Navigating Your First Home Purchase: Essential Tips for a Smooth Move
First-Home Buyer Tips: Making the Move as Smooth as Possible
Congratulations on purchasing your first home! It’s an exciting time full of new opportunities and experiences. But, as you begin to prepare for the move, it can be easy to overlook some of the smaller details that are important for a seamless transition. At Connect Me Mortgages, we want to make the transition as smooth as possible for you. To help with this, we’ve collated some useful advice….
1. Scrutinise the Chattels: Your sale and purchase agreement should include a list of chattels – these are items that come with the property. The chattels list might include things like a dishwasher, curtains and/or blinds, towel rails, light fittings etc. However, if it’s not specified in the agreement, you will need to purchase and install these separately.
2. Curtains and/or Blinds: Unless stated on the chattels, these may need to be purchased, especially with a new build property, as many new build contracts do not cater for this. Depending on your furnishing needs, these can be a great expense. So, plan ahead and watch for sales to save on these essential items.
3. Organise Internet/Power/Gas Services: Get in touch with your internet provider to find out what broadband services are available at your new address. The cost of setting up internet and power/gas services can vary depending on the provider and plan you choose and whether services were already in place. It’s best to get these sorted at least a couple of weeks before moving in.
Once you have your settlement date and necessary installations are sorted, you can lock in the start date for your power/gas and internet services at your new property.
4. Recycling and Rubbish Collection: Your recycling bins/crates should be there when you move in, as they are allocated to the property – and are supposed to stay with that property. When you’ve moved in, if they’re missing, talk to the council about how you can get new ones. If your local council doesn’t offer recycling bins/crates, check with them about what you should do with your recycling. Many councils have recycling centres or recycling bags to offer residents who live in dwellings that are not suitable for recycling bins/crates.
Decide whether you’ll be using a waste management company or council rubbish bags/bin; your local council will have info on their website about the cost of bags and where you can purchase these.
If you’re going to sign up to a waste management company to provide a wheelie bin to take care of your rubbish, arrange this a couple of weeks ahead of your move-in date to ensure it’s delivered in time. Trust us – you’ll need a bin ready for the move.
5. Change my Details/Re-direct your Mail/Leave my Parcel authority: NZ Post offer a few services that can help with a property move. The “Change my details,” service is free, this is where you can quickly notify many large organisations about updated personal information including a change of address.
The “Re-direct your mail” service currently costs $31-$112, depending on the duration of the re-direction if you set it up at a NZ Post store, and currently you can save up to 30% off the price if you apply online (these prices are subject to change and NZ Post’s terms and conditions apply).
The “Leave my parcel authority” service (if required) can be set up after you have moved in, so you can get a feel of the property and find out where the best place to have a parcel left so that it’s protected from the weather, it’s out of view of the street and safe and easy for a courier to access.
6. Moving Truck/Boxes: It’s a great idea to stock up on boxes for your move well ahead of your move in date. If you don’t have friends and family helping you move, be sure to contact a few moving companies well ahead of time to get some quotes and make sure they can do the job when you need them to.
Make sure you don’t book your moving truck for first thing in the morning on your settlement date. Even though everyone is working toward the settlement going through, sometimes you may not actually be advised you can pick up the keys until later in the day.
If you do plan on moving in on the day of settlement, it may be worth choosing a moving time from mid-day onwards, as you do not want a moving company having their team twiddling their thumbs just waiting around for your settlement to occur.
7. Invest in Tools: You’re going to need tools for your new home. One tool that’s indispensable for any homeowner is a good quality drill. It will come in handy for everything from installing fixtures to hanging pictures. A decent drill can cost anywhere between $150 and $300. At the beginning it may be very useful to borrow these items from friends and family until you can obtain your own.
If you need to take care of lawns; decide whether you want to purchase or borrow a lawnmower and take on your own DIY, or if it will be more beneficial for you to get in a professional lawn mowing company to take care of the job. If you plan to buy a lawnmower, spend some time researching brands and the different functions available with each mower to ensure you’re getting the right one for the job.
8. Get to Know Your New Area: Join local community groups online to learn more about your new community. You’ll find tips from locals about services and restaurants to events and activities.
Whether you’re planning your first home purchase or preparing for the move, we hope these tips come in handy. Remember, every step you take is a milestone on your journey to home ownership. We wish you all the best in your new home!
If you have any questions or need advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to one of our mortgage advisers at Connect Me Mortgages. We’re here to help you make your first home experience a memorable one.
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