Your entire moving home process with Selectra

Planning your move might look daunting at first with so much to remember but it will save you a lot of time and grief once you get going. Here are a few basic steps to sort out before you begin any moving:

1. Know Your Moving Date
   If you know when you’re moving, you can be sure to contact everyone you need to before your move. This includes landlords, utility companies, removal companies, so highlighting a definite date for your move will make everything clear from the get go.
2. Labels and Boxes
   Before you even start your big clear out, organise your household items into boxes and label them. Make sure you’ve got your kitchenware and bathroom accessories all separated out to make your unpacking a doddle.
3. List Potential Problems
   Prepare a list of the typical problems that come up when moving such as making sure the electricity and gas meters are working, double checking for water leaks, and what type of broadband connection is at the property. This will help you avoid any costly surprises you might find on moving day.

No matter how much you need to pack when moving house, here are a few tips that will help you with any packing you have to do:

• Get an Assortment of Moving Boxes
  Small boxes for heavy items like books, medium and large boxes for other lighter items. Wardrobe and special mirror boxes can be handy as well if necessary.
• Packing Tape and a Marker
  You will want to secure your items and easily be able to retrieve them
• Use Protective Items
  You can use newspapers, bubble wrap, and styrofoam to pack your fragile articles.
• Plastic and Ziplock bags
  Use these for any items containing liquids like shampoo, perfume, etc. Should an object accidentally break or open in transport, you will limit the spill to inside the bag itself.
• Always Place Heavier Items
  At the bottom of any box and lighter ones on top.
• Keep Your Valuables with You!
  Passports, birth certificates, bank account statements, and other sensitive personal information. Have a special box for these and place it in your personal vehicle for the move.

Hazardous materials! We often come across plenty of hazardous materials when moving house, be sure to dispose of these correctly at your recycling centre. If you bring these items with you, verify if there aren’t any special restrictions to transport the substance safely, such as liquid gas, and other flammable or explosive items.

After moving house, you should check your home for potential problems. A quick walkthrough on your first day in your new flat or house will either give you peace of mind and allow you to deal with any problems straight away. Even though you’ve explored the place thoroughly, home maintenance issues have a funny way of waiting until the contract is signed and the movers have left before they reveal themselves.

• Checking Your Home for Problems
• Cracks in drywall or signs of stress in walls and ceilings
• Water damage and dampness
• Any potential problems with the plumbing or light fixtures
• Signs of insect or other pest infestation
• Any strange smells, which could be a sign of plumbing or water issues
• You’ll also want to turn on all lights, fans, taps, the boiler and air conditioning if applicable to make sure everything is working.

So what should you do if you do find a problem? If you’re renting, you should contact the owner, landlord or property manager straight away. In the Ireland, renters are guaranteed certain rights, making many home maintenance issues the responsibility of the owner.

If you are the owner of your home, you’re responsible for its upkeep. That means you’ll either have to hire a professional or tackle the project yourself. If you opt to hire someone to handle an issue with your home, be sure to find a reputable technician with all applicable licences and permits.

Before you start researching a contractor, plumber, or electrician, do a bit of research online. You may be surprised by how easily some seemingly intimidating problems can be solved with limited technical skills. Youtube and other video tutorials can be extremely helpful.

You’ll need to locate your gas and electricity meters and take a meter reading to be sure everything is in order. If you find unexpected debt on the meter, you should contact your supplier to make sure you won’t receive bills for energy used by former tenants. You should also find your MPRN. You’ll need to know this reference number when calling your current or potential future energy suppliers.

What is an MPRN? Your Meter Point Reference Number (MPRN) are numbers that identify where your electricity and gas supply enters your property. They are like special addresses that are unique for each property to help energy suppliers provide the right home. Your MPAN is for your electricity and your MPRN is for gas.

Check Out Our MPRN Guide!

Remember, if you decide to switch, it will take between 14 and 21 days for the switch to take place and you will have a 14-day cooling-off period to change your mind. If the energy supply at your previous property was in your name, you should receive a final bill from your previous company within 6 weeks. If your account was in credit, the supplier will issue you a refund.

When moving house in Ireland, you will need to make sure you set up your waste collection services. In Ireland you have a range of different waste service providers to pick from but who you can choose depends on where you live or move to. You should take a look around at the different offers in your area choose the services you need, from recycling, glass and plastic!

Compare Different Waste Providers!

The broadband line for your house or apartment is most likely already connected. If it isn’t, some broadband providers will connect you with a line for free when you sign up for a broadband plan. If your provider doesn’t provide that free service or if you don’t want to sign up for a plan, you’ll have to pay a fee, which is generally around £130.

If you already have a broadband provider and don’t want to make a switch, contact them directly to confirm that they provide service in your new region. If they do, you should be able to transfer your same plan and service without any problem. You might have to pay a moving home fee between £20 to £60.

Watch out for exit fees! If you are switching broadband providers and still have time on your current contract, you will probably have to pay a cancellation charge.

Generally in the Ireland, getting broadband service also requires a landline (a non-mobile phone line). Luckily, providers generally sell a combined package of landline, broadband service, and TV.

As well as price, the most important thing in terms of choosing broadband is speed. Luckily, we’ve made it easy for you to be sure you’re getting lightning fast internet with our broadband speed test tool.

The TV Licence is still important if you want to watch live TV broadcasts and access RTÉ services such as RTÉ News, RTÉ iPlayer, and RTÉ Sport. Knowing the rules and conditions of the licence is complicated so we’ve created a series of guides to help guide you through what it all means.

If you are found to be watching live broadcasting without a TV Licence, you can receive a hefty fine from TV Licencing. If you are a student and have moved into new university accommodation, you must have a TV Licence of your own in order to watch TV.

There are also numerous different TV packages available, with different features including on-demand TV and streaming services included in your TV package that you can watch without a TV Licence!

Learn More About the TV Licence!