Moving to a new home is exciting and busy. You’ve spent months touring open houses, anxiously waiting for inspection reports, comparing lenders, and packing. It can be easy to let certain things fall through the cracks after you move. Transition into your new home the smart way by following these steps. You can do them yourself or hire an agency to handle these tasks for you. The important thing is that you complete each one.
Unpack Post-Move Essentials
Start with the essentials. Ideally, you packed all the things you will need right away into a special box or bag that’s easy to reach. If not, you will have to do some hunting (or shopping).
Have several changes of clothes and shoes easily accessible – both for moving and some for work in case the movers are delayed. You will also want a coffee pot or tea kettle as well as some music source and plenty of snacks to keep you energized. Bath towels, shampoo, soap, and other toiletries will help you feel more like yourself after the move too.
Many people also like to have cleaning supplies on hand. Even if you intend to hire a cleaning service to come in and spruce up the place, you may prefer to have your favorite products ready for them to use.
Familiarize Yourself
Next, try to familiarize yourself with the house and its area. Take a tour of the house and make a note of where the water shut off is as well as the gas shut off, the furnace, and the fuse box. If nothing is labeled or you have any reason to doubt what the breakers cover, take a minute and start flipping switches. It is easier to take care of this before you get settled in your new home.
Familiarize yourself with your neighborhood as well. If your movers or cable service providers get lost, this will make it easier to give directions. It will also help you figure out the most efficient routes to school and work and help define boundaries for kids who may want to explore.
Update your Address
When you move, there are tons of people who need to know. Start with notifying the post office. They can help you forward all of your mail to your new address. Tax agencies need to know about your new address too. Next, start going through the utility companies. Much of these address updates are going to happen automatically as you transfer service, but it can be easy to forget to do things like arrange for trash or recycling services, change your address with your cell phone company, and confirming that the gas and electric at your new place is in your name. Take your time and go through each one (or get your assistant to do it).
You may also have people you want to know about your new address. You could tell everyone on Facebook, but for your technologically-challenged relatives and friends who prefer to live off the grid, send out change-of-address cards with a picture of your new place. (Your assistant could help here too.)
Protect your Identity
Finally, take steps to protect your identity. When you move, your mail could accidentally get delivered to your previous address – and that exposes you to the risk of identity theft. With an identity protection service, you can receive alerts when something on your credit report changes and receive stolen funds reimbursement so that you can recover from the worst if something does happen.
Arranging for a move to a new home takes more than packing up and calling the movers. You will need post-move essentials to make the transition and the unpacking more comfortable. You should also take time to familiarize yourself with the house as well as the area. Take steps to update your address with everyone as well as protect your identity so you can settle in and relax as you enjoy your new home.
