Start with confirmed access
Write down the full address, the name and contact details of the person authorised to provide access, the date keys become available and any building instructions. Confirm how many key sets should exist, whether a building fob or mailbox key is included and where the final handover will happen. Without clear access, cleaning, deliveries and provider appointments cannot be scheduled reliably.
Keep the access plan separate from tenancy questions. If permission is unclear, resolve it with the landlord or authorised representative before asking anyone to enter the home.
Create a visible-condition record
Before preparation begins, collect current photos or arrange a visual walkthrough. Record the condition of accessible rooms, windows, obvious fixtures, appliances included in the home and visible meter displays. Note anything that should be raised before cleaners or deliveries arrive, because later activity can make the original condition harder to document.
A practical visual record is not a technical survey. Concerns involving safety, structure, wiring, plumbing or concealed defects should be referred to a qualified professional.
Sequence cleaning and first essentials
Confirm whether the home will be empty, furnished or still receiving work. Standard cleaning should happen after dusty maintenance and before groceries or soft furnishings are placed. Prepare a short first-shop list focused on the first evening and morning: drinking water, basic food, hygiene items and simple cleaning supplies. Check storage and refrigeration before ordering perishable products.
Prepare utility applications
List which services are already active and which need a new application or account change. Gather only the documents requested through the provider's current process and identify actions that must be completed by the account holder, such as signatures, SMS codes or telephone confirmation. Keep reference numbers and appointment windows together.
Provider requirements and timing can change. Treat every target date as a planning goal rather than a guarantee, and keep a practical fallback for the first days when internet or another service is still pending.
Plan deliveries around access
Record the delivery company, contact number, item count, expected window and whether assembly or removal is included. Confirm lift access, parking limitations and who may sign. A person attending the delivery can document visible packaging or item condition, but technical installation, heavy lifting and disputes with the courier require the appropriate supplier arrangements.
Prepare the arrival handover
Keep flight details, the Lisbon meeting point, transport plan, home address and key contact in one place. Decide who will receive the keys, how late changes will be communicated and which items should be shown during a short home orientation. Include meters, shut-off points if already identified, building entry and any work that remains pending.
Use a final status list with three headings: completed, awaiting third party and action needed from you. This is more useful than assuming every open item will resolve before travel.
Turn the guidance into a working plan
Treat the checklist as a sequence rather than a same-day task list. Mark each item as customer action, local coordination or third-party action, then add the earliest date it can begin. Access normally comes first; cleaning, deliveries and final checks can only follow when the property can be entered lawfully and reliably.
Keep one status record and update it after every confirmation. Record who accepted each task, the appointment window and any condition attached to it. Before travelling, review unresolved items and prepare an alternative for anything controlled by a provider. A visible pending item is easier to manage than an assumed completion.
Keep decisions and responsibilities clear
Use dates and named responsibilities in every working note. Distinguish a confirmed appointment from a requested one, and a visible observation from a professional conclusion. When another party controls access, approval or timing, record that dependency beside the task. This small discipline prevents duplicated messages and gives you a reliable final view of what is complete, what is waiting and what still requires your decision before travel.
Where Ready Home Lisbon can help
Ready Home Lisbon can coordinate the local tasks in this checklist within Lisbon municipality, including visual checks, authorised key collection, cleaning preparation, utilities, delivery attendance and arrival-day home support. The written scope confirms which steps are included and which depend on another party.
Ready Home Lisbon does not provide real estate, visa, legal, tax, NIF or bank account consulting or application handling. Our services are limited to pre-arrival home preparation and local coordination.
Related guides
Continue with the guide that matches the part of your move that still needs planning.