Just Move In, Now What?
Congrats! Your new house is registered in your name and now you can move in. What should you do first? Here is a quick list to help you stay on top of moving in and make it as stress-free as possible.
Clean each room.
Cleaning each room before you start unboxing will help you in the coming days. The house may have been left empty for a day or two and dust would have settled. The last thing you want to do is deep clean the house after you spend some time unpacking. Cleaning up a mess from unpacking is much easier than cleaning dirt.
Get the beds ready.
After a long day of moving and sorting through boxes, the last thing you want to do is make your bed when you are tired. Trust us, the feeling of a freshly made bed will be worth it. Putting up curtains will so help your room feel more put together as well as create some privacy.
Check the essentials:
The power may have been turned off on the DB board and the water may need to be turned on at the main line. Locate these and make sure everything is restored and working in the house. You don't want to be looking for these at night or have to take a cold shower because the geyser was turned off, unless you are into that.
Plan meals.
No one wants to start looking for cookware and planning a meal on the day of moving. This is where pre-planning comes in handy. Even if your house is still full of boxes, being able to sort out meals for everyone is great for keeping everyone happy and their energy up. If you don't want to do packed cooked meals, delivery services like Checkers Sixty/60 or Mr D can be a great help.
Unpack each room ranking their priority to you.
Decide which room is important for you and get everyone to help unpack the boxes. This could be the kitchen, the lounge area, or the bedrooms. Assigning each member of the house to unpack a room can also help speed things along. This is great with kids as it keeps them busy while you sort out other areas.
Security.
Change the locks as soon as possible. Most of the time, all the keys are handed over to the new owners but knowing your house has new locks not only ensures that all the doors lock but also helps you keep track of which key belongs to with door. If your new house has an alarm system, speak to your security company about sending a technician out on the day you are moving in to set up the system. A new house means new house "noises" and you don't want to spend your first night wondering what each sound is. You can also ask the previous owners if there is a neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group that you can join.
Meet your neighbours.
Introduce yourself to your neighbours. The last thing you want is to have a security company come to your property because you are an unfamiliar face. You also don't want to do the same to your neighbours. Your neighbours will also be able to tell you what day is trash day and if the neighbourhood is active with runners/walkers.
While this is a simple list, it will help your first night be a pleasant one. Hopefully, our PRE-MOVING LIST helped make your move a less stressful one.