At Touchstone, it’s not just about the bricks and mortar. Whether you’re a young professional, in need of a family home, or you’re downsizing, we’ll work with you to find your perfect home.
Rent with us
Rent with us
- Property
- management
At Touchstone, it’s not just about the bricks and mortar. Whether you’re a young professional, in need of a family home, or you’re downsizing, we’ll work with you to find your perfect home.
Once you’ve found your dream home, it’s almost time to start getting excited about moving in! There are just a few things we’ll need from you so we can process your application and get you into your new home as soon as possible
You may be asked to pay a holding deposit to secure your home. This covers background checks so we can make sure we’re putting you into the right property.
It’s helpful if you have copies of references from your employer and previous landlords available to avoid delays.
We’ll also need a couple of documents proving your ID and full address with for the last three years, plus your bank details, for the background check.
You’ll be responsible for paying your deposit, and first month’s rent before you move in.
We’ll arrange a time and a date for you to collect your keys.
One of our friendly colleagues will explain your tenancy and answer any additional questions you have.
We’ve put together some tips to help make the process as smooth as possible for you. Don’t worry if you still have questions, we are always availble to answer any queries. This guide is to help you plan ahead and hopefully make your life a little easier.
Pack an essentials box for when you arrive
With the excitement of moving into your new home, it’s easy to forget the essentials! What will you need easy access to when you arrive? Try packing a small box with your kettle and a couple of mugs, your phone charger, a toilet roll, any medication you need – maybe even a corkscrew! You get the idea. Keep it to hand and you’ll soon feel right at home.
Get to know your neighbourhood
We want you to love where you live! Part of that will include getting to know your surroundings. Where can you get a pint of milk? What bus will take you into town? Where’s the nearest postbox? An important part of feeling at home is settling into your surroundings. Don’t forget, our friendly colleagues will be able to help if you have any questions.
Let people know where you live
It sounds obvious but making sure people know your new address is important so you continue to receive mail. Be sure to contact banks, your mobile phone company, the DVLA, even loyalty card providers if you receive vouchers through the post. Do you need to redirect mail from an old address? If so, the post office can set this up for you (for a fee). We hope you’re going to love living here enough to stay for a long time so it’s worth telling everyone you can think of!
Insure your possessions
All those lovely personal possessions you move in to your home won’t be covered under our buildings insurance. It goes without saying that we hope you’ll never need to use it, but you’ll need your own contents insurance to protect you for any loss or damage – including damage to possessions caused by floods, fire and other unexpected incidents.
Be the boss of your bills
This isn’t anybody’s favourite job, but paying bills is essential to keep your new home ticking over. Set aside a few hours to sort out gas, electricity, water, council tax and a TV licence – then you’re free to watch TV, take a bath or cook a delicious meal in your lovely, warm home.
Don’t blow a fuse
It’s easy to forget about the small things until they become the big things. Locating your fuse box, stopcock and meters now could save a lot of time in the future and help to prevent potentially bigger problems.
Who gets your vote?
Hopefully you’ll be spending many happy years in your new home, so you might want to have a say in local matters. You can register to vote by contacting your local council. Plus being on the electoral roll is good for your credit rating.
Talk to us. Please!
We hope you won’t have too many problems with your new home, but if something does need fixing, we’re here to help. Register for our [online portal] and you’ll have a quick, easy way of reporting any issues which arise. And then we’ll be able to deal with them sooner for you.
Holiday-proof your home
We don’t want your holiday turning into a nightmare. If you do go away, make sure your home is secure. Maybe there’s a friendly neighbour who can keep an eye on things for you? Don’t forget you’ll still need to pay rent on the right date while you’re away too.
Last but not least… be happy!
Did you know one in four UK households are set to be living in private rented accommodation by 2025? Our experience shows that renting can be a long-term life choice. At Touchstone, we also know that happy customers take pride, take care and stay longer so we create homes that are inviting, energy efficient and well managed. We hope you’ll be very happy in your home – and hopefully make many friends along the way.
