What should you remember when you move in?
Most move-in mistakes are not discovered in the chaos of moving day, but weeks later — when the heating bill arrives, or a fault turns up that no one can remember was there before. A room-by-room checklist catches it while you can still do something about it.
Short answer: Walk the home room by room within the first few days, read all the meters, log any existing damage with a photo and a date, check that everything that was supposed to come with the sale (appliances, light fittings, curtain rails) is actually there, and find the main stopcocks and the fuse box before you need them in a hurry. A list per room is easier to keep track of than one long list for the whole home — and easier to split with a partner taking half the tasks.
The first 24 hours
- Read the electricity, water and any heating meter right away, and note the date and the figures. This is your proof if a dispute arises later about consumption before and after the handover.
- Find the fuse box and note which circuit controls what — it is far easier to work out now than to hunt for it in the dark when a fuse trips.
- Find the main stopcock for the water and any shut-off valves under sinks and toilets, so you can close it quickly if there is a leak.
- Check that all the keys fit and that you have received the number that was agreed — including for the mailbox, the basement, sheds and any shared doors.
The first week
- Go through each room systematically and note what needs following up — see the room-by-room checklist below.
- Report damage to your insurer as soon as possible, if you find something that should be covered. Most insurers work with short reporting deadlines — often one to two weeks — so do not wait until you are "fully moved in" to send photos of what you have already found.
- Test every appliance and installation, not just the ones you use straight away. An oven or a washing machine that is only tested after a month makes it hard to prove whether the fault was there at handover.
- Change or reset codes for the alarm system, the gate code and any smart locks.
The first month
- Follow up on heating and electricity use against what you expected — an unexpectedly high bill in the first month is often the first sign of an installation that is not running optimally.
- Check for damp again after rain. Some leaks only show up in particular weather, not on a dry walk-through on moving day.
- Notify everyone who needs to know about the move — insurance, the national population register, subscriptions.
Can I make a checklist per room?
Yes, and it is the most manageable way to do it. A single list for the whole home quickly becomes overwhelming and hard to share with someone else taking their share of the tasks. Split it up by room instead, with a few fixed points that recur everywhere, plus some that are specific to the room's function:
- In every room: check that outlets work, that windows open and close properly, that there is no sign of damp or mould in corners and along skirting boards, and that any smoke alarm is present and working.
- Kitchen: test every appliance that came with the sale, check the drains are not blocked, and that the extractor hood pulls.
- Bathroom: check the drains in the shower and floor, that there is no sign of damp damage at the joints and sealant, and that the toilet flushes without trouble.
- Bedrooms: check there are enough outlets for the furniture you plan to put in, and that the windows can be blacked out or ventilated as you need.
Is it necessary if you rent rather than own?
Yes, actually even more so. If you own the home, it is mainly you yourself who benefits from knowing its condition from day one. If you rent, a thorough walk-through with documentation is the best protection you have against being held liable for damage you did not cause, once you move out again someday. Most landlords require a move-in report with photos — but even where it is not a requirement, it is wise to make one anyway, and to keep it somewhere you can find it again in a couple of years.
Document while the home is still new to you
The first few days are the only time you can see the home with fresh eyes — afterwards, scratches and stains become part of what you are used to seeing, and you forget to note them. Photograph anything that looks worn, damaged or suspicious, with a date, while it is still clear whether the damage was there at handover. It is far easier to prove existing damage with a photo taken on day one than to argue about it later from memory.
Check what came with the home
If appliances, light fittings, curtain rails or other fixtures were agreed as part of the sale, go through the list and check that they are actually there and working. It is far easier to raise an objection in the first few days than months later, when it becomes a question of when it disappeared or broke.
The tasks that often get forgotten
- Check that ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom works, particularly in a home that has stood empty for a while.
- Find the fire extinguisher and smoke alarms, and check that they work, not just that they are present.
- Note the routing of pipes, if you can see them — it saves time the next time you need to drill into a wall.
- Test the heating in every room, not just the rooms you use daily — a guest room with a radiator that does not heat up is only discovered on a cold morning if you have not checked it early.
When should a professional get involved?
A checklist is for what you can see and check yourself with ordinary common sense. If you find signs of damp, mould, a poor electrical installation or anything else that could point to a larger problem, that is not something a list can solve — it is a job for a building surveyor, an electrician or a plumber. The sooner that kind of thing is investigated after a move, the easier it is to get it dealt with while it is still a fresh case.
What HouseSense does
HouseSense lets you make a move-in checklist for every room in the home, with small tasks you tick off as they are done, and a count that shows how many of the tasks have been completed in each room. The list can be shared as a PDF if a partner or a tradesperson needs the overview passed on.
The most important things to get done in the first 14 days
- Read all the meters and save the figures somewhere safe — day one, not day ten.
- Photograph and date all existing damage, while the home is still new to your eyes.
- Test every appliance and installation, not just the ones you use first.
- Report to your insurer if something should be covered — before the short deadlines run out.
- Find the fuse box and the main stopcocks, so you do not have to search for them in an emergency.
- Contact a professional right away if you find signs of damp, mould or electrics that are not working as they should.