Once you step over the threshold of your new home, the relocation chapter of your life closes tightly behind you, leaving you no choice but to brave the unfamiliar and face the challenges that await you in your new surroundings. To give yourself a good head start in your new life, however, you need to take proper care of all the necessary post-relocation tasks and ensure the convenience, coziness, and safety of your living environment.
There are a number of essential things to do after moving into a new home in order to turn it into your safe haven where you will be able to take refuge from all the challenges, uncertainties, and risks you have encountered in the outside world, to have a good rest, and to spend quality time with the people who matter the most in your life. Adjusting to your new surroundings and turning your new place into your dream home is not so difficult to achieve, as long as you avoid some critical post-relocation mistakes.
So, if you are planning a residential move anytime soon, it is a good idea to get familiar with the most criticalmistakes to avoid when moving into a new house and to come up with an efficient strategy to steer clear of them.
1) Selecting an Inappropriate New Home
If you fail to properly assess your lifestyle and research your new area when looking for a new home, you may choose a place that doesn’t really suit you and your family.
When considering your housing options, you need to be careful about:
The location of the home
You probably want your new home to be conveniently located in a safe and prosperous neighborhood close to your workplace, your children’s school, reliable health care centers, various local amenities, lovely green areas, recreational facilities, entertainment locales, etc.
Even if you have found an affordable property that meets all your requirements, inconvenient location may prove to be a major problem and cause lots of troubles in your everyday life.
The type of the home
Convenient, safe, and cozy, your new home should suit both your aesthetic taste and your practical needs.
If you have kids and pets who need a safe and spacious place to play, if you want to have dinner on the patio or to make a barbecue in the backyard during warm summer evenings, if you dream about an enchanting bonfire or a backyard pool, etc., you will certainly not feel happy in a high-rise apartment downtown.
And vice-versa – if you don’t want to hear about mowing a lawn, watering a garden, or maintaining an entire house, you may not be glad to find yourself in a large house with a spacious yard somewhere in the suburbs.
So, you need to make sure that the home you choose suits your needs and preferences.
The size of the home
Whether you prefer a house or an apartment, you need to assess how large a home you need.
While downsizing can do you good as smaller properties are cheaper and easier to maintain, a family of five may not feel comfortable in a two-bedroom home, of course.
On the other hand, there is no point in living by yourself in a labyrinth of empty rooms or paying exorbitant rent/mortgage for a very large property you can’t fully use.
Avoid buying or renting a home of inadequate size as it will cause you many inconveniences and/or financial losses.
The condition of the home
It’s crucial to carefully inspect your chosen property before buying it (or renting it) in order to assess its current condition.
If the house or apartment needs a lot of repairs and renovations, this will place an additional financial burden on your shoulders, not to mention the time you will need to get your new home in good condition.
The cost of the home
However tempting the idea of living in a large modern home in a prosperous neighborhood may seem, be sure to consider the required rent/mortgage, as well as the monthly utility bills and maintenance costs before making your final decision.
Buying or renting an unaffordable home is the greatest mistake you can make when choosing your future residence.
Having chosen a new home that suits your lifestyle, your budget, and your needs and preferences, you need to get it ready for occupation by move-in day.
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You need to make sure that your new property is in excellent condition on move-in day, so you can receive your shipment and settle in without any issues.
Failing to do so will result in great troubles, so you are advised to:
Inspect your new home ahead of time
Your new home – just as you’ve always wanted it.
Inspect the place for pest infestations, structural damage (especially the roof, the foundation walls, and the air ducts), mold growth, and other dangerous or harmful issues, and take proper measures to fix the problems and mitigate the damage in time.
It is a good idea to improve the electrical and plumbing systems in your new home, as well as the available HVAC system, prior to moving in.
Complete repairs and renovations before move-in day
If there are still ongoing restoration works on your property when your items arrive, you won’t be able to take your belonging to their rightful places in the home. You will have two options:
Your items will be placed in storage at your expense and you will have to stay at a hotel until the renovation project is complete;
You will have to store all your possessions in a garage or in an already completed room and will have to move them several times around the home until everything is ready.
