Move-In Checklist for a New Build: Deadlines, Re-Registrations and Acceptances

The shell is up, the interior fit-out is finished — now only the move-in is missing. For the move into the new prefab house to go smoothly, a few deadlines, re-registrations and acceptances have to be observed. This checklist takes you step by step from the last construction stage to the first evening in your new home.

What needs to be done before moving in?

• Carry out the building acceptance and document defects in the acceptance protocol.
• Make the final payment only after a defect-free acceptance (or with a retention).
• Activate the buildings and household contents insurance for the move-in date.
• Conclude electricity, gas/heating and water contracts for the new house.
• Order the internet/telephone connection in good time (often 4–8 weeks' lead).
• Book a removal company or organise a van and helpers.

The building acceptance is legally the most important step — it triggers warranty periods and the reversal of the burden of proof. Read the details in the guide building acceptance & warranty. Which policies you need around the build is summarised by the guide builders' insurance ; on natural-hazard protection specifically, the guide natural-hazard insurance for a new build informs.

What belongs on the list on moving-in day?

On the moving day itself, above all the meter readings and the handover of the keys count. Keep the following points to hand:

• Read and photograph the meter readings for electricity, gas/heating and water.
• Take over keys and access (front door, garage, technical room) in full.
• Check the house for transport damage and open defects before moving things in.
• Secure important documents (acceptance protocol, operating instructions, plans).

Which deadlines and re-registrations apply after moving in?

What else should you watch out for when moving into a new build?

A new build brings particularities with it. Have the technology — ventilation system, heat pump, smart-home hub — explained to you by the construction company and have all operating instructions and maintenance notes handed over. Keep the acceptance protocol to hand in order to report defects occurring during the warranty period in good time. Residual moisture in a new build is normal: in the first months, consistent ventilation helps to avoid moisture damage — more on this in the guide avoiding moisture & mould.

Where the move-in lies within the overall project is shown by the house-building process in 8 phases; the previous stage is described by the guide on the topping-out ceremony (Richtfest).

What does a realistic schedule for the move look like?

A move into a new build succeeds more calmly if you plan early. Around eight weeks before moving in, it is worth setting the moving date, applying for leave and ordering the internet connection — precisely in new development areas the connection can take several weeks. Four weeks beforehand, you organise moving boxes, a van and helpers and give notice on the old flat in good time. In the week before the move, you pack systematically by room, label the boxes and prepare a "first-night box" with the most important things.

Also think of childcare or the accommodation of pets on the moving day itself — both save stress when many helpers are in the house at the same time. Anyone who staggers the move cleverly can bring furniture and boxes into the new house even before the actual date, provided the building acceptance is completed and access is released.

Which documents should you keep to hand?

With a new build, a whole series of important documents arise that you should collect in a fixed place after moving in. These include the acceptance protocol with the defect list, the building permit (Baugenehmigung), all operating and maintenance instructions of the building services, the energy certificates, floor plans and as-built drawings (for example for cables and pipes), and the insurance documents. A well-sorted house folder considerably eases later maintenance, later conversions and a possible sale.

Also keep all invoices and tradesperson records: they are relevant for warranty claims and the tax return. Keep the acceptance protocol especially present — it is the starting point for all defects that you want to claim during the warranty period.

How do you familiarise yourself with the building services?

A modern new build is full of technology that is meant to run reliably in everyday life. At the handover, have the central components explained to you calmly: the heat pump and its control, the controlled domestic ventilation with its filters, the meter cabinet, the main water and shut-off taps, and — if present — the smart-home hub and the photovoltaic system with storage. Note where main switches and shut-off valves are located, so that you can react quickly in an emergency.

Also set up a maintenance plan: ventilation filters have to be changed regularly, the heat pump checked annually and the electricity storage monitored. Anyone who understands and cares for the technology from the start avoids expensive consequential damage and keeps energy consumption low.

How do you keep an overview during the move-in?

The key to a stress-free move-in is temporal order: what has to be done before the move, what is due on the moving day and which deadlines run afterwards. If you tackle the building acceptance, insurance switch and contract changes early and carry out the re-registration within the deadline, room remains on the moving day for the essentials — arriving in the new home.

Use the checklists in this guide as a basis and adapt them to your project. This way you ensure that neither an important deadline nor an acceptance is missed — and you start into your new prefab house well organised from the beginning. Anyone still at the start of planning will find a way in with the prefab house at a glance.