Money Research Collective’s editorial team solely created this content. Opinions are their own, but compensation and in-depth research determine where and how companies may appear. Many featured companies advertise with us. How we make money.
15 Essential Tasks To Do When Moving into a New Home
By Susan Doktor MONEY RESEARCH COLLECTIVE
Moving can be both an exciting and challenging time. So many boxes! So many details to look after, from signing a moving contract to emptying your safe deposit box, to packing a suitcase stuffed with your essentials — just in case your belongings don’t arrive on schedule at your new home.
Organization is the watchword when planning a stress-free move. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the essential things you should take care of before leaving your old home and soon after you move into your new one.
Table of Contents
- 15 Tasks To Do When Moving Into a New Home
- Essential Moving Tasks FAQs
- How We Chose The Most Essential Tasks When Moving Into a New Home
- Summary of Our List of Essential Tasks When Moving Into a New Home
15 Tasks To Do When Moving Into a New Home
Make a moving checklist
“One moving checklist? Don’t I need a dozen when I’m getting ready to move?” Absolutely. Many of the tasks you’ll need to perform when you’re preparing to move consist of several parts. Take packing, for example. Decluttering your home before you move will make packing easier and prevent you from moving items you really don’t need. But you’ll also need to buy moving boxes, several kinds of packing materials, and tape. You’ll need to label each of your boxes to make unpacking in a logical way simpler. There’s no rush to unpack summer clothes in winter. Decorative items can wait while you get the essentials like dishes and linens in place.
But we’re talking about the last-minute tasks you’ll need to do just before you leave your home and the immediate tasks you should attend to when you get to your new home. That’s the list we’re about to spell out. Use it as a helpful guide to smooth out your moving process.
Keep an inventory of your belongings and label boxes clearly
If you’re hiring a moving company, it’s imperative that you keep an accurate record of the items you’re moving. Moving boxes get lost or waylaid during the course of moving more frequently than you’d like to think. Many times, your household belongings are combined with other moving customers’ and boxes go astray as your moving truck travels between destinations. You can keep a written inventory, but some people prefer to create a photographic record. Be sure to keep a tally of the number of boxes you’re moving in total. But if you’re moving valuables, such as electronics or jewelry, call them out in your inventory. Should you have to file a claim for missing or damaged items, having such records will be invaluable.
But among the most important moving tips we can give you is to not put such valuables in moving boxes at all — carry them by hand to your new house, along with any items you know you’ll need for your first nights in your new location. Packing strategically can make unpacking easier. Make sure you label all of your boxes with the type of items they contain and also with the room they’re destined for in your new home. That way your movers can help by placing boxes exactly where they belong, carrying them upstairs or down to the basement, and not just leaving them in one disorganized heap.
Change your address
Moving has the potential to create many disruptions in our lives. One of them is mail service. Before you leave your current residence, you should file the proper paperwork to make sure your mail follows you to your new destination.
There are a couple of ways to submit a change of address form to the US Postal Service. The first is to visit your local post office and request a moving packet. It will contain Postal Service Form 3575. You can fill it out on the spot and hand it back to the postal worker behind the counter. You can also file the form online by visiting USPS.com/move. You’ll need a valid email address and a credit card to pay the $1.10 fee the government charges for online changes of address. You also have the option of changing your address by phone by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS.
To make sure you receive time-sensitive mail as quickly as possible, contact your bank, credit card companies, utility companies and government agencies such as the Social Security Administration, notify them that you’ve moved, and provide your new address. That way you won’t run afoul of credit card due dates and the like.
Inevitably, though, a few pieces of mail may slip through the cracks. To make it easier for the new owner or tenants of your new home, we recommend that you prepare several large self-addressed envelopes before you move. Be sure you write the word “FORWARD” on the outside of the envelopes, too. Leave them with the new residents of your former home. New residents can simply put your errant mail inside and leave the envelope in their mail slots or hand them to their postal delivery person. This is a courtesy new residents will appreciate, but it also protects you.
