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Before you…

The calm checklist before you do the thing.

Eight UK decision moments that go wrong the same way every time. For each, the three mistakes most people make — and the three things to do first. Five-minute reads. Free. No login. Nothing stored.

The honest read

Prevention is cheaper than appeal.

Almost everything SortedUK helps people recover from — council tax arrears, evictions, rejected claims, missed deadlines, costly contractor disputes — was preventable with a 10-minute check before signing, paying, or moving. That’s what this page is. Pick the one that’s about to happen to you.

Move house Start a business Sign a tenancy Appeal a decision Pay a fine Claim on insurance Ignore a letter Sign a contractor quote

Before you move house

The 10 organisations to tell — in the right order — and the £1,000 mistake most people make.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Not telling the DVLA. Driving with the wrong address on your licence or V5C is a fixed £1,000 fine — and your car insurance can be voided. Free update online at gov.uk/tell-dvla-changed-address.
  • Not getting final meter readings. Without them, the energy company estimates — almost always upwards — and you get billed for the next tenant’s use. Photo every meter on moving day; submit within 14 days.
  • Not staying on the electoral roll. Your credit score depends partly on it. Re-register at the new address within 30 days — gov.uk/register-to-vote — or watch your mortgage and credit applications get harder for months.
Three things to do first
  • Tell your old council you’re leaving and your new council you’re arriving. Single Person Discount (25% off) often resets. If you’re moving alone, claim it on day one.
  • Set up a Royal Mail Redirection (£39.99 / 3 months). The cheapest insurance against missing a court letter, a benefit reassessment, or a HMRC notice in the gap.
  • Update one address in Sorted’s Moving House roadmap and follow the full 10-organisation list. Most people miss DWP, GP and insurance.
Sorted tools that help
Moving House roadmap → Find your new council → Stop overpaying energy →
Sources: GOV.UK address-change services; Ofgem “moving home” guidance; Royal Mail Redirection terms; Electoral Commission. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you start a business

Sole trader vs Ltd, the licences nobody warns you about, and the 25% tax pot that saves your skin in January.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Going Ltd too early. Below about £30k–£50k of profit, sole trader is simpler, cheaper, and gives you more take-home. Switch when your accountant says the maths flips — not when a YouTuber tells you to.
  • Not saving tax from day one. Move 25–30% of every payment into a separate “tax pot” account immediately. By Self Assessment deadline (31 January), there’s nothing to panic about.
  • Skipping the licence finder. Food, alcohol, taxi, scrap metal, cosmetic procedures, child-related, late-night refreshments after 11pm — all need licences. Trading without one is a criminal offence. Free check at gov.uk/licence-finder.
Three things to do first
  • Register the business name & domain. Companies House search + .co.uk domain (£10/yr via Nominet) + Trademark Register check — do all three on the same evening.
  • Open a separate business bank account. Free: Starling Business, Mettle (NatWest), Tide, Monzo Business Lite. Even sole traders should — it saves hours at year-end.
  • Walk through Sorted’s 25-section Starting a UK Business guide + the per-industry pathway for your trade.
Sorted tools that help
UK business rulebook → Industry pathways → Grants & funding match → Check a firm (Companies House) →
Sources: HMRC self-employment registration; Companies House; GOV.UK licence finder; Federation of Small Businesses; Start Up Loans Company. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you sign a tenancy

Five clauses to delete, the deposit protection rule that’s worth 3× your deposit, and the “Right to Rent” trap.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Paying a deposit before checking the landlord registered the previous one. Failure to protect a deposit in TDS / DPS / mydeposits within 30 days entitles the tenant to 1–3× the deposit back as compensation. Check the previous tenant’s if you can.
  • Accepting “admin fees” or “reference fees”. The Tenant Fees Act 2019 made almost all letting fees illegal in England. Only deposit (capped at 5 weeks’ rent), rent in advance, lost-key replacement, and contract changes are allowed.
  • Not photographing every room on move-in day. Wide and close-up shots, time-stamped, with the inventory in frame. This is the single biggest determinant of getting your deposit back.
Three things to do first
  • Verify the landlord can actually let. Ask to see the EPC (must be E or above), the Gas Safety Certificate (annual), the HMO licence if required, and the “How to Rent” booklet (legal requirement). Missing any of these blocks a Section 21 eviction later.
  • Read every clause about leaving. Look for “break clauses”, “notice periods”, and any “early termination fees”. Anything more than the genuine cost to the landlord is unenforceable under the Tenant Fees Act.
  • Run the tenancy agreement through Sorted Decode — paste the full text, and the AI flags the unusual / one-sided clauses in plain English.
Sorted tools that help
Decode the tenancy → Council Repairs guide → Know my rights →
Sources: Tenant Fees Act 2019; Deregulation Act 2015 (deposit protection); Housing Act 1988; Citizens Advice landlord checklists; Shelter rent guide. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you appeal a decision

