How to Create the Ultimate Home Moving Binder

What is a Home Moving Binder?

A home moving binder or folder is a collection of information about the home and the surrounding area which will make settling into your new home and area so much easier and will help those moving into your old home settle just as quickly.

There is one aspect of organising your home move that is often neglected: ‘How do you get to know a new home?’

By that I mean, how do you set the boiler timer? Where is the fuse box?  Where is the nearest recycling centre in your new hometown? Where’s the guarantee for..? Additionally, many appliances are built-in these days so you will need to know how they work.

You will likely have a list of questions to ask the previous owner before moving in. And so will your buyers or tenants about their new home.

So, how about providing an essential home information binder, or home handover book, which you would give to the new occupants of your home when you were moving out?

(And, just as importantly, don’t forget to direct the current occupiers of your new home to this guide so that they can create a similar home information binder for you).

Use this moving binder idea to create your own list of good questions to ask before moving into your new home, especially if the seller does not have the inclination, or time, to create a binder for you.

You may also like to read: Questions to Ask Your Removal Company. Knowing and sharing information is key to a successful home move. In this guide, we suggest some questions that you should ask your removal company so that you know as much about the company you are hiring as possible but also that they are fully aware of what is expected of them on moving day.

How to Prepare an Essential Information Binder When Moving Out

As with any home moving-related task, planning and organization is the key to success. So the first four steps are to create a binder, so you will need:

1. A ring binder
2. A number of plastic page sleeves
3. Section dividers
4. A pen for marking the page dividers

The information in the binder should be relevant, useful, and concise, or it will take up too much of your valuable time to create, and the people moving into your home will get bored going through it trying to find the information they seek.

So the first page should be an index, which we can break down into just a few easy-to-navigate categories.

It would be a good idea to include your contact number and/or email address at the foot of the index page just in case the new occupants have forgotten to ask you something, or something has not been included in the binder.

Your moving-out binder index should look something like this:

• Emergency: Location of water stop cock, gas shut-off valve, and electrical fuse box.

• Utilities

• Instruction Manuals / Useful To Know Things

• Guarantees

• House Information

• Local Information

Most of these moving binder sections will only take one page to provide the essential information, but the binder will help to keep everything together and well organized.

Instruction manuals and instructions should be in individual wallets to make finding them easier, as should the guarantees.

If you don’t have the instruction manuals, a few helpful lines on how to set the timers, or useful to-know operating tips, would be great.

You may also like to read: How to Organise Important Documents When Moving Home. It is easy to mislay or lose documents when moving to a new home. In this guide, we look at how to organise and keep important documents safe during their relocation to your new home.

What to Include in a Home Moving Organiser

Each page should be set out like this:

#1 Location of Water Stop Cock, Gas Shut Off Valve, Electrical Fuse Box

• Mains water stop cock – Outside back door on the left under the manhole cover
• Bathroom water stop cock – Under sink
• Kitchen water stop cock – Beneath sink in right-hand cupboard
• Location of Mains Gas Shut Off
• In cabinet on the outside wall to the right of the back door – Key No. 2
• Electric Fuse Box
• In the cupboard under the stairs

#2 Utilities

• Water Company – All England Water – Telephone: 0123 4567890
• Electricity Supplier – Plenty of Power – Telephone: 0123 4567890
• Gas Supplier – Gas Lines – Telephone: 0123 4567890

#3 Instruction Manuals / Useful Tips

• Water Boiler – Include the date when last serviced
• Heating thermostat – If it is detachable / works remotely mention that
• Gas Fires – Include any service records
• Heating Oil Tank – Who the preferred supplier is – Maintenance company details
• Washing Machine
• Tumble Dryer
• Fridge Freezer – When was the water filter last changed if it has one
• Cooker – any tips such as if a recipe says 40 minutes, check after 30, as the oven is very efficient
• Microwave
• Dish Washer
• Waste Disposal
• Air conditioner – when was it last serviced
• Alarm System – Service company contact details – remember to include the code
• Automatic gates – Include remote keyfobs in this sleeve
• Garage door remote – Fobs or proximity detectors should be in this sleeve
• Outside Lights

#4 Guarantees

• A plastic wallet for each one will be best

#5 House Information

• Location of keys for windows, meter reading box, etc.
• Recycling and waste collection schedule
• Which materials should go in which coloured recycling bins
• Where to place the Wi-Fi router for the best reception.
• Any interesting history about the home (Mick Jagger once stayed here – that sort of thing)
• When was the septic tank last emptied
• Which is the best company for heating oil/logs / septic tank emptying
• Have any home improvements been done to the house which means that the electrical wiring for the utility room has its own wiring circuit for example
• Noting the names of any builders you have used may help if there are any problems
• If you have had any electrical work done include the tradesman’s details
• Are there any floor coverings or wood finishes that require specific products to maintain
• Random and quirky things – this might include good-to-know things like ‘lift the knobs on the kitchen drawers to pull them out – the runners stick!’ ‘The light switch in the second bedroom is upside down’.

#6 Local Information

• The Wilsons at No 7 are moving next month, they will be grateful for any moving boxes you may want to get rid of.
• The municipal recycling centre opens 0800-1700 every day of the week (they will take your packing materials waste)
• There is a great local market on Thursdays in the Square
• The organiser of the local Neighbourhood Watch is Alex at number 23
• The chairperson of the residents association is Jane at number 42
• Watch out for the dog at number 20, it hates cats
• There is a great youth club at……..
• Lilly two doors up is a reliable babysitter
• Don’t use the kennels in Station Street, they have kennel cough regularly there

So, you get the idea. If you have specific questions to ask about your new home, the likelihood is, so will the buyers of your home, therefore include it in your home handover book.

You may also like to read: How to Change Address When Moving Home. It is essential to make sure that companies and any other important people you have dealings with know your new address. Not only does this ensure you get any important mail but will also help to prevent identity theft.

How to Organise Your Move – A Bonus Tip: Label all the keys you are leaving for the new occupants. All external door locks and padlocks should be changed by the new occupants, but the current keys must still be left in the home. Don’t forget to collect and leave any keys that friends or family may have.

Good Idea: Why not direct the sellers of your new home to this guide so that they can create a binder for you?

There are plenty of things to ask when moving into a new home, don’t be afraid to ask the vendor directly, or even email a full list of questions to them so that they can include the answer in your binder.

2 Essential Questions to Ask Sellers or Landlords

Nobody knows the local area, or the home you are moving into, like the current owners.

There are 2 questions that may get you a ream of useful information that you didn’t even know you needed when moving into a new home:

‘Have I forgotten to ask you anything?’

‘Is there anything else I should know’?

Physically moving home is just a day or two, but settling into a house and new surroundings can take months, anything you can do to make that process easier seems like a sensible thing to do.

Of course, not all home moves will be that organised, but spread the word about this great idea, and it may just become the norm when moving home.