Set up the services your new home actually needs.

Find out who is responsible for what

Read the lease or property handover information and ask about anything unclear. Work through electricity, gas if applicable, water, sewer, trash collection and internet. Add other services your household actually uses, such as a landline or a building-managed connection.

For each one, record whether it is included, arranged by the owner or your responsibility. Then write down the provider to contact and who in the household will handle the account.

Avoid opening a duplicate account because a service looks like something you usually pay yourself. Equally, do not assume an existing light or internet connection means your own arrangements are complete. Ask who is responsible and from which date.

Put two addresses on the same timeline

List the last date you need service at the old home and the first date you need it at the new one. Think about cleaning, working, returning for belongings and the dates you are responsible for the properties.

Ask each provider whether you should transfer an existing account, stop one service and begin another, or follow a different process. Confirm the effective dates through that provider's official channel. If the homes overlap, explain that clearly so nobody treats the new start as permission to end the old service too soon.

Use Your move, week by week to place confirmed appointments and unresolved tasks alongside the rest of the move. There is no single booking lead time that fits every provider or property.

Check internet at the exact home

Begin with the address and unit number, then ask the provider to confirm what it can install and when. The FCC's National Broadband Map is a useful research starting point: it displays availability reported by internet providers and allows users to challenge inaccurate information. Treat an appointment and service order confirmed by the provider as separate steps.

Describe how your household uses the connection. Several people working or studying at once may have different needs from someone who mainly checks messages. Ask about the full quoted price, equipment, installation, any recurring charges, promotional changes and cancellation terms. Compare the actual offers available to your address.

If work depends on being connected immediately, make a practical backup arrangement you have checked in advance. Avoid scheduling an important remote meeting on the assumption that an unconfirmed installation will finish first.

Plan for appointments and equipment

For any visit, confirm the date, arrival window, access requirements and whether someone must be present. Check with the property contact before agreeing to any work that needs their approval.

Keep relevant equipment and instructions easy to find. Ask the old provider which rented items must be returned, how to return them and how you will receive proof. Label those items so they do not become mixed with equipment you own or need at the new home.

Use each provider's official account or contact method for identity checks and payment details. Your household planning note only needs the task, responsible person, date and status. Keep passwords and sensitive account information somewhere appropriate and private.

Close each task with a confirmation

A useful service record can be just a few lines:

• Service, address and responsible account holder
• Requested start or stop date
• Confirmed appointment or effective date
• Quoted charges and terms to review
• Equipment action, if any
• Confirmation reference and next unresolved step

Mark a request as pending until you receive the relevant confirmation. After moving, verify the service works as expected and use the provider's support process if it does not. Check final and opening bills against the dates and arrangements you saved.

Once those basics are in place, use Make home work first to set up your first couple of days. A small, accurate service list gives you a much better start than a long checklist full of assumptions.