Set up an internet connection
Whether you work remotely and need to access company emails and systems or, like most of us, live life at least partially online, setting up an internet connection in your new home is a high priority task. Before you move, research internet service providers in your new neighborhood to find the most reliable service you can and make arrangements to have internet service hooked up shortly after your moving date. That way, you won’t be cut off from the digital world for very long.
Nowadays, many ISPs offer the option of setting up a mobile hotspot on your smartphone. A Personal Hotspot lets you share the cellular data connection of your smartphone or tablet when you don’t have access to a Wi-Fi network. If all else fails, you can look for a place that offers a public wifi connection —Starbucks, anyone? — to get online. Just be sure not to transmit sensitive data over a public Wi-Fi connection. Don’t pay your bills or access your investment accounts when using public Wi-Fi.
Measure and plan furniture placement
As you anticipate moving, it’s a good idea to plan where the furniture you move will be placed in your new home. Doing so will help you make the most of the moving services you arrange. There’s no point in having your belongings moved to the wrong spot in your home. Take advantage of your mover’s muscle while you can.
If you have the opportunity to visit your new home before moving in, you may want to take a few measurements, just to be sure your old furniture fits in your new home just where you’d like it positioned.
Do a complete walkthrough
Whether you’re renting and signing a lease or buying a house under a purchase and sale agreement, doing a complete walkthrough when you arrive at your new home is essential. Landlords and sellers make certain representations and you should be sure that they coincide with the actual condition of your new home when you arrive there. If you find anything amiss — damage to the walls that may have happened when the previous tenants moved out, broken window panes, stains on the carpet may all qualify — alert your landlord, real estate agent or the previous owner of your home immediately.
Verify that appliances and systems are functioning correctly.
As part of your walkthrough, be sure to check for any malfunctioning appliances or systems. Does your stove ignite properly? Is your HVAC system doing what it’s supposed to be doing? Is the icemaker in your fridge churning out ice cubes as it should? We suggest you create a new home checklist of appliances and systems you should inspect when you first move in. Make sure smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors are on it. Once again, report any malfunctioning systems or appliances immediately to be sure you’re not stuck taking cold showers or saddled with repair bills.
Locate your fuse box or circuit breaker box
As part of your initial inspection, it’s important to check your electrical system to be sure it’s functioning properly. Turn on all the lights in your home to be sure there are no issues with your fuses or circuit breakers. This is especially important if you’re moving into an older home where original wiring may still be in place. Many house fires can be traced to problems with a home’s electrical system. Inspecting your electrical system is a key task in ensuring the overall safety of your home.
As an extra precaution, be sure to locate the shut-off valves for your gas and water lines when you move in. You never know when you’ll have to shut a system down.
Perform immediate repairs to any home features and systems that may affect your safety.
If you discover, during your inspection, any issues with your home systems that may constitute a safety hazard, it’s never too soon to call in the appropriate contractor to remedy the problem. If you’re a new homeowner, you may not have a roster of reliable service providers at your disposal. That’s a good reason to get to know your new neighbors. Ask them for the names of well-regarded electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors in your neighborhood. You might ask for a handyman recommendation, too, if you’re not much of a DIY-er.
Perform a deep clean
If you’re fortunate, the previous owner of your home will have thoroughly cleaned your new home before your arrival. But if not, doing a deep clean before you’ve unpacked is the most efficient way to go.
Deep cleaning should involve thorough disinfection of all surfaces. Disinfection is all the more important in the age of COVID-19.
Even the most considerate home sellers may neglect to sweep out the attic or garage. Before moving your belongings into those areas, take the time to tidy them up. That’s one way to ensure that your Christmas decorations and other items you’re storing in those spaces stay clean until you next need to use them.
Some new homeowners decide that deep cleaning is too heavy a burden to take on when they first move in. Your realtor can recommend a professional cleaning service to clean your place just before you move in.
Rekey your locks and change your home security system code
Changing locks can be expensive, especially if you have multiple entry doors in your home. A professional locksmith may charge as much as $75 per hour to work on your locks. If you have front, back and side doors or perhaps French doors leading to your patio, the costs of changing your locks can add up.
