Its difficult to know where to start when applying for a rental property. We’ve created a helpful moving-in preparation checklist in order to ensure you understand every step of the moving process.
One month before you move:
- First and foremost, confirm your exact move-in date with your new landlord. Remember your current landlord will most likely want 1 months notice so try your best to match up the moving date, sometimes it helps to overlap them slightly so you’re not having to do everything in on day.
- Consider whether you need to hire a removals firm or whether you could hire a van and move your belongings yourself.
- It may be necessary to book a few days off work around the time that you are moving properties. Everyone underestimates the amount of belongings they have!
Three weeks before you move:
- It’s time to start packing your stuff into boxes and containers! Maybe ask friends or family whether you can borrow theirs for free?
Tip: most supermarkets may be able to provide you with any discarded boxes they have available. - Having a clear out before you start packing up your belongings will cut down the amount you need to move, making the whole process a lot easier.
Tip: separate your unwanted items into what can be discarded and what can be donated to charity.
- Have any pets? It would be useful to arrange care for them around the time of your move.
- Now would be the perfect time to order any needed furniture or to buy any essentials you may need such as blinds/curtains for your new property
Tip: ask your new landlord/agent for window measurements, this way you can pre order your blinds online made to measure.
IMPORTANT – now is the time to get your addresses changed on your bank accounts, tax registration, driving licence, vehicle registration, TV licence and credit cards. This should give enough time for the changes to take place ready for the right day.
Two weeks before you move:
- Contact your internet, home insurance and utilities providers to inform them of your move. They may offer your discounts to continue using their services. You can also shop around for new policies and deals to start on your moving date.
- Start packing, labelling and boxing up your non-essential items.
Tip: Work room-by-room.
- Before moving try to use the contents of your freezer. You don’t want to let anything go to waste!
- Contact the Post Office and arrange for your mail to be forwarded to your new address as of your moving date and remember to cancel deliveries of any subscriptions, newspapers or magazines to your old address.
The week leading up to your move:
- It’s always best to double check with the removal firm your confirmed booking if necessary!
- Thoroughly clean your current property and tidy the gardens in accordance with your tenancy agreement – you can hire people if necessary.
The day before you move:
- It may be useful to pack an overnight bag of clothes and toiletries to help you get you through the next few days.
- Box up and package any remaining items ready to be moved.
- Try to get some sleep!
Often, rented properties restrict you from redecorating and personalising the property. Below we have listed a few ways that show you don’t have to own a property in order to add your personal touch!
- Most of the time, landlords don’t allow their residents to hang pictures on the walls as they don’t want them to leave a mark. Simply using blue tack or the ‘washing line’ effect is a great solution. Find a piece of string and simply hang photos from it with small washing line pegs. (You can find these at your nearest crafts store) You can tie both ends of the string to fittings around the room. It also allows you to mix and match pictures and postcards to suit the mood and the season.
- Plain furnishing can easily be given more interest by covering in temporary wallpaper, this will create interest and a new lease of life.
- If there is a wall in your new property that you just aren’t too keen on, but you can’t decorate it. You can easily disguise it by creating interest with a selection of plants. You can get some from your local garden centre or Ikea. Mix and match pots of different shapes, sizes and colours to place in front of the wall. Then when you move on, simply take them with you, you can choose real or artificial plants both will do the job!
- If you think your living room or lounge is looking a bit boring and you want to brighten the space up simply add cushions and throws to your sofa or bed. This will easily introduce detail and a colour scheme to the room. It can have maximum impact from minimal effort and expense.
The main thing to remember is to communicate with your new landlord/agent, all landlords will work slightly different so its always best to double check what they expect from you. We are always on hand to guide you through the process of moving home, if you have any questions you can call Easy Let Residential on 01925 633011 or simply pop into the office for a chat!
