Category: Top Tips

Why should you make Moving Home Check List? Moving home can be a stressful time but if you plan your move, things should go smoothly. In order to help, we’ve compiled a quick moving home check list for your reference… Confirm the date of your move You will need to get your moving date officially confirmed by your conveyancers and the house sellers. If renting, you may be able to spread moving across several days. This way, you can get into your new home and get any work done, like cleaning carpets and painting, without the stress of moving in at the same time. If are at the end of the chain, you may find yourself waiting a long time for other transactions to go through. Ensure you know your place in the chain, and plan accordingly in case things take longer than expected. If Renting give notice to your landlord When renting, you’ll need to let your landlord know the exact date you’re moving out. This should coincide with the end of your lease, as this avoids paying for both rent and your mortgage at the same time. Contact your utility suppliers Let all your utility suppliers know that you’re planning to move out – electricity, gas, phone, and broadband suppliers will all need to know when you’re leaving the property. Give your supplier as much notice as possible, as moving service may take several weeks. Take a final meter reading in your property and pass them on to the right suppliers. Taking a picture of the meter might help, a photo will have a timestamp, proving exactly the meter reading. Get quotes on your removal costs Removals are dependent on what’s practical for your budget and the size of your property. Regardless of what service you pick, make sure you’ve got all your valuables and personal documents in a safe place; keep them on your person, if you can. Have a big clear out before you move Moving is the perfect time to go through your old things and decide what is and isn’t worth keeping. It’ll save you a lot of time, effort, and backache if you cut down on the number of things you need to move to your new home. Make a list of where everything is in your new home Ask the sellers of your new property exactly where the following things are: Stopcock (valve for controlling the mains water supply) Instructions for appliances Gas and electricity meters Thermostat Fuse box If you’re selling, make a list of where all the important things are in your home, and leave it for the people moving in. Pack everything and label boxes When you’re packing everything up, label all the boxes properly. Make a list so you know exactly what’s inside each box after the journey. Make a checklist of what’s in each box, so you don’t have to root around whenever you’re trying to find something. Pay for bills, let friends and family know you’re moving Settle all the bills and council tax still owed on your current property; you don’t want any bills coming back to haunt you when you’re all settled in your new place. Contact the following people to let them know you’re changing your address: Your work Your bank, insurance, pension, and credit card companies The council, electoral roll TV Licensing Doctor and dentist DVLA National Insurance / DSS offices Post redirection services (this requires at least 5 days’ notice) Note – Don’t forget to delete old addresses from all online retailers (such as Amazon). There’s nothing worse than realising your package has been delivered to the old address. Send out one email to friends and family to let them know your new address and the exact date you move in. Grab the essentials for moving day You’ll need the essentials for the first night in your new place, so it’s best to make a box or two with the following things to hand: Kettle, mugs, tea, milk, coffee, sugar Cleaning products, plus vacuum cleaner, and bin bags Phone and laptop chargers Loo roll, kitchen roll Duvet and bedding for the first night Temporary furniture – deck chairs etc Television or radio Also make sure you keep all your important documents, like your passport and mortgage paperwork, where you can easily find them. Moving Home Check List – Move into your new home Once you’ve packed everything, do a deep clean of the property before you start unpacking. This is the easiest time to scrub tiles and clean carpets. Unpack room by room, starting with the kitchen as you may need a cuppa. Check all the utilities are up and running Make sure you have keys to every door, window, and cupboard Find out what day your bins are collected Now time to enjoy your new home. Are you planning to move in 2024? Or perhaps you’re planning to upgrade or downsize in 2025? Speak to a member of our team to find out how we can take the stress out of moving home.  

Ever considered when the best day and time of year to move home is? On average a person in the UK will move 8 times in their lifetime so beginning a new chapter in your life by moving home, can causes a mixture of excitement and stress. In addition, with the reality of all that packing and unpacking that’s involved, it’s important to choose the right time of year to move. Even choosing the right day, could make a massive difference to the pressure of moving home. Compare My Move website compiled a survey that turned up some interesting results about the most popular times to move. They used data from 95,000 house removals and turned up the following results. When is the most popular day to move home? Best day to move house was Friday with 34% choosing this day, this is not surprising as it gives families the weekend to unpack and get things sorted out over the weekend. Sunday became the least popular with only 2% opting for this day, quite frankly who would like to come home on a workday to start unpacking. Most popular Day – Friday Least Popular Day – Sunday What is the most cost-effective day to move home? Sunday being the least popular day to move explains why it came out as the cheapest option. Tuesday was the most expensive day for moving house, and probably the reason it’s an unpopular day for moving. If you’re looking for a midweek move, the second cheapest option is Wednesday being 20% cheaper than the weekly overall average cost. Most Expensive Day – Tuesday Cheapest Day – Sunday When is the most popular month to move home? Summer is the most popular time to move, usually because people looking to buy in Spring are ready to move in the summer. The overall favourite month to move is August especially for movers in Greater and Central London, the East of England, and the Southeast. The Spring too is very popular with good lighting, mild temperature and somewhat predictable weather conditions that make Spring a good choice. Moving in Autumn is also common as you’ll still get dependable weather, September generally being a very busy time for removal companies. The least favourite months are November and December. Obviously, the winter cold weather makes the move harder. Firstly, weather conditions are unpredictable and more extreme but secondly, many people are already considering the expense of Christmas and the New Year holidays. Best month to Move – Summer Worst month to Move – Winter What is the most cost-effective month to move home? The best time to move depends on your personal circumstances. However, Spring/Summer is ideal in terms of prospective buyers, good weather. Summer being the most popular time to move, but it’s also the most expensive. In contrast, the winter, especially January usually working out the cheapest option. Most Expensive Month – August Cheapest Month – January Moving home always depends on your circumstances if you are governed by finances and looking for a less expensive option then move home in January on a Sunday. If money is no object, then a Tuesday in August sounds good! Happy House Hunting! Are you planning to move in 2024? Or perhaps you’re planning to upgrade or downsize in 2025? Speak to a member of our team to find out how we can take the stress out of moving home.  