Having your locks rekeyed is a cheaper alternative and solves the problem of not knowing who in the world might have keys to your home. However, if the locks at your new home aren’t up to snuff — sturdy deadbolts are a must on every exterior door — then indeed you might want to upgrade your locks when you move in. If your home is equipped with a security system, you should also change the passcode when you move in.
Install child and pet proofing protections
If you’re moving into a new home with children and/or pets, you need to take immediate steps to ensure their safety. Outlet covers, childproof window, cabinet and toilet locks are a must if you have toddlers. Locate portable baby gates at the bottom and top of each stairway in your home, too, to prevent dangerous tumbles. Even kindergartners can get into mischief, so some child safety experts recommend that you keep these accessories in place for several years.
If you have a private yard, your safety purview must extend to the exterior of your home, as well. Fencing is critical — whether you have a couple of toddlers or a golden retriever running around. Make sure that gate locks are taller than your kids can reach. The tools and chemicals you keep in your garage or tool shed also pose a safety threat to kids and pets so keep them out of reach of children, perhaps in locked cabinets.
Create an emergency plan
It takes time to get used to a new home. You’ll probably stumble around your first few nights searching for light switches. And every home’s layout presents its own challenges in case of an emergency.
One of the first things you should do when you arrive at your new home is plan an escape route should a fire, flood or other natural disaster strike your home. Memorize it — and teach it to your kids, too.
Keep an emergency food and water supply in your home, just to make sure you’ll be well nourished in the event you’re trapped indoors and have to wait for rescue teams to reach you. You should also keep important documents like birth, marriage, divorce and custody certificates in one safe, fire- and water-proof place. The federal government recommends you keep a record of prescriptions, immunizations, allergies and your health care providers to be used in an emergency. Consider keeping both paper and digital copies of this information.
Last but not least, learn where the nearest hospital and emergency shelters in your new neighborhood are located. That way, you can get the help you need quickly and without confusion.
Set up a home maintenance schedule
For many homeowners, their homes represent their largest financial asset. Keeping your new home’s appliances in good working order makes financial sense. Some home improvements can also increase the value of your property.
Ideally, you can ask the previous owner of your home to provide you with information on when systems and appliances were last subject to preventative maintenance. That will give you an idea of when service needs to be performed next. In the absence of such information, make a list of high priority maintenance tasks, then get at them as soon as you can. HVAC maintenance, such as replacing filters and having and tune-ups, should be at the top of your list. A thorough gutter cleaning is another important task, to prevent roof and foundation problems down the road.
If you’re a first-time homebuyer and aren’t familiar with home maintenance, you may want to ask your realtor or another experienced home owner to suggest a maintenance schedule.
Explore the community
Our last tip is probably the most fun. Now that you’ve moved into a new neighborhood, get out and enjoy it. Take a walk around the block and wave to your new neighbors. Visit nearby parks and museums. Find out where the best supermarkets and specialty shops are located. Have dinner at a local diner. Join your neighborhood association to get connected with your community.
Every neighborhood has its own highlights. The sooner you start exploring yours, the sooner you’ll be able to experience its special charms.
15 Essential Moving Tasks FAQs
How We Chose The Most Essential Tasks When Moving Into a New Home
We’ve been around the moving block a few times. Many of our pointers are born out of our own home-owning experience. We also consulted moving and home maintenance experts, government websites, and experienced realtors to come up with our essential tips. Your safety — and your family’s — were paramount concerns as we developed our recommendations.
Finally we used common sense. And you should, too, as you experience this exciting time in your life.
Summary of Our Guide to The Most Essential Tasks When Moving Into a New Home
Moving is complicated any way you slice it. And it can be a very stressful ordeal unless you invest the time to lay the process out in detail. The best approach is to plan your tasks chronologically, ideally assigning a deadline for each one to keep you on track.
Packing and unpacking services, available through most large moving companies, can help you manage your time and energy throughout the moving process. Some moving companies provide limited moving coordinator services, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can hire someone privately to assist. But don’t be afraid to ask for help from other readily-available resources when you move. Friends and family, your realtor, your local political representatives, and even your new neighbors can help smooth out bumps before they occur.
