The big day is almost here, it's nearly time to move in!

When the big day comes and you move into your new student house, you might think "what next?"

Get settled into your new living space and start calling it home with our handy moving in checklist.

Here's 10 things to add to your to do list...

1. Take meter readings and submit them to your energy provider or accommodation provider to avoid paying for the previous tenants’ usage. Find out more about looking after your bills here.  Find out if you need to buy a TV license here.
2. Check how to turn off the gas, electrics and where the stopcock is in case of an emergency
3. Take a look at the doors and window locks to check that they all work safely and that you have keys to lock up
4. Familiarise yourself with fire exits and where the fire safety equipment is e.g. fire blankets, extinguisher 
5. Introduce yourself and say hello to your new neighbours. Check out our article on settling into your new community here
6. Find out when your bin collection dates are and where you will need to put your bins for collection (ask a neighbour or visit the Liverpool City Council website)
7. Explore the area, find out where your local supermarket is, bus stop, GP and dentist
8. Get into good habits of locking all doors and windows when leaving your home. Find out more about keeping your home safe and secure here.
9. Set up a rota for cleaning/taking the bins out for collection with your housemates
10. Be sure to know who to contact if you need support, advice or guidance e.g. Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Student Homes, Guild of Students

The Student Community Guide also has lots of helpful tips for settling in and keeping safe while living out in the community. 

Check out the rest of our Moving on from Halls series here