In Your Early Days
You have just moved in and you’re already thinking about all the tasks you need to tackle in the first few days, from unpacking your belongings to showing friends and family your new home; however, there are a few things that you might want to put at the top of your list to help you get your home up and running quickly.
2 minute read
Get to Grips with Your New Home
- Read through your homeowner guide and visit your dashboard, where all the information about your new home is safely stored and ready to access at any time, from appliance manuals, links to register your appliances, and details of your fixtures and fittings
- Ensure that you have all the appliance manuals that you need and refer to these before using them for the first time. If anything is missing, let your housebuilder know or look online, as most companies will have downloadable versions of specific manuals
- Familiarise yourself with and test your smoke alarms. Remember to do this on a regular basis, e.g., when the clocks are changed, and change the batteries once a year
- Check those garden boundaries are as you expected and you are clear on responsibilities for features such as fences and hedges
- Personalising your home with items such as pictures and shelves is exciting, but before you start to drill holes in walls or floors, it is important to know where cables are positioned. You can do this using a cable detector
Ensure You Have All Correct Documentation
Check that you have received all the documentation that you require and will need, should you decide to sell your property.
- Gas and electrical installation certificates
- New home warranty certificate, which will be required should you sell your home in the warranty period
Set Up Utilities
- Set up energy and water supplies in your name and confirm the meter readings taken on handover day. Also, make sure you have given the final readings to previous utility suppliers. Our handy ‘Who to Contact’ checklist will ensure you don’t forget anybody
- Contact TV licensing to make sure you are covered at your new address. This can be done at www.tvlicensing.co.uk
Register Defects
Take a walk around your home and make a note of anything that may need to be repaired or is not as you expected. It is important to do this early, as it will make it easier for your housebuilder to put any problems right – it could be difficult to prove who caused the defect if it is not reported until later. Your warranty should cover you for any genuine defects that you could not or would not have been expected to see at the time of moving in or develop over time. Your Hoozzi hub has a list of useful contacts.
*How To articles are intended as advice only. Please refer to your completion documents for specific information on lease and covenant restrictions and maintenance of your home.*
