Buildings and Contents
At the time of exchange you should make provision to protect your new home with a Buildings and Contents Policy.(Already sorted at the point of mortgage application with your financial adviser) This is a condition of the mortgage contract and your lender will insist on it .This will protect the building against damage such as that caused by fire or subsidence and will also insure your contents to your chosen value.

Protection
You will need life insurance, critical illness cover or mortgage payment protection insurance (MPPI) in case you are made redundant or suffer from a prolonged absence from work and are not able to meet with your mortgage payments. If you are buying your home with someone else, it would be advisable you might want to take out life insurance. If one of you dies this will then pay off the mortgage or pay out a lump sum. Your Financial Adviser will have explained the options to you and will provide you with a breakdown of your monthly costs. Be sure that they are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.

You should aim to move into your property on a day convenient for yourself, the seller and any other parties in the chain. This is usually agreed at exchange of contracts stage. When you move into your new home, you may choose to move your possessions yourself or hire a man-with-a- van.

If however you need to use a professional removal company then you will need to get a few quotes. Find out whether your belongings are insured during packing and transit. This may depend on whether they pack for you or not. Ask for references.

Should the completion date change then keep your chosen removal company informed to ensure that they have availability.

Make sure that all boxes are labeled correctly so that they will be delivered into the right room, which will make unpacking a lot faster. You will also need to arrange for connection all the utilities such as Gas, Electricity, Telephone Water, Council(for Council Tax and also to register on the electoral roll). Check out www.youswitch.co.uk to look at the most competitive source of utility suppliers. Its always good shop around and this site will highlight the best deals on the market and who with.

Maintain your home, keep a list of all expenditure that you have invested in improvements and any guarantees of work carried out. This will stand you in good stead when you are ready to make that next move up ladder.