How to Prepare for Moving to a New Home

A new place is something to be very proud of, and settling in brings us joy. However, moving to a new home requires us to be well prepared and focused on the important things. Relocating is a nerve-racking experience, so we shouldn’t make it even harder on ourselves, and that’s why it’s crucial to arm yourself with determination and proper organizing skills.

The final weeks before you leave your current place and venture into the (almost) unknown have drawn near, so your anxiety levels must be through the roof. This is a normal process, as you are about to take a leap of faith, no matter what your reasons to move are. About 40% of all moves in the US happen because of getting a job in another city, 42% are people who relocate for love and other personal reasons, and 18% are military or government relocations. Because there’s so much to do and to take care of, we often forget to see our move as something fun and adventurous. That’s why planning a move thoroughly can keep us calm and bring back some of that excitement.

Getting Ready For Moving to a New Home

Most people don’t like to create checklists, and they shy away from any kind of lists, even grocery ones. Pinpointing every step of the way on a paper or an app during the relocation may sound like a trait of control freaks, but it has been proven time and time again it’s one of the best relocating hacks. Being in control simply means less stress, and that’s why one of the first things to do when moving into a new home is to designate a binder for relocating and create a to-do list. Besides this list, the binder should also contain all your important papers and documents, such as contracts with cross-country movers and receipts.

Let’s Get to the Money Talk and the Budget for Your Move

Deciding on the amount of money you’ll set aside for the move is one of the crucial preparatory steps in the beginning. Consider whether you’ll hire long-distance movers, how much money should be saved for unexpected expenses, especially if you are relocating without a job. If you are rethinking a DIY move, keep in mind all the costs related to renting a truck and driving to another part of the country.

The Best Hack Is to Hire a Long-Distance Moving Company

Hiring a cross-country moving company is the best decision, as it will get a load of work off your back and help you move efficiently and with less stress. Finding reliable professionals takes several steps, from searching for long-distance movers near me to reading their reviews and comparing quotes, and above all, staying alert and avoiding relocating scams. When you make up your mind about a company, decide which services you’ll require – from a standalone auto transport service to the whole bundle of different long-distance moving services, set your budget accordingly, and contact them ahead of time.

Don’t Postpone Calling the Utility Companies and Set the Disconnection Date

Ever since a “war of currents” between Nikola Tesla and Thomas Edison occurred in the 1880s, Tesla’s invention of alternating current was popularized and is widely used today because it’s safer and can move over longer distances. And we couldn’t even begin to imagine our world without it, as well as other conveniences provided by the utility companies.

So, if you’re wondering what to do when moving into a new home as a next step, it’s to call those companies on time and set the disconnection and connection dates. If you postpone this, it can easily be one of the things you forget to do when you move, so you’ll enter your future place without electricity or water, and the next owners of your current place can end up with a hefty bill for heating.

Call Your Phone, Cable, and Internet Providers Before the Moving Day

What’s the next worst thing that could happen after you move, besides having no water and electricity or packing the fragile items incorrectly, so you end up with a heap of broken glass? In today’s world, most of us would answer it’s the internet not functioning, and this is especially true if you work remotely and need to be set up the moment you stand on the doorstep. Whether you’re relocating to another state alone or with family, you probably need to return the hardware to the cable and internet providers and find companies that operate in the area you’re relocating to on time.

Change the Address and Avoid Additional Problems

The next step on your relocating to another state checklist is the address change. If you want to continue receiving mail, bills, and everything addressed to you, notify all institutions of your move. Start with the Post Office, your bank and credit card company, the IRS, and other financial institutions. By doing this step ahead, you’ll avoid any mixup and additional problems that may be caused by skipping the address change.

Get Rid Of Unwanted Stuff and Plan When You’ll Start Packing

Although packing your stuff may seem a bit too early until the last few days before the big day, there are a few tasks to be tackled at this point. When we live in one place long enough, lots of unnecessary stuff pileS up because we think it might be of use to us later. That’s why it’s important to go through every room in the house, decide what to keep, and make three different piles of the unwanted belongings – the “donate” pile that you will give to a charity such as The Salvation Army, the “throwaway” pile, and the “sell this” pile.

Getting rid of these items will also help you prepare your residence for sale and save up on your move, as you’ll have less to transport. If you still think that some items, like large furniture pieces you don’t know where to put, are just in the way, investing in a storage unit is a smart move.

Before You Get to Packing, Make Sure You Buy Enough Materials

No job can be done without proper materials and tools, and it’s no different when packing your household items. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to buy:

• Sturdy boxes of all sizes are something no move can go without. So get a lot of medium-sized ones, and a few of the smaller, as well as bigger ones.
• Quality packing tape is essential because you just wouldn’t want any box to open up in the middle of carrying, especially the ones with fragile items.
• Be sure to grab different types of cushioning materials for securing everything inside the packages. You’ll need packing paper, peanuts, and the overall best cushioning material – bubble wrap.
• You’ll also require proper tools such as scissors, a tape dispenser, and a marker.

If you want to save up a bit, you can visit your local retail shop or a liquor store, and we are sure that they will probably be happy to give you boxes for free. Also, you can cushion everything with soft household items, such as towels and old shirts.

Check if Your Boxes Are Properly Labeled

You probably already know that one of the best packing tips is to label every box while you pack them, so you know to which room they belong. If you want to be even more efficient, color label them. Color labeling is the best hack you can use, especially if you’ve decided to invest in a packing service because the movers will place each box where it should go. Also, additional tips are to take a quick photo of the contents and don’t forget to ask if your movers have relocation insurance that covers any damage.

Also, Check if There Are Any Repairs Needed

No matter if you are a renter or an owner, you should inspect the current residence just to make sure if there are any damages that need to be taken care of. If you’re handy with tools, you can take care of some minor repairs by yourself. But for any major issues, you should contact professionals to take care of them. If you have to remove an old carpet and get rid of it, you can see some tips on how to do it in the following video.

You Should Make Your House Utterly Clean

It’s common courtesy to leave your previous residence squeaky clean, and keep in mind that one of the house-hunting tips that the potential next owners will follow is to look at the tidiness. And for renters, this step is crucial so they can get their deposit back. Keep in mind that the cleaning products are also something you should put on your “what to buy when moving into a new home” list because you’ll also have some tidying to do right after you move in.

Clean Your Home the Right Way, or Call Professionals

So, grab some gloves, cleaning products, and tools, and get to work so your residence can shine. You can do the cleaning in two ways, from top to bottom, or clean each room thoroughly. Pay special attention to the bathroom and the kitchen, where you’ll have to be certain that there’s no mold and that everything is properly disinfected. If you think that this is too much work for you, call a cleaning company to take care of this task.

What Is the First Thing to Do When Moving Into a New House?

After you move, there are many tasks ahead of you, from thinking about how to get a job in another state to meeting your neighbors and getting used to your surroundings. One of the first things you should do is check if the utilities are running, and then take a walk and inspect the whole abode. Locate the water valve, as well as the electric panel, just in case of an emergency. If you are relocating with a newborn or a toddler, baby-proofing the house is one of the priorities in your future residence.

What Is the Luckiest Day to Move Into a New House?

From the day you start your relocating journey, your final goal is to settle in a place of your dreams that you will call home. Every single step in this guide has led you here, and you should keep this in mind if you start feeling overstressed. Get to know the house, find some creative storage ideas to implement, and celebrate your fresh beginning because the luckiest day is the one when you’ve taken the leap of faith that got you right there.