Zoopla reveals our secret habits on moving in day – and it’s not popping the champagne
From deep cleaning to ordering a takeaway

Contracts have been exchanged, the keys are in your hands and the moving van is on the way. But what exactly should you do on the first day in a new home
Related: Calling all first time buyers! You can now pay for someone to find your first home for you
Christening the kitchen with a splash of champagne sounds like a pretty good idea. However, Zoopla has revealed that 37 per cent of Brits are cracking open the bleach over the bubbles on the first day in a new home.
The property website revealed that over a third of us are whipping out the scrubbing brush and giving our new home a deep clean within the first 24 hours of moving in.
However, it's not all hard work and scrubbing. 25 per cent of Brits revealed that they celebrate moving into a new home by getting frisky in the bedroom with their partner.
It comes as no surprise then that the survey revealed that a mattress tops the list as the most popular item to purchase on moving-in day, closely followed by a brand new bed.
However, 20 per cent of Brits opted to celebrate day one in a new home with a takeaway. We don't blame anyone being too stressed or tired to knock up a home-cooked meal on move in day. We're actually surprised that less than half of Brits order a takeaway in week one.
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But, when everything has been unpacked, and you no-long have an excuse to order takeaways on consecutive nights, how long does it take a new house to feel like home?
68 per cent of those who replied claimed they felt right at home after just one week. However, the rest claimed it took over a month.
However, there seems to be a slight north-south divide when it comes to feeling at home. 40 per cent in the Southwest claimed to feel at home within one week, while only 20 per cent in the North East felt the same way.
'To many buying their first property is worth so much more than simply buying bricks and mortar,' says Richard Houston, Zoopla consumer spokesperson. 'We think the home is a deeply meaningful place, nothing matters more to people than where they live with friends or where they call home with their family.'
Related: The cost of moving house – and how you can make savings
How do you spend the first day in a new home?
Rebecca Knight has been the Deputy Editor on the Ideal Home Website since 2022. She graduated with a Masters degree in magazine journalism from City, University of London in 2018, before starting her journalism career as a staff writer on women's weekly magazines. She fell into the world of homes and interiors after joining the Ideal Home website team in 2019 as a Digital Writer. In 2020 she moved into position of Homes News Editor working across Homes & Gardens, LivingEtc, Real Homes, Gardeningetc and Ideal Home covering everything from the latest viral cleaning hack to the next big interior trend.
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