Moving house checklist: meters, contracts and manuals

Moving house is a hundred small tasks that all land at once. Boxes, a van, a painter, and in the meantime energy, broadband and insurance have to move too. Most of it is not hard, as long as you do it in time.

This checklist follows the timeline around key handover: what to sort out weeks ahead, what to do on the day, and what comes after. It works both for the home you are leaving and the one you are moving into. Rules differ between European countries, so treat the timings as a guide and check what applies where you live.

Four to six weeks before

List every contract tied to your address

Start with an overview of everything connected to your current home:

• energy (electricity and gas, or district heating);
• water;
• broadband, TV and landline;
• insurance: contents, buildings, liability;
• address-based services, such as an alarm system or a newspaper;
• rent or mortgage, and any owners’ association or service charge.

For each one, note the end date and the notice period. Our guide on how to keep track of contract notice periods explains how those work.

Decide per contract: move it, transfer it or cancel it

Energy. In many countries you can take your energy contract with you to the new address. Some suppliers even let you run it at both addresses for a while, handy if your move has an overlap. If you end a fixed-price contract early, an exit fee may apply, so ask your supplier first. Moving to a home without gas? A combined gas-and-electricity contract may then have to be ended as a whole rather than just the gas part.

Broadband and TV. Check whether your provider serves the new address and whether it has a policy for people who move. Some charge the remaining months if you leave during the minimum term; others let you take the contract along. Book the installation early, because engineers can have waiting lists of several weeks.

Water. In many countries you cannot choose your water company: it depends on the region. Let both the old and the new water company know.

Insurance. Your contents insurance needs your new address and home details; the premium may change. If you are buying, you will usually need buildings insurance from the day of transfer, and your mortgage lender will often require proof.

Register your new address

Most EU countries require you to register a change of address with the local authority within a set period. In the Netherlands, for example, you can do this from four weeks before until five days after the move; in Germany the usual deadline is two weeks after moving in. Government bodies often receive the new address automatically, but banks, insurers, your employer and subscriptions usually need to be told separately.

Two weeks before

• Tell your energy supplier. Do it as early as possible; two weeks before is a sensible latest point.
• Arrange your post. Consider a mail forwarding service for the first months, so you do not miss anything from organisations you forgot.
• Collect the manuals for everything that stays: boiler, built-in appliances, ventilation, blinds, thermostat, alarm. Missing ones can often be found on the manufacturer’s website.
• Count the keys. Front door, back door, shed, letterbox, bike store, and remotes for the garage or gate.

Handover day

This is where precision pays off.

Read and photograph the meters

On the day of handover, write down the readings for:

• electricity (both registers on a dual-rate meter, and export if there are solar panels);
• gas;
• water.

Do this at both your old and your new home, and take photos as proof. Pass the readings to your suppliers promptly; otherwise your usage may be estimated. When you sell or buy, readings are often taken together with the other party, for instance during the final walk-through.

Walk through the home together

• Check that what was agreed to stay is still there, and what was meant to go has gone.
• Test the main installations: heating, hot water, extractor hood, doorbell.
• Show where the main water valve, the gas shut-off and the fuse box are, and which circuit belongs to which room.
• Explain the correct boiler pressure and how to top it up.

Hand over the paperwork

Give the next occupant a folder, or a digital set, with:

• manuals for appliances and installations that stay;
• receipts and warranty papers, where they can be transferred;
• maintenance records, such as for the boiler and the roof;
• contact details of the installer who knows the house;
• the bin collection schedule.

If you have kept a home file, this pile is already done.

After the move

• Check your final bills. Do the meter readings match your photos?
• Update your address everywhere the authorities do not: bank, insurers, employer, online shops, subscriptions, doctor and dentist.
• List your new contracts with end dates and notice periods, so you know when you can switch in your new home too.
• Get to know your new home. Find the main water valve before you need it, note the boiler’s brand and model and plan its first service.

The checklist at a glance

When	What
6–4 weeks before	List contracts, decide per contract, register your new address if allowed in advance
2 weeks before	Tell your energy supplier, arrange post, gather manuals and keys
Handover day	Read and photograph meters, walk through together, hand over paperwork
Days after	Submit meter readings; register your address if not done yet
First weeks	Check final bills, update your address, record new contracts

How Domeaz helps

Moving is when you notice how scattered the details of a home are. In Domeaz your contracts sit in one list with end dates and notice periods, so you can see straight away what to take with you or cancel. Each appliance keeps its manual, and the home information holds where the main water valve and the fuse box are.

In your new home you simply start again: add the contracts, add the boiler, set a reminder for its first service. If you live with others, invite them with a code. Domeaz is free to start. More about Domeaz.