Preparing for moving day: your on-the-day survival kit

If you've moved home before, you'll probably remember that heady mixture of excitement and worry about everything coming together: your furniture and belongings arriving intact, your utilities switched over and working, and key rooms in some sense of order (kitchen, bathroom, bedrooms and so on).

It can be even more of a concern if you're part of a chain and find yourself towards the end of it, which means a fretful wait to find out whether you're going to complete or not.

There's so much going on in what is, in theory, a fairly straightforward process (transferring ownership of a property from seller to buyer, and vice versa if you're selling too) that it can all feel bewildering and energy sapping as you leave your old home and wait to move into the new one.

It might seem obvious, but there are some simple things you can do to ease that anxiety.

Think about what you'll need the moment you get the keys and step through the front door. The most important thing is knowing where everything is, and moving means everything ends up packed into bags, suitcases and boxes.

You'll know which rooms you're getting in the new property, so as you pack up at the old place, clearly label each box, bag and case with its intended location. At the same time, write or print sheets of paper with the name of each room and put them up outside the relevant rooms at the new place, so the removals team knows where everything goes. If you've employed a removals company to pack for you, make sure you're there to label the boxes as they're packed.

aBefore you leave your old property, take the final readings for water, gas and electricity, and photograph the meters so you have clear evidence of those readings. You'll need to do the same at your new property, so you can give accurate information to the various providers.Content

One of the main things people forget is what they'll need during the removals process itself, usually tea or coffee to keep everyone going. It's worth having the means to hand: tea, coffee, sugar, mugs, spoons, biscuits and the kettle. A large bottle of water is worth packing too, in case the water hasn't been turned on yet at the new place. Pack these along with something simple to eat, such as sandwiches, and keep the box with you rather than leaving it for the removals company to unload last.

If you've forgotten something or need to top up food and drink, it's worth knowing where the nearest shops are and their opening times.

Alongside the tea and biscuits, there's a shorter list of things worth having on you at all times on the day itself:

• Wallets and purses
• Credit or debit cards
• Cash, in case somewhere doesn't take card payments
• Mobile phones, fully charged before you leave your old home
• Chargers for phones and any other important gadgets
• Important documents: birth and wedding certificates, passports and other identification, car insurance, driving licence, MOT, previous and new home insurance documents
• Keys (car, padlocks and so on), once you've handed over all the current home's keys to the estate agent, landlord or whoever's managing the handover
• A list of key numbers: solicitor, utility providers for both old and new addresses, in case anything needs chasing
• Locations of nearby shops, the local pub, a DIY store in case anything needs fixing on arrival, and a chemist for emergency medication
• Your final utility readings from the old property
• The room labels you'll be putting up at the new place

Keep all of these together in one safe place so you know exactly where they are throughout the day. If you're wondering who else needs telling about your move, our change of address checklist covers who to notify and when.

Moving day itself might still be fractious and tiring, but having this sorted in advance means you can focus on the move rather than hunting for your passport halfway through.

Whatever stage of your property project you're at, you'll need effective, focused legal representation to keep things moving as quickly and efficiently as possible. That's why it's worth talking to Homeward Legal as early as you can.

Our conveyancers start work on your case as soon as you agree the quotation and appoint them to act for you. Call us on to get your conveyancing quote started, or get a quick quote using our online quote generator.