Imagup General Magazine 2024
Moving into a new house marks the beginning of a new chapter in your life. As every chapter is a challenge of their own, you must be prepared for the things that lie ahead. Moving can be fun, but a stressful endeavour for anyone and that’s why we’re here to help. Today, we’ve assembled a list or a guide of sorts that will help you out during the moving process. Anything from moving company to the neighbours, we’re going to cover the most important things to go over before you move to your new house.
1. Choose a good moving company
Unless you’re moving into a fully furnished house and you have no possessions whatsoever, hiring a moving company should be atop of your priority list. You want to make sure the company you hire is professional, licenced and insured. You don’t want your stuff damaged during transport. Hire a well-known and respected company so you don’t have to worry about any of that.
2. Do a thorough home inspection
When the house is completely empty, make sure you drop by the property and check it out. It’s the best way to find out if everything is how it should be. This will allow you to take a look at any potential repairs that are supposed to be done (if agreed upon), is everything that is supposed to be there actually there and if everything is working properly. If you find everything the way it should be, great. If you don’t, contact your realtor and see what needs to be done.
3. Measure the rooms
You are most likely familiar with the actual size of the house you’ve just bought, but it cannot hurt to measure the rooms. It will help you better understand the layout of the house and where the furniture will fit best. It’s better to have a general plan than to wing it when the time comes. That way you won’t have to decide on the spot where you want your sofa when the movers come. Also, you won’t have to deal with the hassle of the things not fitting properly because you’ll know beforehand.
4. Transfer your utilities
It’s important to transfer your utilities before you move, you don’t want to risk being without gas or electricity for a few days when you don’t have to be. Contact your utility provider about a month before you move and let them know. That way you can set up the dates to have your utilities connected and disconnected. However, don’t forget about the smaller stuff. Your cable, internet and other subscriptions you might have should also be transferred. Make sure everything you need is set up before you move into a new house.
5. Find out where the fuse box and main valve are
It’s best to know where these things are right away. Searching for either of those in case of an emergency isn’t really a smart thing to do. Usually, they’re not hard to find. The fuse box is mostly found in the basement or a garage, while the main water valve is usually outside of your house, close to the house itself.
6. Clean the house thoroughly
We know that after a tiring moving process cleaning is the last thing on your mind, however, you should do it right away. We know as well that this isn’t necessarily the tip on what to do before, rather it’s right after you move in, but it’s still important. Try and summon some additional will and strength and clean every nook and cranny of your house thoroughly. There’s no better time to clean than right after moving in. You’ll have to clean anyway, the house is certainly going to be a mess after you move in, so why not do it really good? If you’re in need of some tips on how to clean your house and keep it that way, maybe StuffedAbode can help you out. Also, if you’d rather just relax for a bit, hire a professional cleaning crew, you’ll do the regular cleaning in a few days either way.
7. Change your locks
This is something you should do every time you move into a new place. Even if it’s the apartment you’re renting, consult with the landlord and offer to pay for a new lock and get it over with. When it comes to a house, it’s a bit more than a single door lock, but either way, you don’t know who could have a key and it’s always better to be safe. To be fair, this is a really simple and inexpensive task, you don’t even have to hire a locksmith, you could do it yourself in a couple of hours, depending on the number of locks. Switch all of the locks that connect your house to the outdoors. The doors on the inside aren’t as important, but you can switch them out, too. It’s your call.
8. Change your address
There’s little to no chance you’d forget to do this, but it can’t hurt to mention it. Before moving day, change your address wherever necessary. That means mailing lists, subscription services, banks or anything else you might receive in your mail. If you order online frequently, make sure to edit the previously saved shipping address. Notify your friends and family, too. You don’t want to be mad at your nana for not getting your Christmas card only because she doesn’t know you don’t live at the same place anymore.
9. Meet your neighbours
Meeting your neighbours can be stressful. Maybe you don’t want to seem too eager or friendly or you just don’t want to risk meeting someone you don’t like. However, it’s best to get to know the neighbours as soon as possible. It might seem like a hassle, but it’ll get you acquainted with the community, you’ll learn about the neighbourhood and what it has to offer and who knows, you might just meet a lifelong friend in the process. Don’t be afraid to say hello to the new faces you see around. A simple greeting could go a long way.
Like we’ve said, moving can be a bit stressful and overwhelming, but, if you’re prepared and know what to do, it can be really easy. Follow these simple steps and you’ll have nothing to worry about.
