If you’re in the process of moving to a new house, you’ve likely put so much energy into packing and arranging local movers to handle the heavy lifting that you haven’t considered what you’ll need to do afterwards. After you’ve moved, most of the hard part is out of the way, and now you get to unpack and set up your new home. Here’s what you need to do after moving to a new house:
Top 7 Things to Do After Moving to a New House
1. Getting Utilities Set Up
If you haven’t already done so, contact your chosen power company to connect you at your new address. If the power connection is already sorted, you just need to find the switch and turn on the power.
If you already have electricity, plug in and turn on your fridge and freezer right away so that they are cold enough when you begin putting food in them. Your local movers should have put all of your smaller appliances in the kitchen too, so you can locate and switch on things like your kettle and microwave as well.
Other things you’ll want to locate early on to help you get set up are the water valves, gas valves, air conditioning unit and remote, and the fuse box. It will help you to know where these are as you settle into the place.
2. Prioritise Unpacking
One key thing you can do to make the transition smoother when moving to a new house is to prioritise the order you unpack your belongings. For example, you can most likely leave the items that live in your garage until last because you probably use them less than, say, your kitchen items.
Go through your boxes and decide which contain the necessities you need in the first few days, like pillows, sheets, cookware, cups, and your toothbrush!
3. Get Your Pets Settled
You can’t just bring your pets along when moving to a new house and let them roam free. It will take some time for them to get used to the new place. If you let them outside too soon, they are likely to run away.
It can be a tricky task to keep them contained within the house as boxes and furniture are constantly coming in through the front door. We recommend two options:
- Keep pets in one room with the door closed, to begin with, so there is no risk of them escaping out the front door as your local movers come in and out.
- Leave your pets with friends or family for the day and pick them up once you are settled at your new place. You’ll want to locate their food and the kitty litter (if necessary) before showing them your new property.
4. Change Your Locks
While the previous homeowners will have given you their keys to your new place, you can’t guarantee that no one else had a key to the house. To keep yourself safe after moving to a new house, you may consider getting the locks changed soon after moving in.
If nothing else, this will provide some peace of mind about the security of your new home.
5. Get to Know Your Neighbourhood
Once you’re done (or mostly done) with unpacking, it’s time to get to know your neighbourhood! Meeting your neighbours is a good place to start. Bring over some baked goods (no judgement if they are store-bought) and introduce yourself. You never know, you might be asked to stay for a cuppa!
Meeting your neighbours is a good idea so that you begin feeling safe in your neighbourhood. If your neighbours have met you, they are also more likely to watch over your property if you’re away or alert you to anything odd happening at your place.
Plus, neighbours are a great way to get to know your local area – ask them for recommendations on schools, restaurants, local gyms, or anything else you’re keen to know about!
6. Let People Know You’ve Moved
If you didn’t let everyone know you were moving before you took the leap, it’s time to do it now. Start by notifying your close friends and family so they don’t drop by your old place unannounced.
Then you can begin to tackle the list of places that you need to inform of your move. You’ll need to update your address on your driver’s license, with your bank, employer, post office, utility providers, doctor, insurance company, and more.
7. Settle in and Start Your New Life
Once you’ve got all of the necessary tasks out of the way, you’re ready to settle in and begin your new life. You can now focus on things like finding décor and art to perfectly suit your new home. It can take a while after moving to a new house for it to feel like home, but adding your own personal touch to the space can help speed this process along.
Haven’t yet hired local movers to help you on moving day? It’s not too late! Contact EasyMove today, and we will hopefully have the availability to help you out.
