Moving home can be the most stressful time in anybody’s life.
Let’s face it, there’s a lot to think about and so much to do. But we often forget that moving home should also be fun and exciting. A new home signifies new beginnings, a new chapter in your life, and a new house to fill with happy memories. So we think it is important that you take the time to make the house move as memorable and enjoyable as possible. To help you, we have put together a guide of important things you should do when moving into your new home (for your safety), as well as some ways of making the house move fun.
1. Introduce your loved ones to your home.
A really fun idea is to create a video walkthrough of your new house to share with your friends and loved ones. Start at the front door and work your way around the house, capturing all the beautiful features that made you fall in love with the property, to begin with. It’s a great idea to do this before you move in because then you can remember what the house looked like and how spacious it was before you filled it with your furniture and belongings. You could also do a before and after video, re-creating the video once you’ve settled into the house.
2. Say hi to the neighbours.
A fun thing to do when you move into a new property is to introduce yourself to the neighbours and find out a little about them and the new community you are now living in.
This is a fantastic idea if you are moving to a home that is in a new area. Your new neighbours can help answer any questions you have, for example, what day the bins are collected and where the local doctor’s practice is.
3. Find out where everything is.
Before you start filling your home with boxes and furniture, take the time to find out where everything is in your home. It’s better to know where these things are now, that in an emergency, for example, in a power outage or if a radiator were to leak. The important things you want to locate are:
- Gas and electricity meters (you will also want to take meter readings on the day you move in).
- Stopcock valve for turning off the water.
- Fuse Box.
- Thermostat to control the central heating and temperature of the house.
- Instructions for working the appliances.
4. Deep clean.
While the property is empty, you should use the time to deep clean so that you know you’re moving into a clean home, the only thing that might need cleaning is the furniture that came with you.
5. Start unpacking.
Before you start unpacking it is a good idea to check the boxes, just in case the movers have damaged or broken anything. Once you’re confident everything is fine, start by unpacking the essentials first. For example, of the things you are going to need on the first night is a bed to sleep in. You’ll also want the facilities to make yourself a drink and eat food.
When the essentials are unpacked, you should make the time to do things like child-proof and pet-proof the house so it is ready for your entire family to enjoy.
This is just the start, there are lots of things you need to do before to plan for your house, during and after you have moved home. But it is a reminder to make every stage of the house move as fun and as memorable as possible.