Relocating homes? Roughly 27 million Americans moved from one house to another in 2022. Undoubtedly, this is an exciting moment, but it’s also stressful, particularly if you’re moving to a new city or state.
Naturally, it takes time and careful planning to relocate. If you’ve ever moved, you’ll be familiar with the fact that unpacking is merely one of several time-consuming tasks you’ll have to complete after moving. Cleaning, getting repairs done, and getting the house set up just how you need it will all take significantly more work in your new home.
In case you are renting, you’ll need to stay in close contact with your landlord or the prior owner. To prepare the space for your family, you’ll also need assistance from cleaning professionals, maintenance specialists, and other people.
You can settle into your new home as easily as possible with the guidelines offered in this article. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Consider your options
There are two main options that you can consider when planning to relocate to a new place. If you are leaving your current city permanently and own a house, you may need to sell it. You’ll also need to look into buying a house before relocating to the place where you plan to live from now on. However, if your move is temporary, you can look into rental properties.
The exact circumstances for considering these two options can differ. For example, the place you are moving to may have much higher property rates, making it hard for you to buy a place. In that case, you can either mortgage or rent a place for a while. You may also want to rent an apartment if you still haven’t found the right home but have to move anyway.
In either case, you must weigh your options before taking the plunge. Talk to friends or family you have in the area, consult local realtors, and find listings online, all of which give you an idea of what the market is like and whether renting is more feasible or outright purchasing a place.
2. Start with a walk-around of your new place
If you’ve finalized the new home, you’ve got the hardest part out of the way. It is time to start preparing the place for you to settle in. Start by inspecting the place right after you sign the agreement for owning it. This is important to do before all your stuff arrives.
Working with reputable and experienced moving companies makes planning your arrival at the residence simple before the movers begin unloading your belongings. You must verify that the owner completed all agreed-upon repairs, that the sale-included items are present and accounted for, that there are no visible signs of mold, vermin, or dirt, and that the garden is well-kept.
3. Take the time to childproof the home
Sometimes having kids or pets is the same thing. Before you move in, you must take additional safety measures for both of these adorable bundles of joy. In order to prevent your young children or pet cat/dog from getting into dangerous locations as you are preoccupied unpacking, seal them off.
A safe height should be set for low-hanging blind chords and all windows should be secured. Secure the microwave door and the lower cabinets, and add knob covers on the stove handles. Have a secure location to store leftover packing materials as you unpack that neither your children nor pets can access.
Spread out your boxes rather than stacking them in tall towers, and take additional care when handling any boxes containing sharp or sensitive goods.
4. Make sure that the utilities are all working
It is customary to turn off necessary utilities when a house is unoccupied to ensure the next owners won’t inherit unpaid bills. Ensure the power, water, and all other utilities are completely hooked up before you move in. Inspect the heating and cooling system, the water and gas supply, and the phone, power, and internet service as you walk the entire property.
You can check the stove, faucets, and other systems during this procedure to ensure they all work properly. If you do this before moving in, you will have plenty of time to call for a repair if something is malfunctioning.
5. Deeply clean the house before you move
Cleaning should be done thoroughly, whether you’re doing it yourself or hiring an expert service provider to do it for you. Here are some helpful ideas for when you’re working alone:
- First, clean anything that is on the ceiling and walls. This includes lighting fixtures, high shelves, and fans. When you complete these tasks first, the dust they produce falls to the ground, where you can gather it. It makes sense that cleaning low before cleaning high will be ineffective.
- You’ll require a few of the items first when you move into the new house. For instance, throughout the unpacking process, when you aren’t cooking and are largely ordering takeout, keeping perishable items in the refrigerator will be necessary. Therefore, start by cleaning the fridge.
- After finishing cleaning and setting up the fridge, you can work on the remainder of the kitchen. Get it scrubbed before the rest of the house because this is the primary area you’ll need once you’ve moved.
- The restrooms should come next after the kitchen. Use an antibacterial cleaner to give it a thorough cleaning. It is preferable to replace the whole toilet seat in all the washrooms as well. Ensure that everything else is disinfected and clean as well.
Conclusion
A new chapter in your life begins when you move into a new house. Maintaining the magic of the trip from the moment you arrive in the country is crucial. Even though the people around you will do a lot to ensure you feel at home, you’ll still need to prepare your own house before moving in. This entails conducting thorough inspections beforehand, thoroughly cleaning the entire space, and taking care of any necessary repairs.