We all know how stressful moving home can be. The emotional rollercoaster of your offer and will they / won't they accept it, followed by whether the sale will go through, not to mention the money involved in solicitors' fees and removals companies. Then, on moving day you’re exhausted from lugging your life’s belongings into your new home. 

We asked each member of the Agreed team to give their expert advice on how to reduce some of the stress around moving by making your new place feel immediately like home. Here’s what they said:

1) Have a box especially for your first night in your new house.
Fill it with anything that will help you settle in. That could be a kettle, mugs and some tea bags. It could be a bottle opener. It could be your child’s favourite toy. It could be the TV! Whatever will help you relax and enjoy your new surroundings.

2) Clean before you unpack.
Hopefully you’re moving into a clean house, but if you are particularly dainty about dirt get those marigolds on for a quick spruce so that you’re comfortable with your new habitat.

3) Unpack in priority order.
Unpacking an entire house can take days, if not weeks. If you want to get a head-start on feeling at home, think about which rooms to unpack first and make sure those boxes are to hand. It’s likely that getting children settled in their bedrooms is a good place to start.

4) Get the fridge filled.
Home means going to the fridge and getting what you want from it. Whilst one of you starts unpacking, the other should go to the supermarket and load up on the essentials to allow you to snack, cook and generally feel at home. Splash out for your first night by getting your favourite bits to eat. After all, they say that good food and a warm kitchen is what makes a house a home.

5) Give your pets the same welcome you would expect.
Getting any pets settled will make you all feel more comfortable in your new surroundings. Set them up with their usual bed and stay as much on their routine so that pets feel safe and secure in unfamiliar surroundings.

6) Say hi to your neighbours.
Us Brits can be a shy bunch, but we have learned from our friends Down Under that good neighbours become good friends. Joking aside, knowing who lives next door can just add that little bit of familiarity on day one, so if you’re feeling brave enough, go and say hello. You never know what tips the people next door can arm you with – whether it be telling you when bin day is, to giving you the heads up on parking – and these people may well become the people you want to hang out with in your garden.

7) Get your phone and internet connection sorted straight away.
Let’s be honest, we’re all addicted to our various devices and there’s nothing worse than moving into a new house and not having your internet up and running. Speak to your providers prior to your move to arrange for connection as soon as you move in – then you can settle down to a little bit of Netflix after a long day of manual labour.

8) Locate key utilities before you need to.
You’re in a new environment, so take the time to find all the key things like the mains box and the water stopcock before you need to! If the electrics go, you can feel smug knowing you took the time to find where the fuse box is.

9) Put some tunes on.
It’s time to celebrate and what better way than putting on some of your favourite tunes? It will lift your spirits during the great unpack, and will have you remembering good times at a time when you might be feeling a little bit weird about your new surroundings.

Moving is one thing, but the ultimate goal is loving the life you live in your new house. Day one should be about feeling settled. Take it each day at a time and don’t be too ambitious on your first day, just try and enjoy your new home.

We hope these tips for making day one a success will be a great first step to all the days and years to follow.