The First Two Days Set the Tone
Try to do everything and you will burn out. Do nothing and you will trip over boxes for weeks. Here is a realistic plan for the first 48 hours that keeps the house functional and your sanity intact.
Hour 1: The Walk-Through
Before furniture goes in, walk through every room with a phone camera and:
- Photograph any existing damage (handy for end-of-tenancy or warranty claims)
- Note the location of the fuse box, stopcock, gas meter, boiler and any isolation valves
- Check all keys work — front, back, windows, garage, shed
- Test the alarm if there is one
- Check smoke alarms are present and working
Hour 2: Utilities and Meters
- Take meter readings for gas, electricity and water — photograph them
- Submit readings to your new energy supplier (or the deemed contract supplier if you have not switched yet)
- Find the stopcock so you know how to turn off the water in an emergency
- Locate the boiler and check the pressure gauge (typically should be 1.0 to 1.5 bar cold)
Hour 3: Set Up the Kitchen Basics
You do not need to unpack the whole kitchen. Just enough to:
- Make a cup of tea
- Cook a basic meal
- Wash up
That is typically: kettle, mugs, a couple of plates, a pan, a chopping board, a knife, basic cutlery, washing up liquid and a tea towel.
Hour 4: Bedrooms
For each person, the priority is a made-up bed with familiar bedding. Everything else can wait.
- Beds reassembled (your removals crew will usually do this)
- Bedding on (from your first-night box)
- One lamp per room
- Phone charger
For children, recreate their old room layout as closely as possible — same cuddly toys, same side of the bed. See moving with young children.
Hour 5: Bathroom
Set up enough that nobody is hunting for loo roll at 11 pm.
- Loo roll in every bathroom
- Hand soap
- Towels for each person
- Toiletries bag accessible
- Bath mat if you have one
Evening of Day 1: Dinner and Downtime
Order takeaway. Sit on the sofa even if it is facing the wrong way. Do not unpack anything else tonight.
If you have children, do the normal bath, story, bed routine — even in a half-empty house. Routine matters more than tidiness.
Day 2 Morning: Safety and Admin
A short list, mostly quick wins:
- Test smoke alarms with the button
- Check the carbon monoxide alarm (or fit one if there is not one)
- Find the consumer unit (fuse box) and trip the main switch once to confirm you can — useful in an emergency
- Note your new postcode for online deliveries
- Take a photo of the gas meter and electricity meter for your records
Day 2: Unpack by Priority
Do not unpack room by room — unpack by how often you use things.
Priority 1 (today):
- Kitchen daily-use items
- Toiletries and medication
- Work essentials if you are working from home tomorrow
- Children's school uniforms or nursery essentials
Priority 2 (this week):
- Most of the kitchen
- Wardrobes
- Living room
Priority 3 (when you get to it):
- Books, decorations, art
- Loft and garage contents
Things to Register or Sort in the First 48 Hours
- Council tax — confirm registration at new address
- Bin collection day — usually on the council website
- Local recycling centre — handy for cardboard
- Nearest supermarket and chemist
- Nearest A&E and walk-in centre
- Local GP (if not already done)
See our full address-change checklist for everyone else you need to notify.
Cardboard Mountain: Dealing With Packing Waste
By day 2 you will have a wall of flat boxes. Options:
- Council recycling — usually fortnightly, but check
- Local recycling centre — fastest if you have a car
- Freecycle, Facebook Marketplace, OLIO — boxes go fast to people moving next month
- Removals company collection — some offer this for a small fee or free
Get to Know the Basics of the House
- Which sockets work which lights?
- How does the heating control work? (Programmer, thermostat, radiator valves)
- How do you fill the boiler if pressure drops?
- Where is the immersion heater override?
- Which way does the front door key turn to deadlock?
- Is there a water shut-off in addition to the stopcock?
You do not need to know all this on day one, but knowing it by day 5 saves panic later.
Neighbours
A simple "hi, we have just moved in" is usually appreciated, even if you do not see them again for weeks. It is also useful to know:
- Which day the bins go out
- Whether parking is permit or pressured
- Anything quirky about the area
Quick Checklist
- Photograph all meters and existing damage on day 1
- Find stopcock, fuse box and boiler
- Beds made up with familiar bedding
- Kitchen basics only — do not unpack everything
- Takeaway on night 1
- Smoke and CO alarms tested on day 2
- Unpack by priority, not room
- Say hi to neighbours
Want to Start the First 48 Hours Less Exhausted?
A smooth move makes the first two days dramatically easier. Use our calculator to benchmark a fair price for a full-service move, then compare quotes from properly vetted companies.