Important jobs and costs for your new home when you first move in

Moving home? We've pulled together all the considerations, priorities and costs for when you first move into a new home. These tips could save you a lot of hassle and further costs down the line.

The easier way to book quality trades

Download app

The key when you first move into your new home is to carefully consider everything. Take the property for what it is.

Don’t rush into making any rash decisions and live in your new home for a little bit. Living in your new home means you can find out all the ins and outs, and your initial ideas may begin to change as you become more familiar with your new surroundings.

When you have a better idea of how the house can be lived in, you can then think about any renovations you want to do.

Need some help with checking the structure? A builder or bricklayer may be a good place to start.

Changing your locks

One of the first jobs that’s important to do when moving into a new house is to take a look at the locks.

For security purposes and peace of mind, it’s always best to get new locks fitted so that you know exactly who has access to your new home.

Locksmiths often charge an hourly rate for jobs, plus the cost of any locks and other materials they need to use.

Some will charge a set charge for specific jobs. To change a yale lock, you’re looking at a cost of between £90 - £120. To change all locks, including two exterior doors and windows, you’re looking at a ballpark cost of between £400 - £600.

Locksmith prices in the UK in 2026

Whether you get locked out of the house or you just want to upgrade your door locks, a locksmith can help. Here, we'll break down the average locksmith prices in the UK and the common jobs you might need them for.

Learn more

Cleaning your home

Before any renovation begins, you may wish to clean every surface in your home, and we would recommend doing so. Moving into a new home is not like moving into rented accommodation; there's no luxury of an end-of-tenancy cleaned home!

Now would not be a bad time to hire a professional cleaning company to complete a deep clean.

• The average full house cleaning service cost is £31 per hour, and you can expect it to take six hours for a one-off clean (this will vary from house to house)

• If you have big renovation plans, then be prepared for more dirt and dust to accumulate (unavoidable on your new and exciting journey)

Just know, there is always a cleaning company around to help you. Don’t be left overwhelmed by the amount of dust after building works.

There are after-builders cleaning services that can deep clean your home to make it homely again. This costs around £32.50 per hour .

Check out some of our other deep cleaning costs.

Don't forget the gutters!

Don’t be left gutted by your guttering! Blocked gutters can allow water to seep into places it shouldn’t and cause substantial damage. They may not have been done for a while with the previous owners, so it’s a good idea to get a professional in right away.

• Cleaning the gutters is a quick win, and you’re looking at a ballpark cost of £50 - £120for 5m of guttering on a terraced house

• For a medium, semi-detached house with 15m of guttering, you're looking at about £100 - £150

Costs will all depend on different factors, such as where you are geographically and how easy to access your gutters are.

Getting your boiler serviced

A boiler is arguably one of the most important aspects of your home, so it’s essential that it’s working efficiently.

Whilst in the process of buying, you may have received or asked for the information on when the boiler was installed and last serviced. If not, then you can always find a boiler professional to take a look. They may suggest you service the boiler. For a gas boiler, you can expect to pay, on average, £100 for a service

If it turns out that you do need a new boiler, then this will be high on your priority list. In fact, it should be your first major job.

6 reasons you should service your boiler

Energy prices have skyrocketed. So the last thing you probably want is to fork out on servicing your boiler! But did you know an annual boiler service could actually save you money?!

Learn more

If you need a new boiler

It's a good idea to install a new boiler before completing any kitchen or bathroom renovation. Mostly because if you’re switching from a different central heating system altogether, then it means new pipework and a new location for your boiler.

It will save you money in the long run if you prioritise this first and prevent disruption in your home.

And if this is your long-term home, or even ‘forever home’, then it’s a no-brainer - a new, efficient boiler will save you money on your bills too!

Here's what you can expect to pay for a new boiler:

When looking at your central heating, consider a new thermostat too

Thermostats today are smart. If you want to be fully in control of your heating, then it’s worth checking out smart thermostats such as Hive, Nest, and Tado. Smart thermostats allow you to connect to the home via wifi and give you full control of the heating in your home from a smartphone or tablet.

The average cost of a Hive, Nest, or Tado installation is around £238 for materials and labour.

Want help with a boiler or need more building works to make a property habitable?

