Secured myself a flat ...

and very nervous about it haha!

can anybody offer any advice on how make the transition as smooth as possible? this will be the first time i've lived away from home so I have little knowledge on the bills and setting things up side of things like internet and what is a "good deal" cost wise.

I sign contracts and get the keys on the 5th of feb

Don't worry; enjoy the challenge and novelty.

May all be different in the UK from here but google is your friedn and the flat will be connected to power and maybe phone so that will transfer to your name.

Others here will advise better thus.

Hi Maddie that sounds very exciting ,is it furnished.

I would say take your time when making changes, don't try to do everything at once then you are less likely to make costly mistakes.

I would also buy a notebook and make a note of your spending , this will help you too see where the money is going and where you might be able to make savings.

Good luck

Hi Mini no its not furnished, but i've got the basics like a sofa bed and a little telly to be putting me on until i can get some money together for some proper furniture.

i just know i'm going to miss something

Maddie you will be fine. There is nothing to compare with having your independence. Anything you miss you will cope with. There is always plenty of second hand furniture on Ebay and Gumtree that you can utilise.
I managed to get a pine kitchen table and 4 chairs for £25

You can always try your local FreeCycle & ask for any thing you need for free. You can get some good stuff from there.

hey MadisonSale

firstly congratulation to your first own flat!

but I don't know, how it's working over there, but be sure, sooner than you can think, you will get a very good knownledge on the bills which will come up!

but you will manage that, I'm sure

and I guess you will already have a mobile?
so just forget about to get a land line, only for any reason you need it necessary? otherwise you just can save that money for
if you need it for the internet?
i just got such an USB stick for my laptop and it's working well

however, just wish you loads of fun and good luck in your "brand new life" on your own, guess you will enjoy it

Congratulations Very exciting time ahead for you - your independence truly begins when you move in.

The very first thing to do the day you move in is:

Possibly have your front door lock changed depending on how you feel about that.

Make a note of gas and electricity meter readings and contact the suppliers with the readings and your details. Water supplier as well. Many suppliers want bank standing orders set up, but they will advise you on that. All the info for the fuel suppliers will be in the pack you receive from the estate agent.

Also contact your local council who will tell you what your council tax per month is.

Personally I would familiarise yourself with the main water shut-off tap (just in case of a burst pipe or flood). Also find out where the main fuse box is in your flat.

Depending on how brave you are, you could always knock on the flats near you and introduce yourself.

I hope you have fun making your very first home a home

As above the first thing should be making a note of all your meter readings - We've found the online deals where you do your own meter readings every 3 months worked out cheapest.

We got a lot of furniture and bits from eBay, till we could afford new. If you have the patience to search and wait there are some fantastic deals to be had.

When we got our first house we didn't bother with a land line and just kept our mobile contracts and got Internet via a USB dongle - (although I didn't find it to reliable and soon switched to BT - who were rubbish so we switched to Sky who have been brilliant).

I'd advise to get as little as possible for the first few months while you find your feet with bills etc, learn your limits and how much disposable cash you have.

It's all good fun though, you'll never want to go back!
Enjoy

It's amazing what you can find second hand in really good condition. However, may I add a little cautionary note on this when it comes to electrical goods.

I was given a second hand electrical item that caused a fire whilst I was at work. Thankfully it burned out on its own before much actual fire damage was caused, but it could have killed my cats (didn't have a dog then) and it did do extensive smoke damage to most of the interior of the house.