

One of the few downsides of island life is that it can take quite a long time to receive deliveries from the mainland, especially for larger items. Wait times average from 6-10 weeks and can often be longer. If you need any furniture, white goods, or appliances for your new home, order them well in advance

Should your order have arrived by now? It may have been stopped at Customs. You can contact them to find out, using the details here. Don’t forget that any item over the value of £240 will incur Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 5%. This includes:

It’s also important to know that if a number of your items arrive as one shipment on the same day, even if you ordered these items separately, then Customs will treat this as a single delivery and assess for GST on the combined value of the order.

Goods ordered from both inside and outside the EU can be subject to different rules. To clear your goods through Customs, you can pay your GST online here.

Safety First

Feeling safe in your new home will be your top priority. These simple steps can help put your mind at ease, knowing that you’re prepared in the event of an emergency.

Step 1: Know Where Everything Is

What happens if there’s a gas leak, or a burst pipe, or the electricity suddenly goes? Explore your new home and find out:

Step 2: Plan For Emergencies

Test existing smoke / carbon monoxide alarms and be prepared to replace them if needed.
Invest in a good quality fire blanket and home fire extinguisher for your kitchen. You can even place a fire extinguisher on each floor of your house so you always have easy access.
Find all of your emergency exits and make a family (and pets) fire escape plan, just in case.
Consider installing a home security system, especially if you will have high-value items in your home.

Step 3: Specialist Checks

Have you boiler and/or heating system checked by a registered professional and serviced if required.
Have an electrician check your fuse box, and any appliances or wiring that you’re concerned about
Have your chimney inspected and cleaned if required. Remember, if you have a chimney in your new home it should be checked ideally once a year, well before winter sets in.

Change Your Address

Changing your address is easily one of the most time-consuming consequences of moving house, but you’ll be glad when it’s finally done. Jersey Post offer a paid service to redirect your mail when you move house, but this is best viewed as a short-term solution. We’ve put together a list of common businesses you may need to notify of your new address, to help save you time. To print this list, download our Buyers Moving Guide at the bottom of the page.

Utilities

Finances

Health

Public Services

Other

Finally...Celebrate!

You’ve worked hard, you deserve it. Why not invite your friends and family around to celebrate and show off your new home? If you plan your party in advance it gives you a solid deadline to get all repairs done and all of your boxes emptied, not to mention that you can show off your new place, and even maybe get a couple of nice gifts to boot!

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