Decorating

Decorating your new home is a given - we all have our own taste, and it’s unlikely that you will find a home with the perfect décor to suit you. This is a job to hold fire on until you know exactly what you’re doing with your home.

If you’re:

• Looking to fit a new kitchen and bathroom

• Looking to knock a wall or two down

• In need a new boiler

You won’t want to decorate before you complete these tasks. Jobs of this size will cause dust, and there is always a chance of accidental damage in the process of moving and removing old units.

Wait until the big jobs are complete before grabbing paintbrushes or hiring a professional decorator.

If you can make a start, start with your ceilings

If, however, you’re confident about the structure of your home and all the walls are staying, then a good first job to do before moving in all your things is to paint your ceilings. Keep your possessions out of any rooms before painting the ceiling so that no splatter marks will ruin furniture.

At this point, if you’re painting your ceilings and you want coving, this is a great time to do this. For a whole room, you’re looking at a coving cost of about £335 to supply and fit standard coving.

The same goes with your flooring; if you’re not planning on having new flooring installed, then consider at this stage if you want skirting boards.

Trending skirting board ideas for your 2026 project

The TikTokers and Instagrammers of the world are ‘board’ of their old-fashioned, overly-glossed, bland white skirting boards of yesteryear and showing us how it's done. It’s hard not to be impressed with these trending skirting board ideas. You might not have the time, skill, or even interest to

Learn more

Checking your fire alarms

Fire alarms are paramount for safety in the home. If there are existing fire alarms in the home, then ensure they are working by getting them professionally serviced. If there are no alarms, then it’s a wise idea to get a professional in to fit fire alarms throughout the home.

The cost of an average domestic fire alarm system installation will be between £50 - £250.

Flooring plans

You may be used to looking at floorplans in your search for a new property, but now you need to shift to your actual flooring plans.

There are lots of options, from carpets, vinyl, laminate, wood effect or even real wood. You might have a good idea of what you want already (herringbone is very popular at the moment!).

If you have pets, you might be more likely to think of those easy-to-clean options of laminate and vinyl.

Either way, whatever flooring type you choose, we recommend completing your flooring before you decorate.

Is your new home well insulated?

Getting someone in to look at your insulation before you start decorating is a good idea to prevent any time and money from being wasted. A well-insulated home means a more efficient home that will save you money in the long term.

A good place to start is to look at the loft insulation and also cavity wall insulation.

The Energy Saving Trust estimates that well-fitted loft insulation can save you an average of £150 a year and can also increase the value of your home by up to 16% should you look to resell in the near future.

The cost will depend on the type of insulation you choose, whether that’s blanket loft insulation, loose-fill loft insulation, or sheet loft insulation.

Hiring a handyperson may be a good idea

A handyperson will be handy by name and nature. They can help you with various smaller tasks that you may wish to complete such as hanging pictures and changing light bulbs and fuses, among many other things.

The average UK hourly rate of a handyperson is £30 per hour, but charges can range depending on their skill set and your location.

It's worth noting that most handymen have a minimum call-out fee of £40–£50, so you may want to make a list of small jobs you need doing before making the call.

With this in mind, the average cost to hire a handyman is £80.

How to hire a handyperson

Hiring a handyperson can be a practical way to get multiple small jobs done — especially when they don’t need a specialist trade. Find out what to look for and the key questions to ask before you hire a handyman to work in your home.

Learn more

First time buyer? What to do when you get the keys

It can be overwhelming knowing where to start when you're a first time buyer. Take a look at our checklist on what to do when you get the keys to your first home.

You're not alone on this journey

Moving into a new home can be overwhelming.

It may feel as though you have all the weight on you when your to-do list starts to grow. But remember, you are not alone. Friends and family will always be more than willing to support you.

Even better, you have thousands of checked and reviewed tradespeople available to help here at Checkatrade.

How to find and hire a good tradesperson

Hiring a tradesperson isn’t just about finding someone available — it’s about choosing someone with the right skills, experience, and approach for your job. Discover what to look for and the questions to ask to help ensure you hire right, first time.

Learn more

Checkatrade

Follow us

More Builder Articles

House renovation: Cost breakdown 2026

How much does a new boiler cost in the UK in 2026?

30 master bedroom design ideas

View all