Home Moving Checklists - Moving into New Home

If you think days leading to the home moving day are the most complicated ones, you’ve got another thing coming. Organizing the move and packing your life in boxes is no easy task, but the moving day might have some surprises in store. Naturally, if you get into the right mindset and try to be as practical as possible, you will be able to finish everything regarding the preparation process even more efficiently than you initially planned.

However, on some occasions, you might need to prepare for the unexpected. Those surprises might be waiting for you at your new home since you cannot know the real state of the house based on just a few visits. With this in mind, here are some hints to help you prepare both for the predictable and the unpredictable aspects on the moving day.

Below are Most Helpful Home Moving Tips

1. Organize on time

The first and most essential step is to organize the moving on time. This means that you rent a truck, or hire professional movers days upfront since you might be left with the most expensive choices due to others being taken. Resolving this in advance gives you the control over the selection process so you know that people who are handling your items are reliable and experienced and not just the only ones available. Also, make sure you have cash on you since you might need to tip somebody if you run into an unforeseen situation.

However, prior to the sound of a moving truck nearing your house, you need to take care of your belongings. Although you may not feel in the mood for even larger undertakings, the best option is to use this opportunity to throw away things you don’t need to avoid transferring all that to your new home. As for the rest of your things, packed them carefully in boxes, label them so you know where everything goes and as for important documents and valuable assets, make sure you know where they are at all times.

2. Know the overall state

One thing it would be useful to know in advance is the state of your new home so as not to be unpleasantly surprised when you discover that the plumbing isn’t working and you are parched from all the cleaning and arranging. If you are unable to do a thorough checkup of the electricity, plumbing and the general state of the house before you move in, it would be good to hire some professionals to do all the necessary inspections so you know if any larger renovations will have to be organized soon.

In case that there is nothing urgent going on, you could still consider some changes once you are settled in the house so that you can adapt it to your needs and so it would feel more like your home. For example, a coat of paint can freshen up the place, especially if you choose some colors as opposed to an all-white-walls environment. Any of the important decorative elements from your old home may find their place in your new house but perhaps in a different composition. If your budget allows you, consider purchasing some new elements, such as a mirror or an umbrella stand to enrich the interior with new items.

3. Take care of security

One of the things you can do on that first day is to change the locks. The house will be messy as it is, so what is one more repairman? You cannot be certain whether some old tenants still have the keys, so it is better to be safe than sorry. For peace of mind, consider contents only insurance since it offers to insure your belongings from a multitude of potential threats which not only include theft but flood, fire, earthquake, storms, and many other hazards. It is best to ensure everything right away because you are most vulnerable on that first day and the following few since you still don’t know your neighborhood or the installations in the house.

That being said, there are other ways to make your home a safer place but most of them can wait until you are settled in your house. For example, do a check-up of all the windows and doors to see if any of them requires repair, and don’t forget the garage door. Doors and windows that won’t close are a potential entrance place for a skillful thief so you need to ensure that they are fully functional. In addition, you can set up outside sensor lights which will light up if there is somebody lurking outside of the house in the evening.

4. Prepare food

This might seem like an odd suggestion, but in reality, it isn’t – moving can be a grueling project so you need to presume that you will be hungry and thirsty from packing and unpacking and that you won’t have time to cook nor will you know the local shops. This is why it is vital you include food and drinks into your planning steps since you will have enough stress without being hungry. If you have children, then this suggestion becomes a must, although depending on their age, you might consider leaving them at their grandparents on the day of moving so that you know they are safe and fed and that you can concentrate on unpacking and cleaning.

In case you have pets, remember that changing homes can be very stressful for animals so make sure you have their food and water close by. When you enter the house for the first time, find the place where their bowls will be placed and let them out of their transporter only once all the boxes from the truck are unloaded and the doors are closed. This is because the animals can get disoriented and might run away. Once you show them their food, they can freely explore their new territory and you can get back to unpacking.

From packing your things and saying goodbye to your old home to unpacking and exploring your new, the day of the move is dynamic. To help you and your family to go through it with as little stress as possible, good organization is the key, while mental preparation is vital for unexpected events, such as things at your new home that would need repairing. And now that you have learned the tricks – hurry to your new house!

Home Moving Cost

If hiring professional movers for a relocation, you can expect to pay at least $1,000. As mentioned above, the American Moving and Storage Association states that the average cost of a local household move is $2,300, and the average cost of a long distance move is $4,300 - Mar 27, 2018