PIP, council tax, housing, immigration, parking. The deadline rule and the “Mandatory Reconsideration” trap.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Going to tribunal without doing Mandatory Reconsideration first. For DWP decisions (PIP, UC, ESA), you must do MR before a tribunal will hear you. One month deadline from the decision letter. Free, in writing.
  • Repeating the original application instead of arguing the law. Tribunals don’t want your story again — they want to know where the decision-maker got the rules wrong. Name the descriptor, the criterion, the framework paragraph that wasn’t applied properly.
  • Not knowing tribunal success rates. PIP tribunals overturn the original decision in about 68% of cases. Council tax band challenges win frequently. Most parking PCN appeals to POPLA/IAS succeed when grounds are properly cited. Appeal isn’t a long shot.
Three things to do first
  • Find your deadline today. Every appeal route has one and most are between 14 days and 1 month. Diary it. Sorted can save it to your Passport with a reminder.
  • Identify the type of appeal. DWP → Mandatory Reconsideration then HM Courts & Tribunals. Council tax → Valuation Tribunal Service. Parking (council) → council then Traffic Penalty Tribunal / London Tribunals. Parking (private) → POPLA / IAS. Immigration → First-tier Tribunal Immigration & Asylum.
  • Use Sorted’s letter generators — PIP MR, compensation, NHS CHC appeal, any other. They reference the correct framework paragraphs.
Sorted tools that help
PIP appeal helper → NHS CHC appeal → Compensation triage → Parking PCN appeal → Custom appeal letter →
Sources: HM Courts & Tribunals statistics; Valuation Tribunal Service; Traffic Penalty Tribunal; DWP MR guidance; Citizens Advice appeals factsheets. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you pay a fine

Why the 14-day discount is sometimes a trap, and the test that decides if it’s even enforceable.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Paying a private parking notice on private land thinking it’s a council PCN. Private “Parking Charge Notices” are invoices for breach of contract, not statutory fines. Appeal route is POPLA or IAS — free — and success rates are high if the signage was unclear or the operator isn’t a member of an accredited trade body.
  • Paying without keeping evidence. Once paid, most fines are admitted in law. If you have any doubts — signage, location, timing, who was driving — appeal first, pay only if the appeal fails.
  • Missing the 14-day discount when the case is genuinely lost. If the council/HMRC has clear evidence and you have no grounds, paying at the discount is rational. Council PCNs drop to £65 from £130 (etc.).
Three things to do first
  • Confirm what kind of fine it is. Council PCN (yellow + black, council letterhead) vs Private PCN (private operator, claims to be from a parking company) vs Fixed Penalty Notice (police / court). Three completely different appeal routes.
  • Photograph the location. Signage, surface, lines, exemptions. Most successful PCN appeals turn on signage that was hidden, ambiguous, or non-compliant with regulations.
  • Run it through Sorted Appeal Parking — the 5-step guide identifies which route applies and drafts the appeal.
Sorted tools that help
Appeal a parking ticket → Decode the notice → What if I ignore it? →
Sources: Traffic Management Act 2004; POPLA & IAS adjudication reports; BPA / IPC codes of practice; Citizens Advice parking guidance. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you claim on insurance

