No matter how many times you move, you always seem to find something that you wished you’d done differently. We have created this ultimate guide to help prepare you to move into your new house and to keep your move on track and on schedule.
10 Tips for Preparing to Move Into Your First House:
1. Find a good mover
Hiring a good moving company is critical for the success of your home move. You’re going to need to find a properly licensed and adequately insured mover that’s also reputable and affordable. All this sounds like a very tough task but in fact, it isn’t that difficult at all.
Regardless of whether you prepare to move across the country or locally, trust one of the best professional movers in your area to take care of the most challenging aspects of your move – like packing specialty items and lifting and carrying heavy furniture and boxes.
2. Request in-home surveys
What’s the best way to prepare to move into a new home? Without a doubt, it’s to let experienced professionals take care of all the relocation details for you. In other words, to let the pros do what they do best. It’s the easiest way too.
Get in touch with top-rated movers near you and ask them to visit your home for a visual inspection. This is a must-do step that will enable them to issue you with accurate cost estimates. In addition to the moving cost estimation, the in-home surveys will also serve as actual risk assessments.
3. Get rid of unwanted items
One of the best tips to prepare to move into a new house is to reduce significantly the number of items you’re taking with you. Take only the things that you like and need and intend to use in the foreseeable future.
If you choose to skip this step, then you’ll be forced to lose valuable time to pack those unwanted items, and then pay for their senseless transportation.
Inventory your entire home and gift, recycle or throw away the things you no longer need. Organize a garage sale to earn some cash from your unnecessary stuff.
4. Get hold of packing materials
One great way to save money when moving house is to pack your items by yourself – or at least the ones that you think you can manage on your own. And to be able to do just that, you’re going to need proper packing materials to start the packing process.
Secure the major packing supplies: many cardboard boxes of various sizes, packing paper, bubble wrap, packing tape, and a set of color markers. The biggest packing expense will be the moving boxes but the good news is that you should be able to get those cardboard containers for free.
5. Start packing ASAP
Sometimes when you prepare to move between two homes, it turns out to be a race against time. So, if you wish to know how to move into a new house quickly, then the thing to remember is that you simply need to initiate the packing process as early as you can. The reason? Packing for a move happens to be the most time-consuming task of them all.
Start from the rooms that are the toughest ones to sort out and pack – the storage areas such as your garage, basement, attic, and walk-in closet. Your kitchen can also present a serious packing challenge because of the great number and types of kitchen items in it.
6. Obtain school/medical records
Moving to a new home situated in another city and possibly in another state as well, means a change of schools for your school-aged children. To be able to sign up your kids at the new school upon reaching your destination, you’ll need to request their school records or arrange their direct transfer.
A cross-country move also means that you’ll need to find a new family physician and dentist. So, visit your current doctor and get your medical records and all the required documentation for registering with a new health care provider.
7. Get your pet ready
It looks like your dog is quite ready for the upcoming home move.
Moving to a new home with pets will inevitably increase the level of difficulty of your upcoming move. Whether you’re moving with a dog, a cat, a bird or fish, you’ll face a distinct set of challenges to prepare your pets for the trip and most importantly – to ensure their safety on the road.
When moving house with dogs or cats, schedule an appointment with your family vet for a full check-up of your animal friend. Also, remember to get copies of their immunization records from the animal doctor.
8. Transfer the utilities
It takes careful planning to move into a new home smoothly. One important thing to do when moving into a new home is to transfer the utilities between the two homes.
So, contact your current utility companies and schedule the disconnection of the utilities at the old place and their reconnection at the new one. When moving to a new state, you may need to arrange that utilities transfer with different companies.
9. Change your postal address
Wondering what to do when you move into a new home? What about changing your postal address so that you continue to get your mail regularly and on time?
It’s best to change your address before the day of the move so that no mail delivery interruption occurs during that transitional period. Luckily, the change of address checklist you need to follow is fairly simple: you can complete this task in person at the nearest post office or online by visiting the official website of the USPS (United States Postal Service).
10. Ensure Moving day safety
In your struggle to prepare to move into a new home, you may forget to do something extremely important, and that is to guarantee the safety of you and your family during the most chaotic day of the entire move – Moving day.
The best possible way to stay 100% safe when moving is to hire experienced movers so that you can stay away from the packing and moving action. In all other cases, make sure you dress appropriately for Moving day, use the proper lifting techniques, use the right moving equipment and have enough manpower to handle all heavy objects safely
What to do AFTER moving into a new house (10 tips)
Here are the top 10 things to do as soon as you move into a new house:
1. Check all utilities
The very first thing to do when you move into a new house is to check whether all utilities function properly. You did remember to transfer the home utilities before your move-out day, didn’t you?
2. Inspect all delivered boxes
Check against the detailed inventory sheet each box as it is carried inside your new home. If you find out that a cardboard container is missing or if you notice any damaged boxes, inform your movers right away and don’t sign any documents until all issues are resolved. Follow the link below to learn how to file a complaint against a moving company in case of a problem.
3. Tend to your children and pets
The safety and well-being of your children are a top priority, especially if you just moved into a new home with a small child. Keep your loved ones away from any danger zones, preferably in a room far from the traffic.
4. Unpack your Open-Fist boxes
Once you know that your loved ones are safe, it’s time to focus on the things to do when you first move into a new home. Now it’s time to unpack your Open-First boxes that contain absolute essential items that you’ll need immediately after the move. Keep in mind that your essentials boxes will be true lifesavers in case the rest of your belongings are yet to be delivered by the moving company.
5. Document the current condition of your home
One good piece of advice when moving into a new house or apartment is to document the condition of the place immediately after you move in. This task is especially important when you’re a renter because you may need to prove later on that you’re not responsible for some of the damage that existed before you came in.
6. Re-assemble large furniture
Experienced furniture movers can re-assemble the bed and other large furniture in record time.
Another thing you should do after moving into a new house is to put together the major pieces of furniture – the ones that had to be disassembled at the old home in order to be protected well and moved safely.
Of course, the piece that you’ll be most eager to unpack and re-assemble will be the bed – in case you’d decided to haul it in the first place.
7. Install electric appliances
It’s never easy to prepare to move into a new home as there are many important decisions to make prior to the move. And one of those essential decisions is whether or not to move some of your large household appliances such as your fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, cooking stove, and so on.
8. Secure your new home
Moving into a new home will mean that you’ll also have to inspect carefully that new place and determine how secure it is. For starters, you may want to contact a local locksmith to change the locks of all outside doors – you can never know who might have a copy of the keys. Also, you can consider installing a security alarm against burglars, especially if the new neighborhood has a bad reputation.
9. Initiate the unpacking process
Are you familiar with the term UNPACKING PARTY?
Of all the things to do after moving into a new house, unpacking seems like both the most urgent and the least urgent task before you. Yes, you’ll want to get it done and over with as soon as possible but at the same time, you’ll always have more important things to tackle, especially in the first week or so.
Needless to say, you should start unpacking from the rooms you use on a daily basis and work your way towards the ones you will occupy much less frequently, like your storage areas and guest rooms.
10. Organize a housewarming party
What to do when moving into a new home? Organize a housewarming party, of course!
You may wish to celebrate your successful house move by organizing a small informal get-together where you can invite friends (if you have any friends in the new city), co-workers, and neighbors. In reality, a humble housewarming party is a good way to meet the folks next door – who knows, you may even become good friends with some of them.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know, a housewarming party after the move is supposed to bring good luck to both the home itself and its occupants, which in your case are you and your family members.
Good luck!
