Buying a new house is a major milestone you should be proud to have accomplished. Now that you’ve signed and initialed all the important papers, you are now officially a survivor of the grueling process of real estate investment.
But while this is truly a moment of celebration, there are several other things you must do first before having the professional movers transport all your belongings to your new place. Although it may seem like a tiring way to begin your new life in the new neighborhood, these tasks are necessary to make your fresh start stress-free.
So, without further ado, here are eight essential tasks you must accomplish first before moving into your new home:
1. Change Your Address
A change in address is best done as early as possible to reduce your hassles later on. You wouldn’t want to have the new tenants of your new home forward your mail every time they arrive, so make sure to notify the post office about your address change as soon as you confirm the date of your move.
You should also make sure that all important entities sending you regular mail are informed of the change in your contact information. This includes government bodies, insurance companies, and credit card and banking institutions, among others. Magazine and newspaper subscriptions should either be transferred to the new address or canceled altogether.
Don’t forget to let the important people in your life know about the change in address as well. A simple group message via your mobile phone or social media should suffice.
2. Replace the Locks in Your New House
When moving to a new neighborhood, safety should be your topmost priority. This means you should replace all the locks in the new house to ensure that only you have access to your property.
Make sure to schedule this task before your movers bring in your belongings and ensure that your home is secure from the moment you set foot in it. This will remove any chance of theft during the time your locks are being changed.
3. Inspect the House for Leaks
Ideally, the previous owners of a house or apartment should have ensured that the property is safe from leaks. Even if you hired a home inspector to check this before buying the house, it won’t hurt to double check.
To do this, you can monitor the water meter for two hours without using the utility to make sure that there are no plumbing leaks in your new house. If there is no change in the meter reading, you are assured that there is no problem. However, if there is movement, you might want to have your plumbing checked.
Of course, you can always postpone dealing with this as you see fit. The idea is to give yourself ample time to prepare for consequences of such instances so that they won’t catch you off-guard.
4. Locate the Shutoff Valves and Breaker Box
Since the house is new to you, you should make sure that you know where the breaker and shutoff valves are located before you start living day-by-day in it. This will help prevent you from scouring in the dark for your breaker box should electrical problems occur.
The same is true for water and gas shutoff valves. It would be better to accomplish the task calmly than under duress while your house is being flooded from a burst pipe or at high risk of erupting in flames from a gas leak.
5. Deal with House Maintenance ASAP
Not everyone undertakes the same level of maintenance for their homes. This means that, if you bought a pre-owned house, you might see signs of wear from lack of or poor-quality maintenance.
Although the previous residents may have left the edifice in pristine condition before they moved out, the period when it was empty may have caused an accumulation of dust and dirt. For this very reason, you must have it deep cleaned once again before you move in.
While you can try to undertake the task on your own, you can always hire a professional cleaning service for a more thorough clean. This will also allow you to focus on more pressing maintenance matters, like water leaks or potentially hazardous damages.
6. Get Your Unpacking Box
Unpacking is as grueling as packing, especially if the latter isn’t done in an organized manner. To make unpacking easier, you must prepare an unpacking box that you could bring from one room to the other.
The contents of an unpacking box will depend on your specific circumstances and needs. Some of the items you might want to put in it are the room keys (labeled accordingly), tools that can help you re-build furniture, and the bags of screws and other accessories for each furniture (also labeled accordingly). It should also contain the basics: scissors, masking tape, screwdrivers, and glue.
7. Organize the Property Paperwork
There will be a mountain of paperwork you need to deal with when moving to a new house, so it is important that you get started before you even start living there.
For example, you should change the subscriber name for utilities in the property, including the water, electricity, cable, and internet. You should also deal with your house insurance policies for a seamless transition from the day you leave your old home to the moment you arrive in the new one.
8. Plan a Housewarming Party
As mentioned earlier, transitioning to a new house is a major milestone that should be celebrated. This means you must also plan your housewarming party ahead — at least two to four weeks following your move.
While this is primarily to celebrate your new accomplishment, it is also aimed at motivating you into organizing your new house before the date of the party.
As You Move In…
Whether you’re moving to another state or a nearby town, relocation is a major change that needs thorough preparation. Daunting as they may be, the tasks listed in this article are necessary to ensure that you don’t face unexpected headaches and inconceivable amounts of stress in the future.
AUTHOR BIO
Robert Wise SaaS Marketing Expert, and currently working as Sales Administration Manager at Nuss Removals, has been a respected figure in the removals industry for over 20 years. His attention to detail and the ability to truly understand the needs of the customer have ensured the successful relocation of thousands of satisfied individuals and families. For moving and storage across Australia and around the world, Robert’s wealth of experience ensures his customers are in safe hands.