A must read if you just bought a house, these are move in tips for new homeowners!
If you just bought a house, check out these move in tips for new homeowners. There are so many things I wish I thought of before we unpacked the moving truck and settled into the house. Seeing that this is the second house we have purchased, I have some advice to bestow upon any new homeowners before they move in.
1. Arrange for electricity, water, internet/cable, trash pick-up, etc. before you move in.
It is difficult to live in a house (with kids) if your utilities are not installed. I waited too long to call for our trash pick-up and will now have a pile of garbage beside our garage for another week. If you are a new homeowner for the first time, you will need to establish credit with some utility companies which require a sometimes large deposit.
2. Change your address … EVERYWHERE
When you are changing your address with the USPS, don’t forget to do the same for your bank, credit card, Amazon, Etsy, etc. Any auto-ship companies that ask for a billing address should be updated as soon as you move! When we moved from Georgia to Connecticut and we had mail going everywhere, it was because I didn’t change our address quickly enough. I missed out on packages accidentally sent to our old address on many different occasions.
3. Hire a cleaning crew before you stay overnight.
Unless the previous owners of your home left you with an immaculate house, hire a cleaning crew to get rid of dust, leftover germs, dead bugs, etc. We’ve been renovating our house and the amount of debris and dust covering every room was overwhelming. We had to hire a professional cleaning crew (not a maid service) to use industrial strength tools to get rid of the construction remnants.
4. Make spare keys.
When we closed on our house we were handed a bag of keys for the multiples locks on the doors in our home. For some reason, one out of 10 work, while the others have given us way too many problems. Make spare keys so you don’t end up locked out of your new house!
5. Save for unexpected problems.
Don’t spend all of your cash decorating the house right away. Save for unexpected problems that may arise once you are moved in. Appliances can break, lightbulbs might burst, and there is always a chance for electrical/plumbing issues. We have run into quite a few unexpected costs in our home, but thankfully had cash saved for any random problem.
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Yes, to #1, and to research the set-up process well in advance! When we first moved to NC we were able to set up all utilities just a day or two before moving in. When we moved to a new town we assumed it would be the same process. Turned out you needed to set up water & electric a week ahead, and the gas company was booked THREE WEEKS out, which meant no stove or hot water. We were able to get everything turned on sooner by saying we had a senior citizen and a baby staying with us (I mean, they were visiting for only a few hours but we didn’t specify that….), otherwise it would have been a disaster.
It was our mistake for assuming, but that’s also info our realtor should have given to us- it would have been a nice courtesy to have been given those timelines since we had so many other aspects of the move to deal with. It may not technically be part of their job, but it’s one of those ‘above and beyond’ steps that would have made him stand out.
We’re moving this month, and I already know it’s going to take me like a year to change my address on all of the websites/stores/subscriptions that have it saved… I hate that part of a move! I hope you’re enjoying the new place!
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