More than five million housing units have been sold annually over the last five years. This means that every year, millions of families and individuals have to move into a new house.
Moving into a new house is an exciting thought, especially to new homeowners. You get to live in a new neighborhood, meet new people, and share new experiences.
However, the actual moving is an enormous and exhausting task. You have to prepare the new house for the move, pack up everything you own, drive for miles, only to undo the packing. The whole process can be stressful and frustrating.
Sometimes, movers will not completely settle in for months. You will find some of their stuff still in boxes or wraps several weeks after the move.
Why is this the case?
It all comes down to careful planning and preparedness. You need to make a moving into a new house checklist before you even think about packing.
Learn all the essential things you have to do in preparation for moving. This ensures that you don’t get stuck halfway through unpacking.
Here are ten crucial things that you should do before moving into a new house.
1. Make Any Necessary Improvements or Repairs
New homeowners are often enthusiastic about making improvements to their new home immediately after the purchase. Some of them will talk about large-scale renovations such as tearing down walls, remapping the floor plan, rebuilding the kitchen cabinets, and so on. Others only want a different color on the walls.
The problem is, once you move in, it becomes challenging to make big changes. You kind of settle in and accept the house as it is, even when there are some serious flaws.
You must have had a house inspection before closing. So, you should have a good idea of any repair and renovations that need to be done. Do every one of them before moving in; otherwise you might not have the time or capacity once you’ve brought in your family and belongings.
2. Thorough Cleaning
Schedule a day or a couple of days (depending on the size of the house) to do a thorough cleaning of the entire house. Even a new house could be filthy.
Hire a professional cleaning crew to scrub and disinfect the floor surface, especially in the kitchen and bathrooms. Clean any polished surfaces, including window panes and door knobs.
If the house comes with some rugs and carpets, steam clean those too.
At this stage, you could also change things like toilet seats, shower heads, and towel rails.
Don’t focus on the interior alone. Clear out any clutter on the porch, front lawn, and backyard. Also, remove any debris or leaves stuck on the roof and gutters.
Some of these places, like most of the floor, will be inaccessible for cleaning once you have furniture laid out. So, it’s important to clean everything before crowding up the rooms.
3. Transfer Utilities
The next thing you have to do is to transfer the house utilities like gas, water, and electricity to your billing address. Look up and identify the utility companies in your new area and contact them. Inform the relevant utility companies of your move days in advance because the transfer may take a bit of time to finalize.
In the modern world, things like internet and cable have graduated into necessary utilities. So, set up the Wi-Fi and install the cable. These also need to be done a few days early so that there are no delays once you move in.
Don’t forget to update your address to the new home. Get your mail forwarded to the new address and change the address in your bank, subscriptions, car registration, credit cards, and driving license.
4. Change the Locks
You may not know how many other people have keys to the new house. The realtor, the contractor workers, and the previous owner could have a spare key.
To be safe, it’s a good idea to change the locks on every door. Get a locksmith to do the job. It shouldn’t take longer than a day.
5. Beef Up Home Safety and Security
Changing the locks is just the first step in beefing up the home’s security. New houses rarely come equipped with robust security features. It is up to you to protect your family and property.
Install a home security system to have that peace of mind once you move into the new house, in a new neighborhood. For starters, you’ll probably need alarm systems, security lights, and surveillance cameras. Don’t stop there if you feel that you need more protection; you can’t put a price on safety.
Next, install home safety features such as smoke detectors, CO detectors, and fire alarms, if the house doesn’t have any. If they are already installed, make sure they are properly working and replace their batteries with new ones.
6. Plan Out the Rooms Before Moving in
Plan out the rooms’ layout before you call in the house movers to haul your furniture to the new house.
While the house is empty, measure the floor space and compare the figures to your existing furniture to make a plan of where each piece of furniture should go. The moving day is quite hectic and is not the time to keep moving furniture around while trying to fit couches and tables in every room.
Doing this also helps you determine whether you need more furniture or you are going to ditch some. This is crucial if the layout and size of your previous house and the new one is significantly different.
7. Examine the Electrical and Plumbing System
Have technicians examine the electrical system and the plumbing system. These are two critical features of any house that need to be flawless.
Ensure that the electrical system works in supplying power to every outlet, and there are no red flags like exposed wires or overheating components. Next, check that the safety components like circuit breakers and relays are functional to protect the system. Also, learn where the breakers and main switches are located in case you need to use them.
Get a plumber to check for leaks and insulation on the pipes.
You also want to make sure that the HVAC system runs smoothly. You may have to replace some filters or dust off the vents and air ducts.
8. Explore the Neighborhood
Take some time to explore the surrounding area. Take out a bike, walk, or drive around the neighborhood to learn the lay of the land.
Find out where the nearest stores, hospitals, schools, gas station, restaurants, and pharmacies are located. Write down the phone numbers of the local emergency contacts like the fire and police departments.
Also, get to know your neighbors. Nowadays, many people keep to themselves, and your new neighbors may not come to greet you at your door. But that doesn’t mean they are unfriendly. — go out and say hello whenever you can.
And if they do actually show up, welcome them in and learn about each other.
9. Stock Up on Supplies
Stock up on essential supplies to sustain your family during the move and a few days afterward. You will need kitchen supplies, personal effects, and cleaning, and emergency supplies.
Stock the kitchen with food items that are quick and easy to prepare. These include milk, fruits, water bottles, cereal, instant coffee or tea, energy bars, and frozen pizza. A few days after the move, you’ll probably not have settled down, and you may not have the time to prepare complex meals for the whole family.
Ensure that you keep emergency supplies like the first aid kit, fire extinguisher, phone charger, and hand-held torches nearby at all times. You also need to have some clean towels and cleaning agents readily available and easy to access.
A smart idea is to pack a travel bag as though you are going on a short trip and keeping it close. This means you won’t have to dig through dozens of boxes to find a toothbrush or a piece of soap.
10. Take Care of Your Pet
Moving is a stressful event for your pet as well. The unfamiliar surroundings may severely upset your cat or dog, and even cause panic.
Reassure your pet by cuddling them and sticking to their usual routine. Feed your pet the same food from the same bowl as you used to in the previous house.
Also, don’t forget their favorite toys and blankets. Pets don’t adapt quickly to changes, so try and keep everything as it used to be in the old house.
Moving Into a New House Checklist
Now that you have marked everything on the moving into a new house checklist, it’s time to make the move and settle in.
Don’t pack your things in a rush. Take your time to organize everything in labeled boxes.
Use professional movers to ferry all your belongings safely to the new house. You could also enlist some friends to help you pack and unpack.
Settling into a new house usually takes some time. Eventually, you’ll grow familiar with your new surroundings, and it will start to feel like home.
Continue reading our blog for more tips and advice.
