On completion day what should we do

[angel0071987]

So finally after a long slog and one fallen through purchase we are finally nearing the end. Planning on exchanging on Monday and completing on the 3rd July. We are FTB so not sure what we need to do on completion day. We have already paid all fees and deposit etc to solicitor so set on that side of things.
Do we pick keys up lunchtime ish from the property or EA?
Obviously take meter readings etc. And maybe have to clean the place a bit before decorating and moving in.
Anything I've forgotten?

Clean the place ‘a bit’ might be optimistic.

You also need a celebratory bottle of something. Know where the kettle and cups are packed.

EA will release the keys when the money is received.

it might be a bit later than lunchtime, depending on how long the chain is. On the day, all the money transfer have to take place, then you have to wait for each person in the chain to vacate their property etc. When we were FTB it was nearly 4pm, and last time about 2ish.

Yup, read meters etc straight away and prepare to do a fair amount of cleaning. With the best will in the world, it can be difficult to get houses really clean before vacating when lorries are being packed, furniture is still in situ instil the 11th hour etc.

Apart from that, there is not much to do, apart from settle in and start setting up all the utilities etc.

With our first place, we had a crossover with our rental of a few days. We got the keys, cleaned (we were lucky, it was pretty good, but the floors needed a mop from movers coming in and out, and there were some dust bunnies where furniture had been). We had a takeaway on the living room floor.
Look in the loft / shed / garage etc and make sure the vendors took all their stuff!
Take meter readings (including water if applicable), set up good value deals (money saving tips has a utility club which finds you cheap deals), and make sure you know where your stopcock is.
Enjoy it - if you sell and buy in future it will be much more rushed!

Sort out your WiFi beforehand - it can take a couple of weeks to set up. Set up mail redirection. Make a list of everyone you need to advise of your change of address, including work. Declutter your own stuff. Change the locks when you move in - you just replace the lock barrel and it's a DIY job (YouTube and lock manufacturers have videos) with new lock barrels costing around £10 in most cases. You just don't know who has copies of the keys. Make sure that as well as the door keys you have the window keys and the keys to anything else, e.g. garage door, shed padlock, etc if they are being left.

Oh and if there are velux roof windows, have the vendors taken the opening pole with them? Check the grill pan has been left in the oven. Particularly when you have packers, they will pack anything and everything that doesn't move and it can be hard to keep an eye on everything as vendors. In fact, if you think about these things now, you can ask whether they will be planning on leaving them. We've always had a budget for unexpected costs and have always had to use at least some of it.

I wish as FTB we didnt rush into the property! If you have somewhere else to keep your stuff the first day I would (we should have left it at home) and throughly deep clean everything. Our friends did this and got so much more done than we did. Meter readings are important and also thinking like finding out how to stop the water. We then loaded everything into the lounge and kept going, also choose who you have help. Our greatest help was OH friend, least helpful was his mum and his grandpa.

Oh and change the locks! Our seller showed up a few weeks ago with some spare keys.. we moved in 6 months ago! Luckily as we had changed them they were useless

Take photos of everything - and take meter readings. If budget allows organise a deep clean team to come in and make sure everything is clean !
Congratulations!