Moving Into a New Home: Handover Checklist

As your new home gets closer to handover, it is easy to start picturing furniture in place and your first evening there. A little preparation helps you organise the practical side of the move too.

Start with the agreed completion arrangements, then work through payments, documents, services and the walkthrough. Here is a checklist to keep those details together.

Confirm the date before booking the move

Talk with your project team, lender and solicitor about what needs to happen before handover or settlement. Check which date is confirmed and which is still an estimate.

Ask what evidence is needed for the final lending and payment arrangements. MBIE's guidance on getting a build signed off explains the completion process; your advisers can explain the requirements for your agreement.

Coordinate any tenancy or existing-home sale with those arrangements, rather than assuming every date will line up automatically.

Arrange the everyday essentials

Check the timing for insurance, power, internet and other services. Find out whether installation work or access needs to be arranged.

Think about movers, storage, keys and anything you need for the first few nights. Our budget checklist helps you account for those costs alongside the home itself.

Take time at the walkthrough

Ask how heating, ventilation, appliances and other systems operate. Find out where important controls are and what care information you will receive.

Look through the home and record any outstanding matters clearly. Confirm the reporting and follow-up process, so you know what happens next.

Take your questions with you. It is a useful opportunity to understand the home before the move gets busy.

Keep the documents easy to find

Store approved plans, completion records, product manuals and warranty information together. Check which documents the team supplies and which come through your solicitor or lender.

Read Classic Builders warranty information and the care instructions applicable to your home. If something is missing or unclear, ask for it.

Give yourself time to settle in

Follow the maintenance guidance and keep a record of any concerns, including dates and photographs where helpful. Use the reporting channel supplied for the home.

The first weeks are also a chance to learn how the spaces and systems work with your routine.

What if paperwork is still outstanding?

Do not assume you can move in simply because the home looks finished. Ask your solicitor and project team what the agreement and applicable requirements allow.

Talk with your Classic Builders team about handover. A clear plan helps you understand what needs to be ready before you open the door to your next chapter.