Moving into a new home is an exciting but stressful time. You have so much to organize, it’s inevitable that some things will be overlooked. Take care of the six steps below, however, and you’ll have the essentials covered.
You will likely need at least a few new things for your new house. Perhaps it has an induction stove and you don’t have the right cookware. Or maybe the lounge room is larger and a new set of sofas is in order. The problem is, if you pick up even the smaller items before your move-in date, you’re only giving yourself more work to do.
The easiest way to handle this is to plan ahead and have essential items delivered directly to the new house. For example, you can buy induction cookware online and time it to arrive on your move-in day or in the days after.
It’s important to remember to set up all the utilities you will need in your new place and to cancel anything that was in your name at the old place. Contact your utility companies in advance of your move-out date to ensure you have a smooth transition. This should include water, gas, electricity, cable (if you have it), and internet.
This can be a tedious process, but it’s important. While many companies now communicate entirely through digital means, your address is still connected to many more aspects of your life than you may realize. From your driver’s license to your bank and credit card providers, having correct address details is important.
Most property investment advisors suggest that homebuyers get termite inspections and other relevant health and safety checks to ensure it is a good investment. However, the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors usually don’t feature at this point. When you’re about to move in, however, it is essential to check that they are all well-placed and in working condition. Replace if necessary, and if not, take note of the dates and set a reminder in your calendar so you can do so on schedule.
Moving house is an excellent opportunity to go through all your paper files and purge whatever you no longer need to keep. Generally speaking, you only need to keep tax records for three years from the date you filed a return. However, if you’re uncertain, speak to your tax agent about what’s required of you.
Even with those papers you do need to keep, it may be possible to convert some to digital records. If you do decide to purge some old and unnecessary documents, be sure to shred them and dispose of them responsibly.
It’s easy to assume that you can knock out the move easily. When your stuff is all in its place in your house, it doesn’t look like you have all that much. However, once it starts going into boxes, you’ll soon realize what a mammoth task this is.
Take time off work, recruit friends and/or professional removalists, and factor in plenty of time for breaks and unexpected delays. If you can, take an extra day or two off work to give you wiggle room in case something goes wrong. Worst case scenario, you get a rest day before heading back to work.
You have a lot of hard work ahead of you, but it will all be worth it once you’re relaxing in your beautiful new home.
