Moving to a New Home
The idea of moving into a new home can be thrilling and empowering, marking the start of a brand new chapter in your life. Discussing the move and all the plans you have for your new home brings on fun, smiles, and the action of calling your friends and family to notify them of the amazing news. That is until you have to move in.
As no surprise to someone who has been there, done that, moving can be somewhat of a pain. In a realistic setting, we can take all the proper measures to plan for a flawless move, and then surprises get the best of us and spell disaster for the entire moving process.
The ultimate goal of any move is to cross the finish line. No matter what happens during the move, as long as you can check off all items moved from Point A to Point B, that will be your sign to celebrate and even relax a little. Before you start packing those boxes, follow our essential move-in checklist to ease the moving process and make you a happy new homeowner.
Our Move-In Checklist for Your New Home
Your move-in checklist for your new home will likely be different than others out there but not too far off. Some items listed will need to be marked higher priority, while others are considered the last on the list. Either way, on our move-in checklist, you will cover as much ground as possible, and moving will never be the same again. Let’s get started!
1. Transfer utilities
Utilities for a new home hold the same, if not more, value as the necessities of life. If humans need food, water, and oxygen to live, a new home will need electricity, gas, and water to be habitable! Without the necessary utilities set up, your new home will feel less like a home and more like a storage space. At least a few weeks before your official move-in date, call your utility companies and notify them of your address change. Depending on if they need to send a technician to help you set up at your new place, you need to make sure it’s a time before your official move-in.
2. Set up TV and the internet
Let’s face it, some of us cannot live without TV and the internet. In this tech-savvy age where society is dependent on their electronic devices, these two items might even have higher priority than your other utilities. Similar to your gas, electricity, and water, contact your cable and internet company to transfer services to your new home. TV and the internet are crucial to set up because upon moving in, you may have some late-night work to do or want to relax with your favorite show. Be proactive in ensuring your new home is actually a home and not a place to camp out.
3. Update your address
New home, new address. Hopefully, you’re aware of all the items that need to be updated with your new address immediately. In case you missed some, here is a short list to keep you on track: credit cards, mailing address, driver’s license, car registration, insurance, subscriptions, and more. Anything else come to mind? At least this will be a good starting point to get the ball rolling, and later, other items that need to be updated will slowly trickle into your memory.
4. Make extra keys
Moving to a new home with your family or friends? Then obtaining extra keys should be a key item on your radar. Even if you’re the only one living in your new home, extra keys are ideal to have on hand in case you lose your primary one or need to give a copy to any of your emergency contacts. Whatever the situation is, as soon as you get the keys to your new home, attempt to make any necessary copies the same day. The moving process encompasses many moving pieces and people, so you want to guarantee that those involved in the process have easy access to your new home.
5. Clean before you move
An empty home without furniture may appear clean on the surface, but it could be your excitement clouding your judgment. Taking extra measures to have a polished home means a little pre-cleaning before beginning your move. Luckily, we have a few cleaning tips to give your new home that fresh feel it needs. You can also call a local cleaning service if a professional service is what your home needs. Otherwise, a quick dusting, vacuuming, and mopping of your new place should be an ideal starting point before moving in all the boxes and furniture.
6. Decide your house layout
Decide ahead of time the purpose of each room. Who will occupy each bedroom? Who will share each bathroom? Outlining your space before moving will help the process become more efficient. You will be able to walk into your new home and know where each box belongs. Planning the layout of your new home removes the issue of kitchen items being in the bedroom and bedroom stuff being in the kitchen. No more of that!
7. Label your boxes
Getting all your boxes out of one place and into another implies that the difficult part is over. Then, you wind up staring at your conglomerate of brown boxes, puzzled, because now you have no idea which items are in which box. To avoid that horrific realization and to save you from having to open all of the boxes at once, we recommend labeling your boxes and storage beforehand. Usually, the best method is to label them by the room or section their inner items will be stored.
8. Organize your boxes
Moving without a plan is possible and has been done. Will this route become prone to mistakes? Possibly. The solution to avoiding this concern as much as possible is to organize your moving boxes by section or room. For example, maybe you start your move-in with anything kitchen-related. Or, because you have the excitement to sleep at the new house on the first night, you plan to move any boxes that will be in your bedroom first, ensuring you everything you need. Organizing your boxes by priority will keep all your items in the right place.
9. Transfer your groceries
As mentioned before, food is a necessity of life. While some items in your pantry have a long shelf-life, the items in your fridge and freezer may have a sooner expiration date. If your plan doesn’t include throwing away all of your groceries, you might want to add this item to the top of your move-in checklist. Assuming electricity will be already set up at your new home, organizing your groceries by shelf-life will keep them fresh and far from spoiling.
