If you’ve just found a new house and are about to move in, well done. That’s a huge step, no matter whether it’s your first property or you’ve done it all before. It can be very stressful to look for a place to live, let alone pack up to move, so you should be celebrating. 

However, there are still some things you need to do if you want to ensure your new home is as comfortable as possible. Read on to find out what some of them are. 

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Do A Walkthrough Before You Unpack Anything

When you first move into a new home, it’s best to undertake a thorough walkthrough while the place is empty. So, before you start bringing in furniture, make one last inspection. This will help you sport whether everything the previous owner or the house builder promised would be done has been done. 

At this point, you can also check that:

• Light and wall sockets work
• You can find all the warranties and guarantees for appliances 
• The backyard is neat and tidy
• The house is clean and free of pests and mold

If there are any issues, you need to raise them immediately, as this could be going against the contract you both signed. 

Create An Unpacking Plan

It’s tempting to go in headfirst, but that approach usually leaves you with missing items by the end of the day. In this case, you might have plates but no cutlery, shirts but no pants, and a hairbrush but no toothbrush.

Clearly marking your boxes before the move is essential, but so is knowing what needs to be done first when you get to the new place. Unless you want to live off of takeout and would rather have your TV set up before you buy a stove, you may want to focus on stocking the kitchen before furnishing the living area, for example. Pre-arrange the order in which you’ll unpack your boxes based on the items you would like to have available so you can start without too much delay. This idea is particularly useful if you have traveled a long way and used long distance moving experts to help you since you might have had to store some items in advance and you’ll need to ensure you have everything with you. 

Make Sure Your Utilities Are Set Up

Hopefully, you have already taken care of getting your utilities transferred or set up before moving into your new house. If so, now is the time to double-check that everything is operational. Make sure that you have working electricity, gas, water, HVAC, phone, and internet on moving day. The next step is to contact your city’s rubbish collection service to have a garbage pickup service established at your new place. 

Find The Circuit Box 

Your new house may not be brand new, but it is new to you, and since this is the case, learning the ins and outs is essential. Finding the main water shutoff and the electrical panel is high on the list of things to do as soon as possible after purchasing a home. Label the separate circuits if the box lacks labels, so you know which ones power specific rooms and appliances. In this way, should you lose power or have any issues, fixing it should be a lot easier. Plus, you won’t panic because you’ll know where everything is in advance.