Sort the broadband before you move, not after
Everything on this list is something people forget until the moment it becomes a problem. None of it is complicated. It is simply the stuff that falls between the packing and the paperwork, and gets noticed on day one in the new house.
Broadband is the one with the longest lead time and the one most likely to catch you out. If the property already has an active line, activation can take a few days. If it needs a full fibre install and an engineer visit, one to two weeks is normal, and complications such as blocked ducts or wayleave consent in a block of flats can push it out to a month.
Start the order as soon as you have a confirmed date. If you work from home, arrange a mobile data fallback rather than gambling on the installation landing when promised. Our four weeks to go guide covers the timing in more detail, along with everyone else who needs telling.
Check the basics actually work before you commit
At a viewing, small faults look like character. A slow-draining shower, a toilet that needs the handle held down, a radiator that never quite warms up. Living with them is a different matter entirely.
Before moving in, check, or ask to have checked:
- Hot water and heating, including whether every radiator warms up
- The toilet, shower and taps, and how well things drain
- Sockets, light fittings and the consumer unit
- Window and door locks, and how many keys exist for each
- The oven, hob and extractor
- Any alarm system, and whether anyone has the code
Life does not pause because you have moved. Arriving to a cold house with no hot water and a bathroom that does not work turns a tiring day into a genuinely miserable week. If jobs need doing, book someone for the first few days rather than hoping to get round to it.
Find the things you will need in an emergency
Do this on day one, before the boxes go everywhere. Locate and photograph:
The stopcock. The internal water shut-off, usually under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cupboard, or near the front door. When a pipe fails you have seconds, not minutes, and hunting for it while water comes through a ceiling is how a small leak becomes a large bill.
The consumer unit. The fuse box, and which switch controls what.
The gas shut-off valve. Normally beside the meter.
The meters themselves. Gas, electricity and water, including any key or card meter arrangements.
The boiler. Where it is, how it is controlled, when it was last serviced, and where the manual is if the previous owner left one.
Test the smoke and carbon monoxide alarms
Do not assume they work, or that they exist.
If you are renting in England, the Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm (Amendment) Regulations 2022 require your landlord to provide at least one smoke alarm on every storey used as living accommodation, and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room containing a fixed combustion appliance such as a gas or oil boiler, a gas fire or a wood burner. Gas cookers are the exception. The alarms must be in working order on the day the tenancy starts, and the landlord must repair or replace faulty ones once told.
If you are buying, nobody is obliged to provide any of this, so it is on you. Test what is there, replace batteries as a matter of course, and fit a CO alarm if there is a boiler or any other fuel-burning appliance and no alarm near it.
Pack a bag you keep with you
Not a box in the van. A bag that travels with you, holding enough to get through the first week without unpacking anything.
- Kettle, mugs, tea, coffee, something to eat
- A few plates, bowls, cutlery, a sharp knife, a pan
- Toilet roll, hand soap, towels, toiletries, medication
- Bedding for every bed, made up on the first night if you can manage it
- Chargers for everything
- A change of clothes for a few days, and anything needed for work
- Torch, basic tools, scissors, a roll of bin bags
- Documents: tenancy or completion paperwork, passports, anything you would hate to lose in a box
The bedding is the one people regret. After eleven hours of moving, nobody wants to be opening boxes at midnight looking for a duvet cover.
The small administrative jobs nobody remembers
- Parking permits. In a controlled parking zone you may need a resident permit and visitor scrips, and applications are rarely instant. Sort it before you arrive or you will be feeding a meter for a fortnight.
- Bin collection days. Which day, which bin, and where they are collected from. Councils differ street by street.
- Change the locks. You have no idea how many keys are in circulation. Book a locksmith for the day you arrive.
- Register with a GP and dentist locally, and request that your records transfer.
- Update your driving licence and vehicle logbook, both free and easy to forget.
- TV Licence, if you have one, needs the new address.
- Microchip details for pets, along with new tags.
First-week checklist
- Order broadband as soon as the date is confirmed
- Check heating, hot water, bathroom, sockets and locks before moving in
- Photograph meter readings the moment you get the keys
- Find and photograph the stopcock, consumer unit and gas valve
- Test smoke and CO alarms, and fit them if missing
- Keep an essentials bag with you rather than in the van
- Book a locksmith for arrival day
- Sort parking permits and find out the bin days
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to set up broadband in a new home? A few days if there is an active line, one to two weeks if an engineer visit and a fibre install are needed, and up to a month where there are complications such as blocked ducts or wayleave consent in a block of flats. Order as soon as you have a confirmed date.
What should I check before moving into a new house? Heating and hot water, every radiator, the toilet, shower and drainage, sockets and the consumer unit, window and door locks, the oven and hob, and any alarm system. Arrange repairs for the first few days rather than after you have moved in.
Where is the stopcock in a house? Most commonly under the kitchen sink, in a downstairs cupboard, or near the front door, though it varies. Find and photograph it on day one, because when a pipe fails you will not have time to look.
Does my landlord have to provide smoke alarms? In England, yes. Landlords must provide at least one smoke alarm on each storey used as living accommodation and a carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance other than a gas cooker, and ensure they work when the tenancy starts.
What should I pack in my moving day essentials bag? Kettle, mugs, tea, basic crockery and a pan, toilet roll and toiletries, medication, bedding for every bed, chargers, a few days of clothes, a torch and basic tools, and your important documents. Keep it with you rather than in the van.
What do I need to change my address on after moving? Council tax, utilities, banks, employer, GP and dentist, driving licence and vehicle logbook, TV Licence, pet microchip records and any subscriptions. A Royal Mail redirection catches whatever you miss.
How we can help
RMV Storage & Removals has moved households across London for over fifteen years. We handle house and office removals, man and van work, packing services and materials, and container storage delivered to your door when the dates do not line up, across every area we cover.
For the full sequence from accepted offer to arrival, see the moving house checklist, or get in touch and we will talk your move through.
Written by Riki Migliori, Director at RMV Storage & Removals. Originally published September 2014. Fully reviewed and updated summer 2026.