Moving houses in Dubai? Fret not, here's a checklist

When moving out, you will need to restore your old home to its original condition.

With the summer being a quieter season for most people, it's also an ideal time for people to move within the city. The process is stressful. ServiceMarket, a UAE platform for home services, has produced a guide to make your move as smooth as possible. Follow this handy moving checklist to help you stay organised before and during the moving process:

Choose your movers: You should get in touch with licensed moving companies to get quotes and finalise the one that meets your needs roughly two weeks prior to your move. Make sure to compare the prices and services before you finalise a moving company.
Insider tip: Be sure to confirm your move with your moving company a few days in advance to ensure that they're scheduled to arrive at the most convenient time for you (e.g. before work).

Switch utility services: Get in touch with your current water, gas and telephone connections and inform them about your move at least one week in advance. Don't forget to contact providers catering to your new home for new connections. Here's what you need to do:
* Make sure you transfer your etisalat or du landline - a lot of people don't know that they have the option of choosing their providers, so it would be worth comparing their current offers.
* Transfer your Dewa, ADWEA or Sewa.
* Register your new tenancy contract with Ejari or Tawtheeq.
Insider tip: You can schedule the du/etisalat technician to come to your home on the day of your move to make sure you are connected by the time you move.

Get a moving permit from your building: Some buildings and communities in Dubai require tenants who are moving in and moving out to get moving permits. For example, Emaar buildings require tenants to submit a tenancy contract, Ejari, passport copy and visa copy a week in advance before they are issued the permit. This is so they can verify if all charges on the apartment such as service fees have been paid. Be sure you and/or your landlord have paid all outstanding charges to avoid delays in moving.
Insider tip: You might need a stamped/signed authority letter from the building or community management granting you permission to move your things in and out of your place. Talk to your building management as soon as you know you are moving to find out what is required to obtain this NoC.

Book a painter and cleaner for your old home: When moving out, you will need to restore your old home to its original condition, this usually means getting it painted and cleaned. If you do not leave your home in the same condition, your landlord has the right to withhold a portion of the deposit.
Insider tip: Schedule this a couple days before your apartment/villa handover inspection.

Make sure the moving company labels everything: A good moving company will label all your boxes to make sure that it is easy for you to set up your new home. You should also prepare a small bag with basic items that you would need during the first few days in your new home.
Insider tip: If you would rather take certain valuable items yourself, then keep them in a separate area so that they don't get mixed with your other belongings.

Get rid of excess: While packing, you might realise that you have some things that you don't use. If you have the time, earn a few extra bucks by holding a small garage sale, or put up your stuff for sale on classified sites or apps like Melltoo. If you don't have space for your antique dining set in the new house but don't feel like selling it off either, consider a storage facility where you can keep it safely.
Insider tip: Pressed for time and don't want to do all this? Simply get in touch with Take My Junk and they'll help you get rid of excess furniture and other items.

Get your deposit back: After you have moved out and painted your old place, make sure to get your deposit back in full. No charges should be withheld if you are returning the house in its original condition.
Insider tip: Be sure to take photos of your new home to keep as a record of the condition you received the property in.

Don't leave out the little ones: If you're moving with children, involve them in the process right from the start. For example, give them a box to fill up with their toys and belongings. On the move day, you might want to consider hiring a babysitter or leaving the kids with family so that it is less stressful for them.
Insider tip: Hang family photos in your new home to make them feel at home as soon as they step in through the front door.

Make sure you tick each task off this moving checklist as soon as you accomplish it - not only will this give you an idea of how productive you're being, but your moving checklist is also going to help in avoiding any unpleasant surprises, such as entering your new home to find out that you have no electricity connection.

- business@khaleejtimes.com