Separation & Divorce: Costs and things worth thinking about
Setting up a new home on your own often comes with practical costs and admin that are easy to overlook until they land all at once. Here are a few worth thinking about early.
Furnishing a full home, not just a room
If you have moved out of a shared home, you may be starting closer to scratch than expected, kitchen equipment, furniture, even basics like curtains or a washing machine. It is worth budgeting for this properly rather than assuming most things will simply come with you.
Insurance in your own name
Buildings and contents insurance will need setting up in your own name for your new home, and it is worth shopping around properly rather than simply renewing whatever policy you are used to, since your circumstances and the property itself may call for different cover.
Financial protection is worth reviewing
If you previously relied on a second income, it is worth reviewing life insurance or income protection now that your finances stand alone. This is not something we can advise on directly, but it is worth a conversation with an independent financial adviser as part of settling into your new home.
Updating your will
A change in circumstances is a sensible prompt to check that your will, and any named beneficiaries on pensions or life policies, still reflect your current wishes. It is easy to overlook, but straightforward to put right.
Setting up utilities and redirecting post
Once you have a completion date, it is worth arranging utilities, broadband and any post redirection in good time, so services are live and mail is reaching you from day one rather than causing a scramble in the first week.
A small contingency fund helps
Moving costs have a way of running a little higher than expected, particularly when you are furnishing and setting up alone. Keeping a modest buffer aside, beyond the numbers you have already budgeted for, tends to make the first few weeks feel considerably less stressful.
None of this needs to be figured out at once. If it would help to talk any of it through, your local associate is happy to listen, and can point you towards other local professionals we trust where useful.