Moving House Checklist: Utilities, Address and the First Week

Moving house can feel finished the moment the keys are in your hand. In fact there is still a long list: meters to read, power and water accounts to transfer, documents to put away safely, and an address to update.

This checklist is for anyone who has just bought or rented a house and will be moving in soon. It follows the order things happen: before the move, moving day, and the first week in the new house.

Handover and meter readings

Before anything is moved in, do a handover inspection with the seller, the developer or the landlord. Bring a list and a camera.

• Try every door, window and lock. Count the keys you are given.
• Run every tap and switch on every light, flush the toilets, and check that the drains run freely.
• Check the ceilings and walls for leak stains and cracks.
• List the items included in the sale or rental, such as light fittings, curtains and the water pump.
• Photograph the electricity and water meters on handover day, with the readings clearly visible.

Write down every defect and ask the other party to sign. For a new house from a developer, this list is the basis for repairs during the maintenance period, if there is one.

If you are renting, photograph every room at handover. Those photos help when the deposit is returned at the end of the lease.

Power, water and internet in your name

Power and water accounts still in the previous owner’s name can cause trouble when there are arrears, faults or a change in power capacity.

• Electricity. For a postpaid meter, make sure there are no arrears. For a prepaid meter, check the remaining token credit. The change of customer name can be done through the PLN Mobile app or at an office of PLN (the state electricity company).
• More power. If you plan to install air conditioning or other high-power appliances, apply for an upgrade before you move. PLN’s household power levels include 900, 1,300, 2,200 and 3,500 VA.
• Water. Check for arrears, then change the customer name at the local PDAM (regional water utility) office.
• Internet. A new installation can take a while, so apply well before moving day.

If the house has stood empty for a long time, switch appliances on one at a time and watch whether the MCB (the circuit breaker) keeps tripping. That can point to too little capacity or a wiring fault.

How to check the electrics of a resale house, from the panel to the cables, is covered in checking the electrics in a resale house.

Locks, water tank, pests and fire hazards

Some jobs are much easier while the house is still empty.

• Change the front door locks. You don’t know who still has copies of the old keys, including builders and previous occupants. More security steps are in tips for a safer home.
• Drain and clean the water tank, then run every tap for a while.
• Deal with pests such as termites, rats and cockroaches before the furniture goes in.
• Ask when the septic tank was last emptied, especially if the house has been lived in for years.
• Check for fire hazards: the electrical panel, loose sockets, and the gas cylinder’s hose and regulator.
• Keep a fire extinguisher (APAR) in the kitchen.
• Clean the house, then measure the doors and stairs for large furniture.

Keep the house documents safe

House documents are hard and slow to replace if they are lost or damaged. Keep them together in one folder:

• The land certificate, unless the bank is holding it because of a mortgage (KPR).
• The AJB (Akta Jual Beli, the deed of sale), or the lease if you are renting.
• The latest SPPT PBB (the annual land and building tax bill) with proof of payment.
• Receipts, the PPJB (the binding sale agreement) and the mortgage documents, if any.
• Building documents, such as the PBG (building approval) or the older IMB permit, the house drawings and warranty cards.

Store the originals somewhere safe from fire and water, and keep them as high off the floor as you can if your area has ever flooded. Keep scans of everything in a separate place too. Never hand the original certificate to anyone without a receipt, including someone who offers to help with the name transfer.

Make sure the certificate transfer into your name is under way once the AJB is signed. The steps are explained in how the certificate name transfer works. Once the transfer is done, ask the regional tax office that handles PBB in your city how to update the taxpayer’s name on the SPPT.

Your address: RT, Disdukcapil and other records

• Report to the head of the RT and RW (the neighbourhood and community units). Bring copies of your KK (Kartu Keluarga, the family card) and KTP (the national ID card). It is also a chance to introduce yourself and ask about dues, rubbish collection and neighbourhood security.
• Update your KK and KTP at Disdukcapil (the civil registry office). If you are moving to another regency or city, first get a moving letter from the Disdukcapil you are leaving, then register your arrival at the Disdukcapil in your new area. Requirements and services vary between regions, so ask first.
• Update your address everywhere else: your bank, employer, children’s school, insurer, BPJS (the national health and social security agency) and online shopping delivery addresses.

A correct address makes many later errands easier, from getting a cover letter from the RT to enrolling your children in school.

Moving day

• Make sure the power and water are on in the new house before the first load arrives.
• Pack one bag of essentials: documents, medicines, chargers, toiletries, a change of clothes and a few tools.
• Label every box with the room it is going to.
• Carry documents and valuables yourself, rather than putting them on the truck.
• Check truck access. If the house is down a narrow alley, ask where the truck can stop, and let the neighbours know if the road will be blocked for a while.
• Have a tarpaulin ready if the sky is grey, so mattresses and furniture don’t get wet.
• Protect floors and door frames with flattened cardboard while large items are carried in.

The first week in your new home

• Watch the house in the first heavy rain. Look at the ceilings, window frames and yard. Leaks that weren’t visible at handover can show up now.
• Find the main water valve and the electrical panel, and make sure everyone in the house knows how to shut them off.
• Check the water pressure and the pump at busy times of day.
• Notice any smell from the bathroom and kitchen drains. A smell that lingers can mean a problem with the water trap or the waste pipes.
• Meet the neighbours and ask to join the RT WhatsApp group. Long-time residents know how the area works, from the water schedule to the spots that usually flood.
• Save important numbers: the RT head, the security post, the nearest puskesmas (community health centre) or clinic, and the fire brigade.
• Report defects to the developer during the maintenance period, if your house is new.

If you are still looking for a home, the properties Vorneo is marketing are on the property listings page.