Jobs Worth Doing When You Move Into a New Home

The first week in a new home is the best time to sort a short list of small jobs, before the furniture goes in and the boxes hide everything.

Change the locks, find the stopcock and fuse box, test the smoke alarms, and get shelves, curtains, blinds and TV brackets up while the walls are still clear. Deep-clean the spots that are hard to reach once rooms are full.

A handyman can knock out that whole list in a single visit — far cheaper than booking separate call-outs once you've unpacked and realised what needs doing.