Things to Think About When Moving Into A New Property

You followed your moving checklist to the very last detail and coordinated a very successful move. You are moving into a new property, and you simply can not wait to make it your home and start this exciting new chapter of your life. After all, it is not every day that you manage to pull off an almost perfect house move without any significant problems along the way – you have every reason to be pretty pleased with yourself.   

But, before you crack open that champagne and raise a toast to your success, stop. It is too early to think that the house move is complete and that you can sit back and relax. There are plenty of essential tasks that need to be done without any delay, so now is not the time to sit back on your laurels. There will be a time very soon for the well-deserved celebrations, but right now, it is time to roll those sleeves up again and get on with some hard work.

Ready to find out what else needs doing? Let’s go!

Moving Into A New Property? These Are The Things You Need To Think About

Inspect your belongings

First things first, you need to make sure that everything you packed up from your old house has made it to your new one in one piece. As you were packing, you should have been creating an inventory, so you know exactly what you have and where it is. This is important for both insurance reasons and for this point – to check it’s all there. Check each box against the inventory as it is carried through from the removal truck into your new home and certainly before the removal truck goes – that way, anything that is missing can be looked for or dealt with there and then.

Once your movers have left, and you start to open the boxes, scrutinize each item for any signs of damage. Hopefully, you or your packers have packed things carefully, so they are well protected, but accidents still happen. If something is damaged or broken, make a note of it ready to resolve with the company.

Get your utility services up and running

You cannot live in a house without the basics up and running – gas, electricity and water at the very least, so get these sorted ASAP. Ideally, you will have had these sorted before your moving date, so it is one less job to worry about on the day. It is also always a good idea to have the numbers of an emergency plumber, electrician, and qualified gas engineer to hand in case of any problems. 

Once you have had the necessary services connected, it is time to think about other things such as internet and telephone services.

Unpack the essentials

It is going to take a few days – or even a few weeks – to get everything unpacked, so start with the essentials. If you were an organized packer, you would have made sure that everything you need for at least the first night and morning is in one carefully labelled and accessible box. No one wants to be rooting around in hundreds of boxes for their toothbrush or a spoon after a long day of moving.

Assemble your bed, dig out the bedding, grab your shower essentials, an outfit for the morning and the equipment to make yourself a coffee and jump into bed. You are going to need a good night of sleep to prepare you for a busy day of unpacking and sorting the next day.

Organize yourself

Now, you have probably already done this to an extent if you have managed to get this far without too many significant hiccups. However, now is the time to grab a notebook and pen and work out some sort of system when it comes to unpacking and doing essential jobs around your new home.    

These might include tasks such as putting up curtain rails or poles, changing lightbulbs, putting up shelves and odd tasks like that which will make your house feel much more like a home. 

Give your house a thorough inspection

When you move into a new house, one of the first things that you should do is to get to know the place inside and out. Inspect every nook and cranny of your new home meticulously. Check out every single room for any visible signs of damage, especially from fire or water. Check for leaks in the plumbing, dripping faucets and toilets that do not stop flushing. One way to check that there are no water leaks of any type is to make a note of your water meter readings and then register it again at the end of a period of a few hours where no one has used any water anywhere in the house. If there is a difference in the two readings, then you more than likely have a leak somewhere and you need to find it, fix it or call out someone to sort it for you.

You also should look around both your front and back yards, driveway and the perimeter of your property and grounds to check for any problems such as holes in the fences, evidence of unwanted pests or overgrown or unsafe trees and bushes.

Make sure you know where your water valve and the circuit breaker are located.

Make sure you know where your circuit breaker and main water valve are situated in case of the event of an emergency, or even in the situation where you are about to repair a power or water source and need to switch off or shut off the water supply.

You need to know which fuse controls which part of your new house if the fuse is not labelled at all or if the person before you got it all wrong. Pinpoint and mark each circuit breaker as needed. In the same way, know how the main water stop valve works to see if it works correctly by testing for any flowing water after the valve has been shut off. Replace it or get it fixed if it does not work in the way that it should. 

Make sure your home is secure

Now is the time to make sure your home is protected from any unwanted intruders or risks from fires.

The first thing that you should consider doing is changing all of the locks on the external doors to make sure that the only people that have access to your new home are you and your family. Check all doors and windows thoroughly to make sure they close and lock properly. Install smoke detectors and make sure that they all work. As well as this, try to ensure that there is at least one working fire extinguisher on each floor of the house and devise an escape plan out of the house. If the area that you live in has a bad reputation or a high crime rate, look at installing a burglar alarm.

Change your address

At the earliest possible opportunity, register your new address with the post office and make sure that your mail is redirected from your old property. Give your family and friends your new address and make sure that you inform all of the relevant authorities and organizations, including:

• Doctor
• Dentist
• Car, health and home insurance
• Tax
• Bank
• Finance companies
• Schools
• Workplaces
• Cell phone providers
• Internet providers
• Utility services
• Voter registration

Set your home out

Moving into a new property gives you a fresh start and a clean slate to get your rooms looking exactly how you want them to look without lots of clutter making the task difficult. You can purchase new furniture and really play about with the layout until you have a room that works perfectly for you and your family.

Introduce yourself to your new neighbours

Everyone needs good neighbours, right? As soon as you can, pop round and introduce yourself to your neighbours. They will be a useful resource when it comes to finding out about trash collections, local amenities and taking in any post or parcels for you. Even if they do not seem like the sort of people you want to be friends with, be polite and friendly and remain civil – starting off on the wrong foot can set you up for years of uncomfortable exchanges and problems.

Moving home is exciting. Whether you are moving to the house next door, the next street, the next town or the other side of the world, it signifies a new chapter of your life. It can also be incredibly stressful. Thinking about the things we have talked above and being as organized as possible will make it run smoothly, and before you know it, you and your family will be settled into your new home.

Image Credits: paulbr75 from Pixabay