You have the keys, the kettle is in a box marked "kitchen", and roughly forty things now need doing in an order nobody tells you about. Move the wrong task to the bottom of the pile and you can end up paying the wrong council tax band, queuing for a parking permit you needed last Tuesday, or trying to get a repeat prescription from a GP surgery two counties away. Here is what to do, roughly in the right sequence, during your first month in Norfolk.
Week One: Meters, Keys and the Paper Trail
Before the furniture arrives, walk the property and photograph every meter reading — gas, electricity, and the water meter if there is one. Photograph the serial numbers too. That single five-minute job settles most arguments with suppliers later on.
Find the stopcock, the fuse box and the boiler, and check that you have keys for the back door, the shed and any outside tap. Then start a list. A plain note on your phone is fine: what needs doing, who you rang, what they said, the reference number. You will refer to it more than you expect.
Your gas and electricity supply continues automatically when you move in — nobody cuts you off on completion day — but you do need an account in your name. If you don't know who supplies the property, ask the seller, the landlord or the letting agent. Take your readings with you when you set the account up.
Health: Registering with a GP and Finding a Dentist
GP practices generally cover a defined catchment area, so your choice depends on your postcode rather than preference. Search by postcode, then ring two or three practices and ask whether they are taking new patients. Registration normally involves a short form and a new patient check; you do not usually need proof of address or immigration documents, but take what you have.
Register early if anyone in the household takes regular medication. Ask your current surgery for a few weeks' supply before you move, and book a review at the new practice as soon as they will see you. Repeat prescriptions do not transfer between practices on their own.
Dentists are harder. Many NHS practices in Norfolk keep waiting lists, so ring around and ask to be added rather than waiting until someone has toothache. For urgent health advice, use NHS 111; for anything serious, call 999. If you have an ongoing condition, ask your new practice about the handover of your records and any specialist referrals, and take advice from a clinician rather than assuming the paperwork has followed you.
School Places: Apply, Don't Just Turn Up
If you are moving mid-year, you need an in-year admission, and these are handled centrally rather than by the school office. Apply through Norfolk County Council's admissions team, then contact your preferred schools directly to ask about spaces and arrange a visit. Waiting lists move, and being a familiar name helps.
For children with special educational needs or an education, health and care plan, contact the school's SENDCO and the council's SEND team early. Transfers of plans take time and are far easier to arrange before term starts than three weeks into it.
Check term dates and uniform requirements on the school's own website, and ask about breakfast clubs, after-school provision and the walking route if your child will travel alone. A trial run of the journey before the first morning saves a lot of stress.
Council Tax, Bins and the Local Council
Tell your new district or borough council that you have moved in, and tell your old council that you have moved out. Both matter — a gap in the records tends to generate a letter demanding payment for a property you no longer occupy.
- Check the band. Your property's council tax band sits on the council's website. If it looks wrong, there is a formal process to challenge it, and deadlines apply, so take advice before starting.
- Claim what you are entitled to. A single adult household normally gets a 25% discount, and full-time students are often exempt. Councils rarely apply these automatically.
- Set up a direct debit. Most councils offer payments over ten or twelve months — the twelve-month option keeps monthly costs lower.
- Bins. Find your collection day, order the right containers, and check whether garden waste is a paid subscription in your district. Most are.
Parking Permits and Anything with Wheels
Resident parking schemes are run locally, and the rules differ from town to town. Where a controlled zone operates, a permit is usually limited to one or two per household and requires proof of address plus the vehicle's registration. Apply as soon as you have both, because a windscreen ticket on day three is an expensive welcome. Visitor permits are often available separately — useful when the removal van or relatives arrive.
If you rent, check your tenancy agreement before assuming a permit is straightforward. And update your driving licence and vehicle registration with the DVLA when you move; it is a legal requirement, and your insurer needs your correct address too. Tell your insurer the moment you have a completion date rather than at renewal.
Utilities, Broadband and the Address Change
Energy can usually be transferred or switched online within a few days, but broadband in rural parts of Norfolk is worth checking properly. Use the postcode checker before you commit to a contract, and ask the neighbours what actually works in the village — fibre availability varies street by street.
Water comes from Anglian Water across most of the county, though a few areas are served differently. Set up an account and, if you have a meter, read it on move-in day. Then work through the address change list: bank, employer, HMRC, electoral roll, insurance, vet, and any subscription that posts something physical.
Your 15-Point First-Month Checklist
- Photograph gas, electricity and water meter readings.
- Confirm who supplies your energy and open an account.
- Register with a GP practice inside your catchment.
- Ask your old surgery for a supply of repeat prescriptions.
- Ring local dentists and join an NHS waiting list.
- Apply for a school place through the council's in-year process.
- Contact the SEND team if your child has an EHCP.
- Tell your new council you have moved in, and your old one that you have left.
- Check your council tax band, discounts and payment dates.
- Set up the direct debit.
- Find your bin collection day and order containers.
- Apply for a resident parking permit, or check the restrictions outside.
- Update your driving licence, V5C and car insurance.
- Arrange broadband, water and any council services you need.
- Change your address with banks, HMRC and the electoral roll.
Settling In Properly
Once the forms are filed, join the library — it is free, it covers most of Norfolk, and it is usually the fastest way to find out what is actually happening in your town. Pick up a leisure centre timetable, note where the nearest minor injuries unit is, and introduce yourself to a neighbour. In a county this size, local knowledge beats any website, including this one.
Photo: Ivan S / Pexels
