5 Things To Do Before Moving Into Your New Home

There’s nothing quite as exciting as finally buying the home of your dreams. However, just because this house is now in your name doesn’t mean that you’re ready to move in right this second! Usually, people tend to focus their attention on the steps to take after they have moved in, however, there are a couple of things you also need to do before your moving date.

Prior to the move, a good amount of budgeting, planning, and home repairs need to be done to make your new home liveable. To help you out, here are 5 things you need to do before moving into your new home.

1) Change the Locks of Your New Home

One piece of advice often given to new homeowners is to change their locks. The safety of your family and your property is paramount. You can easily switch out your locks and deadbolts to your new home to protect your valuables and your family.

Oftentimes, previous residents may still have several copies of your keys even though the contract states that all keys must be surrendered upon the final sale of the property.

The most important areas to secure are the exterior doors including the door connecting the garage to the house and the main garage door.

2) Surface Level & Deep Cleaning of Your New Home

In preparation for your move, you might want to consider cleaning your home. Caleb’s Dad and I did a thorough cleaning before our moving truck arrived.

I recommend dedicating time before move-in day to clean your home. Deep cleansing of the entire house before moving in really made unpacking less stressful. It felt amazing to sleep in a clean and sanitary home that first night.

3) Find Your New Home’s Fuse Box

No one wants to scramble in the dark, looking for a fuse box on their first night in their new house. This is why it’s quite important to find your fuse box before moving in. In most houses, the fuse is located in the basement area or the garage. Again, taking a walk through the entire house will help you familiarise yourself with the location of the fuse box. Keep in mind that you should also look for the water valve because that is equally important.

4) Set-Up Utilites & Internet

Before you can move into your new home and get comfortable, you need to set up your physical utilities: water, gas, and electricity. Although physical utility companies are usually timely about activation, the sooner you notify them of your move-in date, the better. This is especially true if they’re in the midst of moving season when they’re working with a ton of accounts.

I recommend doing your homework in order to figure out what service providers will best suit your needs based on speed, packages, and pricing. I recommend calling to schedule installation at least 1 week in advance to ensure that your services are activated in a timely manner and get an appointment slot that is most convenient for you.

5) Address Change 

Finally, you have to change your mailing address from your old house to your new one to not only avoid missing your mail but to also prevent the residents of your old house from receiving your junk mail.

You can easily change your address online, but note that it does take a bit of time before it’s finally changed. That’s the biggest reason you should get this done before moving. This is also a great opportunity to start planning a housewarming party!

So there you have it. Once you’ve done all the above, then you can start the exciting process of moving in! For a less stressful moving experience, consider hiring the services of a moving company like the Allied Van Lines. Anyone who’s used a moving company and also moved on their own can testify to the fact that they make the whole process a lot less stressful.