Moving for the first time into your new home will require a huge amount of thought and preparation, here's a few useful tips, together with a check list of essential items you'll probably require.

What You Will Need For Your First Home 

Making the decision to move into your first home can be very exciting, but scary too! Be extremely cautious regarding all aspects of the move, especially with regards to leasing agreements etc.

Always ask to have a copy of the tenancy/lease agreement and go through it thoroughly with someone more knowledgeable before signing. See Quick tips Click Here

Prior to the actual day of your move thoroughly inspect the property, preferably with the letting agent. Take along a camera and photograph any damage already present. Look for stains on the carpets, old drill holes and marks on the walls, dents or damage to any appliances, furniture etc. and burns of any description. When these photo’s are developed keep one set and give the other set to the letting agency, this will protect your deposit when you decide to leave and avoids any argument over who was responsible for the damage.

Check all appliances are in working order. If within a couple of days after moving in something decides not to work properly, IMMEDIATELY contact the letting agent, to minimise the risk of being accused of having damaged the item yourself.

All properties will vary, from totally furnished including almost everything, to a completely empty unfurnished property. It’s worth taking a moment to decide before you start to look for a property what your preference is. Totally furnished is great, you’ll have little outlay, but rents usually reflect this and deposits can be higher, with of course more items that could accidentally get broken or worn, then you’ll lose a percentage of the deposit. Whereas a completely unfurnished property will be cheaper and you can furnish according to your own budget and taste. Just remember though, when you vacate an unfurnished property, you’ll have to take everything with you.

Below is a guide to items you may require for your new property, as explained earlier, this will depend on the type of property you choose. Although there are a lot of items to consider, the vast majority can nowadays be purchased quite cheaply from large supermarkets. There are also lots of second-hand furniture dealers, auctions and eBay (New to eBay? )for the larger items. Just remember it’s not vital to have everything at once, take your time and purchase wisely. Keep a VERY close watch on your finances for the 1st couple of months and the month before the move, expenses have a habit of running away with themselves especially if you have no experience with household budgeting. I hope shortly to continue this theme with an article on household budgeting for the beginner.

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