It’s easy to get excited about moving to a new home. But, moving can be extremely stressful and overwhelming. There is a number of things you must consider and take care of which sometimes disrupt you from enjoying the moment of moving to a fresh home environment.
Here is a list with the 7 essential things you need to consider to ensure the safety of your family and a smooth transition when moving to a new property:
1. Change the door locks
First thing first, safety is paramount, especially when it comes to the safety of your family. The first thing you should do when moving to a new house is to change the locks of the exterior doors. You may never know who has a key from your new house’s door, be it a realtor, the previous owners, or the maintenance folks.
Waking up with a stranger in your home or being robed are certainly not the type of scenarios you would want to experience when moving to a new house. Thus, before you even start unpacking or making any improvements in your new home, make sure that you change your locks.
2. Get your house inspected
Up until now, you most probably got your new house checked before you decided to purchase it. However, you never know what may have happened in the meantime or how the previous owners succeeded to hide a major problem of the property until you have signed the papers.
So, it never hurts to doublecheck the house to make sure that there is nothing to worry about. First of all, it is important to do this for your own safety and the safety of your family. Secondly, if you discover a major problem of the house, you may still ask the previous owners to pay for the repairs.
There are several things that you must re-inspect about the house including gas or plumbing leaks, mold, as well as for pests. You should also check the roof and the rooms of the house carefully to ensure that there is no damage you didn’t know about that may cost you a fortune to repair.
3. Transfer your utilities
One vital thing that you should not forget about when moving to a new home is to transfer your utilities. Imagine moving to your new home and finding out there is no electricity or gas because the previous owners disconnected and transferred their utilities. Unpacking in the dark won’t be too fun.
So, a few weeks before your moving day, contact your utility service providers and make sure you inform them about your move. Secondly, schedule a meeting in which you will disconnect and connect your gas and electric from your old home to the new one.
4. Clean everything
While most previous owners will make sure to leave the property clean before you move in, some won’t even bother to clean their own mess. However, even if the previous owners have left your new house clean, you may want to spend some time on this one and clean everything again yourself.
Cleaning your entire new home isn’t only required for safety and health purposes but it will also make you feel good about your new property. It will help you get a fresh start and will allow you to personalize the space with your favorite scents.
5. Get the heating and the cooling systems checked
Another crucial thing that you must do as soon as you move into your new home is to get the heating and the cooling systems checked and serviced. First of all, a boiler emergency in the middle of the cold season doesn’t really sound like a dream. And also, an AC failure during summer might make you want to run away from your new home.
Those two technical systems of the house are thousand times more important than you may imagine. Plus, a boiler failure can cost you a fortune if you are not prepared for this scenario. So, it is wise to get a Boiler Insurance from Corgi Homeplan to protect yourself against a boiler breakdown and the necessary repair costs.
6. Install safety devices
Once again, the safety of your family should be one of your top priorities when moving to a new property. So, don’t sleep a single night at your new house without installing all safety devices such as carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
Especially with winter coming, there are many home hazards that can happen due to the heating systems or the fireplace poor maintenance. Since you have no idea how considerate the previous owners were about checking and getting their fireplace and heating system serviced, it is vital to make sure that you install safety devices that will protect you and your family from a gas leak or a fire.
7. Meet your new neighbors
Once you are done unpacking and settling into your new home, it is time to make some friends in your new surroundings. It may not sound like a priority to meet your new neighbors when you are moving to a new house, but making a friend or two can be really helpful when you are new to the area. They can help you by giving you a few tips on the best restaurants, supermarkets, or cafes in the area, and they can even help you unpack and redecorate your home. So, it doesn’t hurt to make an effort to meet your neighbors.
Now that you know the most essential things you must consider when moving to a new house, it should be easier for you and your family to settle in your new home. It’s often the small things that make us feel like home. So, even if you didn’t finish unpacking everything, once you make sure that the house has no major problem and that you and your family are safe, it is time to enjoy your new place.
