When you move into a new home, there’s plenty to do before you start to unpack and get settled in. You’ll want to do a complete walkthrough of the house first to check if everything is functioning properly and what might need fixing. But after that, there’s so much to do it can be easy to get overwhelmed.
To make sure you stay on top of things, let’s get into the details of what you need to do when you move into a new home.
5 First Things to Do When Moving into a New House
Complete a Walkthrough
When you first arrive at your new home, you should do a walkthrough to ensure that everything is to your liking. During this walkthrough, you can check and make sure everything works and look for areas that need repair. You can also plan the placement of furniture and belongings.
If there is an issue with your home, get in touch with your realtor as soon as you can to let them know about the problem. Anything that wasn’t covered in your contract is going to be your responsibility to handle, so read the contract agreement thoroughly.
Locate Water Valve & Fuse Box
If something goes wrong, you don’t want to be stuck wandering around the house in the dark or rushing to find out where you can turn the water off. It’s a good idea to identify exactly where these items are so that you can easily locate them if there is an emergency or some other situation in the home.
If you have a basement, this is likely where the fuse box will be located. However, if not, it could be located near the garage or laundry area. The water valve for the home will often be located somewhere along the home’s perimeter.
Make Sure All Basics Are Handled
When you move into a new home, one of the first things you should do is make sure that all your utilities are up and running and that the home is fully equipped for you and your household. This includes power companies, water and gas providers, internet, mail, and more. Ideally this should have been arranged for before the move, but sometimes that’s not possible.
If you can transfer utilities, transfer them to your new home. If services or utilities cannot be transferred, cancel them and set up these services for your new home.
Deep Clean The Home
After arriving at your new place, you’re likely to be tired, possibly a bit stressed, and very ready to relax and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. However, now is not the time to lay back – it’s the best time to clean the home because none of your furniture is in the way.
Make sure that you have cleaning materials on hand or that you can access them soon after you get to your home. Once you’ve done a deep clean, you can move your items where they belong, sit back, and relax. In some cases, you can relax and let a professional cleaning company handle the work.
Note: Be certain to complete a thorough walkthrough before starting to clean. It’s important to finish checking the entire interior and exterior before cleaning in case pictures of the original condition are needed.
Prepare for Pets & Kids
If you’ve chosen your new home due to an expanding family or if you have pets, it’s also a good idea to pet-proof your home and make sure it’s safe for children. This can be done in several ways, just make sure that the safety protocols taken are right for your household.
Some of the ways you can childproof the home include:
- Cover outlets and sharp furniture end.
- Use protective devices in areas that have hazards.
- Keep dangerous items out of reach, such as glass vases.
- Install guards on windows to keep children from opening them.
Change Your Locks
Whenever you move into a new home or apartment, it’s a good idea to get the locks and deadbolts changed. Even if you’re not worried about the previous owners or tenants showing up and wreaking havoc, there are still plenty of reasons to get the locks changed.
If you don’t want to get all of your locks changed, as this can be costly, you may consider getting the locks re-keyed. Re-keying locks keeps old keys from being able to open them and also makes sure nobody else but your household members are able to access the home.
Replace Air Filters
If your home has a central air conditioning unit another addition to your move-in checklist is to replace any air filters in the home. There’s no telling how long filters have been left in while the home has been on the market and while the past household resided in the house.
Replacing the air filters is one of the easier tasks to get done when you move in, so don’t take your household’s fresh air for granted. Make sure that everyone can breathe easily and that you aren’t circulating debris, dust, and other contaminants that may have come up during cleaning or other events.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best day of the week to move?
The weekends are the busiest days of the week for cross country moving companies so the best day of the week to conduct your move is most often anytime between Monday and Thursday. This means movers will be in less of a time restraint, but you’ll want to make sure you give yourself time to settle in.
When do you know it’s time to move?
The indicators can be different for each household when it comes to when you should move. If you’ve found your home too small, too big, too crowded, or too expensive, it may be time to move. You may also want to move if you want a new environment – in short, it’s entirely up to you when to move into a new home.
What’s the cheapest month to move into a home?
In general, the cheapest time to move is anytime during the winter or fall months when requests for moving services aren’t in as high a volume. Not only will you save money, but there may also be fewer deliveries on the way to your home which means belongings have a chance of arriving faster than they normally would.
Move Into Your New Home With Ease
When it’s time to get into your new home and settle in, make it count. You can get the home up and ready to go in just a few days if you have some help from family and friends, or professionals, and put your mind to it.
