7 Measures To Take Before Moving To A New House

Moving to a new house is stressful, difficult, and full of uncertainties. You can never fully prepare for everything when it comes to moving, no matter how disciplined you are.

However, there are things you can do to minimize unpredicted problems and costs. Whether you want to move into your dream house, or you need to move for any other reason, you need to do it right.

Taking precautions will only reward you in the end. To help you find your peace and happiness in a new house, we listed seven useful tips for you to follow. They will help you make sure that you chose the right house for your needs, and that you won’t need to move again soon. 

1. Scout the area around the house

This is the first important step you should take. Presumably, you found an internet ad about a house that’s spacious, at a good location, and looks decent in the pictures. You feel tempted to seal the deal with the owner before someone else makes a better offer.

It is advisable that you first inspect the house in person, as well as its surroundings. The house may be in perfect condition, but there might be something in the street or in the area that you could find unacceptable. For example, the street might see regular sewer leakages or power outages.

There might be a kindergarten, school, or a loud nightclub that can drive you crazy with noise. In less crowded areas, there could be a swamp or wild bushes nearby. They are home to various insects, which can invade your house and disturb your peace. 

2. Thoroughly check the inside of the house

Once you ensured that you’re fine with the location of the house, begin a thorough check of the interior. In some cases, you can see something that you don’t like right away, but in other cases the problems are subtle. You can clean the house and paint walls by yourself, but there are bigger problems, like faulty plumbing and electrical wiring. Try out faucets and electric outlets, check the fuse boxes, and look for water damage on the walls and floors.

Also, if the walls and ceilings are mouldy, the culprit could be a leaking roof or the presence of groundwater. It’s smart to assess the damage first and calculate the cost of fixing all that. It may turn out to be too much for your budget. You will have to resume your exhausting search, but you dodged the bullet there. 

3. Turn the house into a home

Finally, you found a perfect house and negotiated the price with the (previous) owner. Now everything is in your hands. Before bringing your stuff in, perform a deep cleaning of the whole house.

• Get rid of dust, dirt, mould, and stains. You can do it yourself and save some money, but you can also hire professional cleaners.
• Consult an electrician about any electric appliances left by previous occupants, and see which ones can be fixed or thrown out.
• Paint the walls while the rooms are empty, and start planning the layout of each room.
• If you see any evidence of bug or rat infestation in the house, make sure to get rid of them for good before they get the chance to ruin your furniture and stuff. This is not a small task, and it’s smart to research the best pest control services in your town.
• Furthermore, check out if there are any surveillance cameras installed and ask for the password, which you should then change right away. If there aren’t any cameras, consider installing them yourself so you can feel secure in your new home.
• And of course, don’t forget to change the locks. 

4. Organise your belongings

Start off by going through your stuff and listing everything you own.

Decide if you need everything, or if there is something you can throw out. Reducing the clutter before moving is great for you because not only do you get rid of things you don’t need, but you also minimize the expenses of moving.

Separate some older clothes and toys that you can give out to your family or bring to your local Red Cross.

If you have old pieces of furniture, decide whether you want to move them to your new house or buy new ones. Once you’re left only with the stuff you need, start packing.

If you’re short on time or just tired, the movers you hired can pack your stuff for you, but they will charge you extra. If you pack on your own, have patience and put everything in labeled boxes. It costs less money and minimizes the chances of something breaking or getting lost. 

5. Take care of the paperwork

Before you leave your old house for good, take the last readings of your utilities. You don’t want to be charged with other people’s bills. Contact your internet and/or cable TV provider to reinstall the cables at your new address.

You also need to change your address on important documents as soon as possible, for example on your bank account, on your ID, or your driver’s license. Update your address information to get your mail and other services delivered to your new place.

Furthermore, consider getting insurance for your new home. It could alleviate some costs in case of an accident occurring while your savings are almost spent. 

6. Pick a good moving company

Hopefully, you kept track of how many boxes, appliances, and pieces of furniture you have for moving. This information is important for finding the right moving company.

Communicate with the movers about your belongings and locations at least a few days before moving. They can then plan accordingly and bring enough people and a big enough van. You can transport lighter, smaller, or fragile stuff in your car.

If your friend or a family member has a van, even better. They can help you reduce some expenses and ensure that your stuff arrives in one piece. 

7. Pack a box for the first day

When you bring in the last items in your new house, chances are that you’ll be too exhausted to unpack everything. It’s best that you pack a separate box with some stuff that you need for living on the first day. To give you some ideas, you’re surely going to need bed linens, kitchen utensils, soap, toilet paper, and some fresh clothes. Once you’ve had a good night’s rest in your new bedroom, you can tackle unpacking the other boxes and arranging your furniture. Also, if you want to style your new house differently, check out these home décor tips everyone should know before moving into a new home. 

Finally, when you’re done with the preparations, there is one thing left that you can do the night before moving. Consider calling your friends and family and organizing a small celebration at your old place. Be careful not to drink too much, or you won’t be able to help with the moving. If you’re the type of person that doesn’t relax before the job is done, that’s alright. You can always throw a housewarming party at your new house, to celebrate the new beginning and show off your hard work. You can also use the opportunity to invite and get to know your new neighbors.