A Moving House Checklist After Settlement

Settlement day itself is largely administrative, handled between your conveyancer, your lender and the seller's representatives. The tasks that make the move feel real, and that determine how smoothly the first few weeks in a new home go, happen in the days immediately before and after. This checklist covers what to organise once settlement is confirmed, roughly in the order it tends to come up.

Confirm Settlement Has Actually Completed

Before you arrange access to the property or hand over keys to a removalist, get written confirmation from your conveyancer that settlement has formally completed. Settlement can occasionally be delayed on the day itself, and turning up with a moving truck before funds and title have actually changed hands creates unnecessary stress for everyone involved. This applies whether you are settling on a standard residential purchase or a property transfer between family members. Once your conveyancer confirms completion, you are clear to collect keys and begin the move.

Organise Utility Connections in Advance

Arrange for electricity, gas, water and internet to be connected in your name from the settlement date, and organise disconnection at your old address for the same day if you are also selling. Booking these in advance, ideally a week or two before settlement, avoids a gap where you move in without power or a working internet connection. Water accounts in many states remain with the property rather than transferring with occupancy, so confirm how this works in your state with your conveyancer if you are unsure.

• Book electricity, gas and internet connections ahead of your move-in date.
• Confirm final meter readings at your old address on moving day.
• Check whether water charges transfer automatically or need separate arrangement.
• Update any home insurance policy to reflect your new address and start date.

Redirect Your Mail and Update Your Address

Set up mail redirection through Australia Post before you move, since even a short gap can mean missed bills or correspondence. Beyond that, work through updating your address with your bank, employer, the Australian Electoral Commission, Medicare, your vehicle registration authority, and any insurance policies. Doing this over the first couple of weeks rather than all at once on moving day keeps the list manageable. It can help to keep a running list as accounts and subscriptions come to mind, since address changes for things like streaming services, loyalty programs and less frequent correspondence are easy to forget until a bill or renewal notice goes to the wrong place.

Complete a Final Property Inspection

If you had not already done a pre-settlement inspection, walk through the property as soon as you collect the keys to confirm its condition matches what you agreed to purchase and that any inclusions listed in the contract, such as fixtures or appliances, are present. If something is missing or damaged, raise it with your conveyancer promptly, since there are usually defined timeframes for pursuing a claim against the deposit or seller after settlement. Take dated photographs of the property's condition on the day you take possession, since this creates a clear record if a dispute arises later about what state the property was in when you moved in.

Handle Keys, Alarms and Access

Collect all keys, garage remotes, security codes and any strata fobs from the agent or seller, and consider changing external locks early on for peace of mind, since you cannot know how many spare keys previously existed. If the property has an alarm system, arrange for the code to be reset and update any monitoring service with your details. If the property is part of a strata or community title scheme, confirm with the strata manager how to register as the new owner for access to shared facilities and any resident communications.

Update Your Records and Certificates

Once you have moved in, update your driver's licence and vehicle registration address if required in your state, and confirm your new property details on file with your local council for rates purposes. If you are eligible for a first home buyer grant or concession, check with your conveyancer whether there is a residency requirement, such as living in the property for a minimum period, that you need to meet and record. Missing a residency requirement, even unintentionally, can put a grant or concession at risk, so treat this as one of the more important items on your post-settlement list rather than an afterthought.

Look After Practical Details Around the Move Itself

Beyond the paperwork, a few practical steps make the physical move itself easier. Measure doorways and stairwells at the new property in advance if you have large furniture, confirm parking arrangements for a removalist truck on the day, and check whether your new street has any access restrictions that could affect delivery times. If you are moving a reasonable distance, it is also worth researching new local services in advance, from a general practitioner to schools, so you are not scrambling to find them once you have already relocated. If you have any lingering questions about the transaction itself once you have settled in, our FAQ page covers many of the common ones we hear after settlement.

Settle In and File Your Paperwork

Keep your settlement statement, contract of sale, and any warranty or compliance certificates together somewhere accessible, since you are likely to need them again, whether for insurance claims, a future renovation, or eventually selling the property. If you are also managing a refinance around the same time as your move, keep your loan documents in the same place so nothing is scrambling to be found later. Settling into a new home takes a few weeks longer than most people expect, and working through these tasks steadily rather than all at once makes the transition considerably less stressful.