Moving to a new property should be exciting. You’re starting a new era of your life and you’ve got a world of adventures ahead.
However, the reality of moving homes is a little different. It’s more stress than it is excitement.
We can often find ourselves get caught up in the bigger tasks when we’re moving into a new property. Getting a mortgage approval, packing up our belongings, organizing a removal van…
But we completely forget about all of the smaller tasks that are just as important. Many of these things have to be done after you’ve moved, alongside all of your unpacking.
It’s especially easy to forget when you’re a new homeowner and you’ve never been through the process of moving into a new property before.
Whether it’s organizing your energy supplier to redirecting your mail, there’s a long list of tasks that you can’t forget about if you want a seamless transition into your new home. Forgetting about these things can be just detrimental as forgetting about the larger tasks at hand.
To ensure you don’t neglect the finer details of your move, here are six things to do when you move into a new property.
Check the Electrical Wiring
Although the electrical wiring in your new home will have been checked by your property inspector prior to you moving in, it’s always good to double check everything. Problems in your electrical wiring have the potential to be very dangerous if left unfixed.
If you feel competent, you can check the wiring yourself. If not, call a professional electrician to take a look at your electrics. They will know exactly what to look for when it comes to identifying any faults.
They’ll inspect your electrical circuits, as well your Zinsco breakers. They will also know whether or not your breakers need replacing based on how old they are.
Inspect the Condition of the Property
As soon as you move into your new home, take a walk around every room.
Ideally, you should do this before you start unpacking and filling up the space with furniture. This way, you can check that there are no major issues to flag.
Check that any damage has been reported in the signed agreement. Determine whether or not the previous owner had agreed to get the presenting damage repaired.
You should also check that any pieces of furniture or accessories that the previous tenant had agreed to leave in the property are present in the house. If not, you will need to take this up with the estate agent, as you may need to renegotiate the contract terms.
The final thing to check is the electrical main lines, water supply, and gas are all working properly. This is something that you can do yourself or call a professional in to check for you.
Arrange Your Energy Suppliers
One of the first things on your list when you first move into a new property is setting up your utilities. The last thing you want is to be left with no electricity or water!
The previous owner might already have energy suppliers set up, so you might be able to transfer the billing into your name. If not, you’ll need to set up a new account for each utility.
To find the cheapest providers, check a few different comparison websites and give a few different companies a call to learn more about their policies.
Don’t forget about getting an internet provider too. Usually, it takes a few weeks to get an internet connection set up, especially if you need cables to be fitted into the property. So, it’s best to set up your Wi-Fi and landline as soon as possible when you move in.
Give the Property a Good Clean
The previous owner might have left the property in great condition but it’s always nice to give every room a deep clean when you first move in. This way, you can feel like you are starting afresh and the property feels more like yours.
No matter how tired you are after moving day, it’s best to do a clean within the few days of moving into the property, before you’ve properly unpacked everything. It’ll be much easier to deep clean each room when they’re not filled with your belongings.
If the thought of getting your rubber gloves on and scrubbing away at the floors and windows of your new home is unbearable, you can always call a professional cleaner. They will have all of the special tools and equipment that are perfect for getting all of those hard-to-reach areas of your property.
Change the Locks
Every time you move into a new place, you must change the locks. This needs to be a top priority as you never know who the previous owner gave their spare keys to.
Even if you don’t necessarily feel unsafe in your home, it’s better to change your locks as a precautionary step. Don’t wait until something bad happens!
Make sure to re-key all of the external locks that lead directly into your home. You might also want to replace your garage door and window locks. They’re cheap enough to do but they could prevent an intruder from breaking into your home.
Redirect Your Mail
This is probably one of the easiest things to forget amidst the chaos of moving homes, but it’s important to redirect your mail. You can do this by informing the post office of your new address.
Let your bank, hospital, subscription services, insurance providers, and may other people who might need your address know that you have moved. Don’t get to inform your friends and family so they know where to send your birthday cards and gifts!
Eventually, you’ll need to change the address on your driver’s license and passport as well.
If you think you’ve forgotten to inform somebody, take a look at your previous bank bills to see what subscriptions or payments you’ve previously made each month.