10. Scout your new area
Moving can easily drain your daily dose of energy, leaving you exhausted and in need of re-energizing. Before your big move, you may want to check any nearby restaurants or department stores near your new home. This way, you’ll know exactly where to go if you or any other movers are hungry, thirsty, or need a quick purchase at your local store. An added benefit to this research is familiarizing yourself with your new neighborhood will lead to being a local expert later on.
11. Measure, measure, measure
Moving old furniture to a new place fully implies that you won’t arrange them in the same layout. Your new home may have a larger kitchen area, but a smaller living room area. To ensure your furniture properly fits in its respected area, set up a time to take down a few measurements in your new home to align them with your furniture. Taking action to measure areas of your new home will reduce any overcrowding concerns. Time to meet your interior design goals!
12. Remove any junk
It’s highly uncommon to move every single thing from your old home to your new home, meaning useless junk will need to be tossed along the way. Have some extra bags or boxes ready in hand so you can trash any unnecessary junk in them, rather than accidentally tossing them in your moving boxes. Another option is to reach out to a junk removal company to assist you with this task, depending on how much junk will need to be thrown away.
13. Contact helpers ahead of time
Moving is a hassle and as we all know, it can take up a good portion of our time. If your personal or work situation prevents you from providing your full attention to moving, that’s understandable. Luckily, that’s what movers are for! If this is your case, make sure you call ahead to a few local movers to help you ease your headache and put the stressful project in professional hands.
14. Choose days ahead of time
In some rare situations, moving can be completed within one whole day. For others, moving takes multiple days over a certain period. Whichever situation aligns with your moving goals, choose a specific date or dates on which that will make sense for your move. Take a glance at your calendar and pay attention to upcoming appointments, meetings, or events. Doing this will execute a smooth move by having your boxes ready at least one day before. If others are involved in your moving process, notify them beforehand to ensure there are no scheduling conflicts.
15. Set up security
Not every new home requires security, but it wouldn’t hurt to consider it if security was never a need for you. Forbes.com says that “on average, over 1 million burglaries occur in the United States each year.” It’s not necessary to splurge hundreds of dollars on a security system as there are many cheap options on the market that provide a good-quality camera, even if it’s just for your front door. Being proactive can help you feel safe long-term in your home.
16. Prepare your vehicles
On a project like moving that requires constant transportation, any vehicles utilized in the process will need a proper analysis beforehand. Does the vehicle have enough space? Can the vehicle carry multiple, heavy items at once? When moving to your new home, more than one vehicle is ideal to efficiently transport all items to your new home. Clear any unnecessary items in these vehicles to allow more room for your boxes. Additional space to fit your boxes equals fewer trips and less hassle!
17. Plan a housewarming party
All the hard work that goes into moving takes a hefty amount of physical and mental strength to complete such a huge personal project. On that note, a celebration should be underway to reward you and all your movers for the hard work. The housewarming party is where you get to properly pat yourself on the back and showcase your new home to friends and family!
Friendly Moving Reminders
After looking over our move-in checklist, you should consider the following reminders during your move that can make it an effective and enjoyable experience for everyone involved.
First, stay positive! While some people have a hobby of organizing things and look forward to a big move-in day, others don’t feel that same excitement. Whichever one you are, try to keep a bright mindset and focus on the key goal of the move: to get it finished!
Next, collaborate and work together! Whether your new home will be sole-occupied or not, friends and family will likely lend a hand. Think of moving as a group project, where everyone involved will put in their effort to collectively succeed. Go, team!
Finally, don’t forget to take a rest! Moving is one of those projects where you’re aware there’s a lot to do, and you want to complete it as quickly as possible. When this happens, you may neglect your health and body, leaving you to work extra hours than what is necessary. Properly rest in between moves to regain your energy and fuel.
Let’s Get Packing!
As overwhelming as this list may be, a proper move-in checklist for your new home will benefit you in ways you wish you knew before. Now that you’re able to plan this exciting and nervous project, moving into your new home should be a breeze. If any of your friends and family are moving soon, keep them in check by showing them our move-in checklist.
Depending on your mortgage lender, they may have a few suggestions for moving services to help you out. Check in with them for any personal referrals to ensure you’re getting the best in the business.
If you used our move-in checklist for a place you’re renting, reach out to us at any time if you’re ever interested in becoming a homeowner. As easy as we made moving, we can make buying a home the same.
