What is on a new home essentials checklist?

Most of it is ordinary stuff you already own; the trick is having it unpacked and to hand on day one. Bedding and towels come first, since you'll want a proper night's sleep before you've unpacked anything else. A basic kitchen kit, a kettle, a couple of pans, plates, cutlery, mugs, gets you through the first few meals without digging through boxes. Cleaning supplies matter more than people expect: keep cloths, spray, and a hoover accessible rather than packed at the bottom of the van. A small toolkit and spare light bulbs handle the inevitable loose shelf or dead bulb. Loo roll and bin bags sound obvious until you're the one without them, so pack a bag of these separately from the rest.

Once the essentials are sorted, a new home gift made from a photo of the house is a good way to mark the milestone. See also what to do first in a new home.

Written by Craig Fearn, Our House Print.