When you’re planning to move house it’s vital to know what the full cost of moving will be so that you can budget properly. From stamp duty tax, mortgage, and legal fees right through to removals. What is the cost of moving home these days? The average cost of moving in 2024 is just over £12,000. This figure includes the necessary services you’ll need to buy and sell a house, but costs will vary depending on your situation and location. Note: These figures DO NOT include a house deposit. Let’s take a closer look at those hidden costs of moving house and how those fees quickly add up. The following information is an average price based on a UK property price of £285,000 in 2024. The Cost of Buying a House The costs of buying a house can land many homeowners in hot water, with a large, often unexpected bill on top of the purchase price. Of course, you can also choose to absorb most of these fees into your mortgage payments if need be. Stamp Duty £1,750 Property Surveyors £480 Conveyancing £1,600 Valuation Fee £350 Buying Total: £4,180 ——————————   The Cost of Selling a House The fees and charges involved in the sale of a house are less easy to avoid, as most need to be paid upfront, with no option of spreading the costs. Estate Agents £5,600 Conveyancing £1,150 Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) £85 Selling Total: £6,835 ——————————   General Moving House Costs Thankfully, the costs of physically moving home are some of the lowest, and you can tailor them to your needs. For example, if funds are tight, you could forego the removal company and hire a moving vehicle yourself. However, moving the effort and stress onto your shoulders makes this an option that shouldn’t be taken lightly. In fact, if you take a quick look at customer reviews, you’ll see that the cost of using a removal company is not just money well spent but is often considered the best investment in the moving process. Removal Company costs based on one bedroom flat £1,110 Postal Redirection £36 Moving Total: £1,146* *Costs are subject to the amount ‘of stuff’ you want to move e.g. A 5 bedroom house will cost a lot more than a one bedroom flat. ——————————   So, after everything has been taken into account, the total average cost of moving house in 2024 = £12,161 Are you planning to move in 2024? Or perhaps you’re planning to upgrade or downsize in 2025? Speak to a member of our team to find out how we can take the stress out of moving home.  

Moving into your new home can be an exciting time and a chance for a fresh start. Other than all the unpacking and organising of furniture that will keep you busy in the first few days, there are some key things to remember, to help you settle in.  Aside from the obvious, below are just some of our top tips for starting off as you mean to continue…. Finalising Your New Budget Moving into a new area can often mean paying slightly different bills than you’ve been used to. Whether you’re changing suppliers or moving into a bigger home, your costs may change. Once you have submitted up-to-date meter readings for your new utility providers, it’s worth having a look at your monthly budget.  Be sure to take into account changes to your: Council tax Internet/phone All relevant insurances Once you have this part out of the way, you know exactly how much free cash you have for those new home purchases you’ve had your eye on. Change Of Address Notifications Make sure you update your address wherever it’s held on file. Whether this is for identification purposes, with your local surgery or companies you’re a customer with.   Updating your car insurance policy and driving license is very important, as is your telephone and broadband provider Take into account your new location, partly determines the terms of your policy, and you could be fined up to £1,000 if you do not tell the DVLA when you change your address.  Other important places to update your address are: Bank Account TV license Electoral roll Pension provider Your Employer Inform your Doctor Credit Card company Tell the Post Office to redirect your mail Preparing Your New Home You’ve just arrived at your new home. Stop right there! Before you start unpacking, you can save time by preparing your new home to live in. There’s no better time to clean than before your belongings are placed throughout the house. Once you’ve fully unpacked, cleaning will be much more challenging and take a lot longer. If you have pets, small children or both, you’ll benefit from installing safety and security measures from the first day. Nothing is more stressful than witnessing an accident that was waiting to happen.  Take these steps to prepare your new home straight away. It will allow you to be more relaxed in what can otherwise be a stressful time for you and your family. ———————– Contact a member of our team now to find out how Neales Removals can relieve the stress of moving home.