First Week Checklist

Quick Answer

Your first week focuses on three things: ensuring utilities work and you've got baseline readings, securing your property (locks if needed), and notifying the essentials (council tax, DVLA, utilities companies). Everything else—financial institutions, subscriptions, deep organisation—happens in the following weeks.

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Day 1 (Moving Day)

These are the non-negotiables from moving day that roll into day one priorities:

Utilities & Safety

• Confirm electricity working (lights, sockets)
• Confirm gas working (if applicable—boiler pilot light visible)
• Confirm water working (taps running, drains flowing)
• Take initial meter readings (electricity, gas, water) and photograph
• Locate main water stopcock and confirm it turns off/on
• Locate circuit breaker box and photograph it
• Optional: Change locks if concerned about previous occupants

Essentials Setup

• Set up one bed completely (bed, sheets, pillows)
• Unpack toiletries and medications
• Locate towels
• Set up kettle and basic tea/coffee supplies
• Find phone chargers and charge all devices
• Locate a torch or phone light (you'll need this tonight)

Documentation

• Take photos of every room (empty state)
• Take photos of garden/outside
• Photograph meter positions and readings
• Keep removal company receipt
• Keep keys receipt/confirmation from removal supervisor

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Days 2–3 (First 48 Hours)

You can think slightly more clearly now. You're not moving-day exhausted. This is when you handle the absolute essentials.

Utilities – Contact Providers

Electricity & Gas:

• Contact your current energy supplier to confirm move-out (if different supplier)
• Provide initial meter readings from new property
• Confirm final bill delivery address
• Set up account with new supplier if switching
• Timeline: Provides final reading confirmation; new account activation is immediate

Water Company:

• Contact your water supplier to set up account at new address
• Provide initial meter reading (if metered)
• Request contact details if unsure who supplies (check postcode on water company website)
• Timeline: Typically 1–2 weeks for account setup

Broadband:

• If not already arranged, contact your broadband provider immediately
• Confirm installation appointment and engineer visit date
• Ensure they have correct delivery address and contact number
• Ask about engineer-free activation (sometimes possible if existing infrastructure)
• Timeline: Average 8 days from order to activation (ranges 2–14 days)

See setting up utilities for comprehensive guidance on all utility companies and typical timelines.

Security

• If you changed locks, confirm they're working properly
• Test all door locks and window locks
• Identify any keys that don't fit or don't work (note for later)
• Optional: Schedule lock change for later this week if you're concerned about security and didn't do it on day one. See changing locks at your new home for detailed guidance on costs and timing.

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First Admin – The Essentials

Royal Mail Redirection:

• If not already done, set up mail redirection (£39.50 for 3 months)
• Apply online at royalmail.com or at your Post Office
• This ensures old bills, bank statements, and letters follow you

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Days 4–7 (First Week)

By day four, you've survived the worst. Now you're handling the legal/official stuff.

Government & Council

Council Tax:

• Contact your local council to register for council tax
• Find your council via postcode on gov.uk
• You'll need: proof of residence (tenancy agreement or mortgage offer), property address, move-in date
• Registration is mandatory and free
• Process time: Usually 1–2 weeks
• Bills typically start the month after registration

This is one of your priority admin tasks, with a 30-day deadline from moving date.

DVLA (Driving Licence & Vehicle):

• Update your driving licence address (free, online, takes 10 minutes)
• Go to gov.uk and search "change address on driving licence"
• Online process takes 10 minutes; changes usually processed within 2 weeks
• If posting by post, takes 2–4 weeks
• If you own a car: Update vehicle logbook (V5C) separately (also free)
• Penalty for non-compliance: Up to £1,000 fine (legally required to notify "soon after moving")

Electoral Roll:

• Contact your local council electoral services office or use gov.uk electoral register
• Register to vote (online process, takes 5 minutes)
• Deadline: Before next election (but helps with credit checks)
• Address available on council website

Tax & National Insurance

HMRC:

• Update address via Personal Tax Account (online) or HMRC app
• This single update covers: Income Tax, National Insurance, State Pension
• Process time: Immediate online; recorded in system within a few days
• Cost: Free
• No deadline but do it within first month if possible

Financial Institutions

Banks & Building Societies:

• Update address on current account(s)
• Update address on savings accounts
• Call number on back of bank card or use online banking
• Takes 5–10 minutes per account
• Cost: Free

Credit Cards:

• Update address on all credit cards
• Phone number on back of card or online portal
• Takes 5 minutes per card

Mortgages & Pensions:

• Contact your mortgage lender to update address
• Update any pension accounts or ISAs
• Phone or online, depending on provider

