The last few minutes in an old home might be seen by some as a sentimental moment to leave behind a familiar house for the last time. For others it might be a brief break in the chaos which is a house move. However, during these last few moments in a home, there are a few things which can be done in order to ensure that you keep your move going as smoothly as possible. With time often of the essence when it comes to moving day, and so many things to consider, follow the below steps and make sure that there is nothing which you have missed during the final few minutes in your home. Perhaps the first and most obvious thing which you should do is check to make sure that you have everything with you. It can be easy for a piece of important paperwork or a wallet to be left behind, or even that one last box in the highest room which everyone had forgotten about. Take these few minutes to just run through the house one last time and make sure that you have everything with you. Because all of the furniture has been removed, it should be easy to check and make sure that nothing has been left behind. Another thing to check is to make sure that everything is locked up. If the property will be empty for any amount of time, it does not really matter that there is nothing inside. It is still important to make sure that the windows, doors and any exits are locked and secured before you leave the building. It can be helpful to figure out what to do with the keys before you leave by contacting the landlord, estate agent or next occupier of the home in order to find out what is the best course of action. As well as making sure that the premises are secure, it is also important to ensure that the utilities are properly addressed. This means that no taps are left running or similar issues. Potential fire risks should also be addressed. Essentially, it is important to note that anything which might require regular attention is provided for to such an extent that it will be alright until the next visit. During this time, you can also collect meter readings from the various locations around the home. You might well have a combination of gas, electricity and water meters which will need to have their figures noted and then you can pass this information along to the respective utilities companies. Making sure that you have informed these companies that you are leaving should have been done at an earlier date, though many will ask you to take a final reading before you leave the property. This can ensure that you get a final bill which is correct up until the time which you exited the home and that the new resident can be billed correctly. Once you have worked your way through this list then it will almost be time to leave. As is the case with most moving experiences, there will likely be a bit of a rush and a confusion and the amount of time you could have could vary from thirty seconds to ten minutes, whatever it takes. For smaller properties, obvious the time required will be much smaller and those who are moving with others can split the workload. However, even though you have already checked once, it is probably still a good idea to double check that you have your most important items before handing over the keys.