Moving house can be stressful, there is so much to do and you are bound to forget something. There is, even more, to do when you are moving into your first home, as you won’t know how to run home so there may be some things you may not even know about. Here are some tips to help.
Prepare the necessities for your first night
Before you say farewell to your previous house, consider your first night at the new place and make a new home checklist. Make sure these items are conveniently accessible, and most of them should travel in your car rather than the removal truck. Similarly, if you have anything particularly valuable or fragile, it is a good idea to transport it in your automobile. Don’t forget to bring cleaning supplies to give the house a once-over before the removal trucks come. On your first night, a clean house will be a happy house.
Meet Your Neighbours
It’s a good idea to reach out and greet your neighbours as soon as possible. You want to get to know your surroundings so that everyone can look out for one another. If you don’t know the persons involved, it’s difficult to tell if a situation is suspicious. Establishing yourself in your community can also provide you with insider information, such as who the greatest plumber in the area is and which roofing companies to avoid. Even if you’re an introvert, being well-liked by your neighbours will make you happy.
Create an Unpacking Strategy
It’s tempting to dig right in, but if you tackle the boxes at random, you’ll end up with dishes but no cutlery, shirts but no pants, and a hairbrush but no toothbrush at the end of the day. Labelling your boxes ahead of time is essential, but so is deciding what should be prioritised when you get to your new home. If you’re alright with takeaway and like to have your TV set up first, you could require kitchen goods before you need to fill out the living room. Plan what you want to have ready and then unpack in the order of importance.
Request that your mail be redirected
To protect your personal information from identity theft, have your mail redirected to your new address by Royal Mail. You’ll also avoid missing any critical mail if you haven’t transferred everything to your new address by the time you move. You can schedule your redirection ahead of time. You can leave it in place for as long as you want, although 6-12 months is usually plenty. There is a modest fee, but it is unquestionably one of the best things to do when moving. It’s well worth the money to keep your sensitive documents from slipping into the wrong hands.
Change the locks and have the keys made
Many of us feel much safer if we replace the locks on our doors as soon as we move into a new home. Fortunately, this isn’t a difficult task to complete on your own, nor is it prohibitively expensive. Change the locks on both the front and back doors for maximum security. While this may seem excessive to some, there is no way of knowing whether or not there are old copies of keys lying around, so it is best to be safe than sorry. After you’ve installed your new locks, go to a local key cutter and get some duplicates produced. Give a set to someone you can trust, such as your parents or siblings, because you may need to rely on them one day if you misplace your set while out and about.
When changing your door or window locks it’s recommended that you enlist the help of a professional locksmith. An experienced locksmith will be able to advise and replace your door locks with the most appropriate lock which is compatible with your type of door. Established locksmith Stephen Fretwell always suggests fitting high security anti-snap locks which offer the highest level of door lock security and provide peace of mind when you move into your new home.
Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors
The responsibility of keeping everyone inside safe comes with house ownership. One of the first things you should do is ensure that you are prepared in the case of a fire and that you have working smoke detectors in all of the appropriate locations. But don’t stop there; carbon monoxide can be an even more dangerous hazard to your health, so invest in a CO detector as well. There are even devices that can detect both hazards at the same time.
Install Security
Peace of mind is provided by a home security system. If your home already has the equipment installed, the security provider will activate your system in no time, so contact and inquire. Some firms install systems that allow you to set the security alarm while inside your home at night, which is very useful for solitary homeowners. Choose robust security codes for yourself and your guests.
Schedule time off from work
You’ll probably need at least a few days to begin unpacking your many boxes. Schedule this time off roughly a month ahead of time to give your employer enough notice in case they need to cover for your absence. It may also help ensure that you receive the time off even if things are hectic.
Retouch the paint
Giving a house a fresh coat of paint is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to make it your own. The nicest part is that no one can dictate your colour palette or schedule; everything is done on your terms. If you paint before moving in (either yourself or with the help of a professional), you won’t have to shift things around and worry about spatter getting on your belongings.
Add the finishing touches
Once you have unpacked all of your belongings you can get to the fun part of making your house a home. Adding the finishing touches is how you can make it yours and add your personalisations. It’s the small things that can make a big difference like candles, frames, mirrors, curtains and the curtain rail.
Ascertain that all utilities are operational
Hopefully, you took care of transferring or setting up your utilities before moving into your new house, in which case now is the time to ensure that everything is ready to go and working properly. On moving day, double-check that your electricity, gas, water, heating and cooling, phone, and internet are all operational. Then, contact your local waste management facility to check that your new home is also set up for rubbish collection.
Register your car
If you have moved to a new state, you must register your vehicles and alter your addresses. Your premiums can be different, so shop around for a few different possibilities. Pay-per-mile insurance is becoming more common if you will be working from home or taking public transportation to work.
Examine your financial state again
If only the prior enjoyable labour of transforming your new abode into your dream home might have been the only thing you had to do, wouldn’t you agree? But the reality is rarely a fairy tale, and the fight continues even though you’ve just accomplished a rare feat – a successful house transfer. And now, having already spent a lot of money to cover the exorbitant relocation costs, it’s finally time to sit down and assess your current financial status. Yes, you had to spend some money to get here; now you need to look at what’s left in your savings account to determine how to proceed in the crucial period immediately after the household transfer.
Begin inspecting your home
After moving into your new home, begin inspecting it for any defects and necessary repairs. Most homes require upkeep such as plumbing repairs, insulation inspections, and basement moisture removal. If this is the case, contact the appropriate services before you begin unpacking your clothes or furniture to resolve the issue.
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