The five-evidence rule, the 8-week trigger to FOS, and why “lowball offers” are the norm not the exception.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Accepting the first offer. First offers on home / motor claims are routinely 30–60% below the true replacement cost. Politely reject in writing, request a breakdown of how they reached the figure, and provide your evidence pack.
  • Not understanding the “8-week rule”. If the insurer hasn’t resolved your complaint within 8 weeks (or has issued a final response you reject), the Financial Ombudsman Service can review it — free, decisions binding on the insurer. Use this.
  • Not building the evidence pack. Insurers respond to documents, not stories. Five-evidence rule: original receipts/photos, dated damage photos, witness statements, expert quotes for repair/replacement, policy schedule highlighted with the relevant cover paragraph.
Three things to do first
  • Read the policy schedule cover-to-cover. Find the exact paragraph that covers your event. Quote it in every communication.
  • Photograph everything before disposal. Damaged item, packaging, surrounding context, serial numbers. Do not throw anything away until the claim is settled.
  • Use Sorted’s Compensation triage for the right route, then the Letter Writer for the complaint letter. Both reference FCA DISP rules.
Sorted tools that help
Compensation triage → Lost luggage claims → Complaint letter → Am I being ripped off? →
Sources: FCA DISP handbook; Financial Ombudsman Service annual decisions; Consumer Rights Act 2015; ABI guidance. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you ignore a letter

Which letters genuinely don’t matter, and which become bailiffs in 8 weeks if you do nothing.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Ignoring court papers (N1 / claim form / N9 response form). 14 days to respond or you get a default County Court Judgment automatically. CCJs sit on your credit file for 6 years. Never ignore court papers.
  • Ignoring council tax reminders. Two missed instalments → full year’s balance becomes due → liability order → bailiffs. The escalation takes weeks, not months. Talk to the council on day one.
  • Treating debt-collector letters from Lowell / Cabot / PRA / Intrum as bailiffs. Debt-collectors have no enforcement powers. They cannot enter your home. Many of their letters chase debts that are statute-barred. But they CAN take you to County Court for a CCJ if you ignore them — so don’t.
Three things to do first
  • Upload it to Sorted Decode. Sorted reads it, tells you the real sender, the actual deadline, how serious it is, and what happens if you do nothing. In seconds.
  • Diary the deadline. Save the case to Passport so it shows up on the day.
  • Get free advice if it’s a priority debt. StepChange 0800 138 1111. Free, regulated, will negotiate with the creditor for you.
Sorted tools that help
Decode the letter → Debt: which to pay first → What happens if I ignore it? →
Sources: Civil Procedure Rules; Limitation Act 1980; FCA CONC; Citizens Advice debt collector guidance; StepChange research. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Before you sign a contractor quote

The deposit rule, the “cash for cheaper” trap, and Section 75 — your most underused right.
Three mistakes most people make
  • Paying the full quote up-front. Standard UK practice is 25–33% deposit, balance staged against milestones, final 10–15% on snagging completion. Anyone insisting on full payment up-front is a red flag.
  • Paying in cash for “a better price”. Cash payment removes Section 75 protection of the Consumer Credit Act — the rule that gives the credit-card provider joint liability for purchases between £100 and £30,000. Lost work, dispute? Cash means you’re on your own.
  • Not checking the trader is registered. Gas: Gas Safe Register. Electrics: NICEIC / NAPIT / ELECSA. Builders/general: TrustMark or Federation of Master Builders. Always check the actual register, not a logo on a van.
Three things to do first
  • Get three written quotes. Same scope, same materials. If one is dramatically lower, ask why — almost always it’s missing materials, scaffold, VAT, or skip hire.
  • Pay any deposit by credit card if > £100. Section 75 protects you even if you only put the deposit on the card and the balance in cash/transfer.
  • Run the firm through Sorted Check this Firm — Companies House active? FCA register if relevant? Search for County Court judgments against the company name.
Sorted tools that help
Check the firm → Is this a scam? → Am I being ripped off? →
Sources: Consumer Credit Act 1974 (Section 75); Consumer Rights Act 2015; Gas Safe Register; TrustMark; Federation of Master Builders. Last reviewed 29 May 2026.

Sorted’s prevention principle: every Before You guide above started as a real case the site helped someone recover from. Almost all of them were avoidable with a calm 10-minute check before the moment. These pages exist so you don’t have to come back later for the recovery version.

Sources cited per playbook. Sorted is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. For binding advice on a specific situation, contact Citizens Advice (registered charity 279057) or a regulated adviser for your sector.