Insurance Update

Buildings & Contents Insurance:

• Contact buildings insurance provider to confirm address
• Confirm contents insurance will begin on move-in date
• Update any information you've provided that's changed (if applicable)
• Cost: Usually no charge for update (already paid at exchange)

Motor Insurance:

• Contact your car insurer to update address
• May affect premium (address influences risk assessment)
• Update immediately (legal requirement for insurance validity)
• Takes 5 minutes online or by phone

Boiler & Heating

Optional but Recommended:

• Schedule boiler service with Gas Safe registered engineer (if not recently serviced)
• Cost: ~£100
• Duration: 40–60 minutes
• Timeline: Can usually schedule within 1–2 weeks
• Why: Maintains warranty; identifies any issues early
• Not urgent but good to do in first month

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Weekly Priority Breakdown

Most Urgent (Days 1–3)

Things that have immediate deadlines or security implications:

1. Utilities confirmed working + initial readings taken
2. Locks checked/changed if needed
3. Royal Mail redirection set up
4. Energy supplier contacted to confirm transfer
5. Broadband ordered (if not already done)

Time investment: 3–4 hours spread across 3 days

Very Important (Days 4–7)

Things with short deadlines (though not immediate):

1. Council tax registration (30-day deadline)
2. DVLA address change (legally required soon; first week is realistic)
3. Electoral roll registration
4. Bank address updates
5. Credit card address updates
6. Mortgage lender notification

Time investment: 4–6 hours spread across week

Important But Not Urgent (Can Wait Until Week 2)

Things that don't have immediate deadlines:

1. HMRC address update (can be done within first month)
2. Pension/ISA updates
3. Insurance address updates (usually already updated at purchase)
4. GP/dentist address changes
5. Employer payroll updates
6. Subscription services address updates
7. Boiler service (do within first month, not first week)

Time investment: 2–3 hours

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The Reality Check

By end of week one, you'll have:

• Functioning utilities with readings recorded
• Security checked or improved
• Mail redirection in place
• Started the process of 5–7 official address changes

You won't have:

• Unpacked all boxes (this takes weeks)
• Organised everything (also weeks)
• Notified 20+ organisations (ongoing through month two)
• Deep cleaned the old property (happens after this week)
• Moved on with your life

And that's fine. Moving is not a sprint. It's a marathon that feels like a sprint for the first two weeks.

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If You're Behind Schedule

If you're reading this in week two or three and haven't done some of these things:

Don't panic. Do these immediately:

1. Council tax registration (30-day deadline from move-in date)
2. DVLA address change (legally required; fine up to £1,000 if ignored)

Do this week:

1. Bank address updates (affects your credit file)
2. Boiler service if you don't know when it was last done

Everything else can wait one more week. Seriously. Your mortgage lender, insurance company, and employer don't need your new address within seven days.

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The Emotional Check-in

By end of week one, you'll probably feel:

• Exhausted: Moving is genuinely tiring.
• Overwhelmed: The number of notifications feels endless.
• Anxious: About missed deadlines, about whether you've done everything right.
• Slightly celebratory: You've survived moving day and your new place has utilities.

All of this is normal and temporary. By week three, the anxiety fades. By week six, this all feels routine.

You've got this.

What if I can't complete all first-week tasks by day seven?

Don't panic. The only genuinely urgent items are confirming utilities work and notifying suppliers. Council tax, DVLA, and bank updates have a full 30-day window. Moving is overwhelming; prioritise utilities first, then security, then admin. Everything else is best-effort, not deadline-dependent.

Which utility notifications are actually essential and which can wait?

Essential within 48 hours: Electricity and gas suppliers (free transfer, impacts your first bill). Broadband (affects internet access). Can wait: Water (takes 1–2 weeks to set up anyway). All three need notifying pre-completion ideally, but supplier transfers can happen moving day onward.

Can I delay changing locks until week two if I'm exhausted?

Yes. Changing locks within the first week is recommended while you have energy, but delaying until week two is acceptable. The only exception: if you have genuine security concerns or the property has had multiple tenants, changing locks in week one provides peace of mind when you're settling into a new space.

How strict is the council tax registration deadline?

30 days from moving date is the legal deadline. In practice, councils don't fine individuals immediately if you're a day or two late. However, delays can affect voting rights, credit records, and benefit eligibility. Register within the deadline to avoid complications.

What's the penalty for not updating DVLA within the required timeframe?

DVLA requires address update "soon after moving"—legally vague but first month is reasonable. Penalty for non-compliance is up to £1,000 fine, though enforcement is inconsistent. Most people update within first week without issues. Update early to avoid the theoretical penalty.