A detailed floor plan will allow you to create the perfect interior design for you, to decide which of your old furniture and appliances are worth moving to your new place (the ones which will fit through the doors of your new home and will match the rest of the home décor), to identify the exact location of major household items, and to take them directly to their designated places when unloading your goods.
If you don’t make a floor plan of your new place in advance, you risk great disappointments (when finding out that your favorite old couch just won’t fit in, for example) and lots of wasted time, money, and nerves moving items that you won’t be able to use and/or rearranging furniture pieces and household appliances several times.
You will clean your new home many times during the unpacking process, of course, but at least make sure that the air ducts are clean, the windows are spotless, and the interior is free of dust and debris when your items arrive.
You will need the utilities running as soon as you arrive in your new place. If you forget to have your major municipal services switched on by move-in day, you will find yourself in the dark, not being able to take a shower, to prepare warm food, or to clean the mess resulting from the unpacking procedures.
Surviving even a day without electricity, gas, and water is quite a dreadful experience, so you should correct such a rookie mistake immediately by contacting your new city power and water providers, and setting up a date and time for the re-connection of your municipal services. Internet, cable TV and other convenient services can wait for a couple of days, but you will probably want to enjoy their benefits at the earliest opportunity.
Be sure to check every box and every item upon delivery.
Being happy to receive your items, you may forget to inspect the delivered boxes, check them against your inventory list, and confirm that they’re properly sealed and in good condition. It is also your responsibility to examine larger household items for damage and double-check your valuables.
Unless you immediately report broken or missing items to the moving company, you may not be able to settle the issue peacefully and find a mutually beneficial solution to the problem. It may even get too late to file a complaint against the movers if too much time passes before you realize that something is wrong with your belongings.
You risk not getting compensated for the sustained damage if you commit such a simple mistake during the last stage of your relocation endeavor.
5) Unpacking the Wrong Way
If you have been careful enough to avoid the common packing mistakes when preparing for your move, you definitely don’t want to ruin the good work with amateur unpacking mistakes. So, when setting up your new home, be sure to avoid:
Rushing things
Hasty actions and decisions may result in chaos, wasted time and nerves (for rearranging your items several times), or even accidents and injuries.
So, take your time when unpacking your belongings and think through each step you’re about to take.
Procrastinating
Exhausted as you may be by the arduous moving process, unpacking the essentials and leaving everything else in boxes will do you no good. The sooner you unpack and arrange your items, the easier access you will have to your belongings and the sooner your new place will start to feel like home.
So, make one final effort and take your moving adventure to a successful end.
Trying to reassemble furniture or set up appliances by yourself
If you don’t have the right tools, the necessary experience, and the required know-how to reassemble your furniture and/or set up your household appliances, you’d better ask for help. Call professionals or contact friends who have the necessary skills to complete the task in a quick and efficient manner.
Otherwise, you may ruin sensitive equipment or delicate materials.
Throwing away packing materials as garbage
When you start unpacking your belongings, your place will get cluttered with boxes, packing peanuts, bubble wrap, and various other packing supplies. You won’t be able to arrange and clean your home with all these materials getting in your way, so you will have to find an efficient way to clean up the mess.
Don’t just throw everything out though – store custom-made crates and other specialty packing materials for future use, repurpose moving supplies that are in good condition, and recycle all the materials that can be recycled.
Be sure to dispose of useless moving supplies in an eco-friendly manner and to put to good use those that can be still used.
To keep your home free of excessive dust and debris while unpacking your items, you need to regularly take the trash out and vacuum the floors. Once you have finished unpacking an entire room, clean thoroughly to make sure that your property is in excellent condition and needs only some finishing touches to start feeling like home.
6) Ignoring Your Pets
Your little friend may be quite scared by the unfamiliar surroundings but curiosity will eventually prevail.
As a loving pet parent you will certainly tend to your animal friend’s needs for food, shelter, and safety immediately after arriving in your new home.
However, overwhelmed by all the urgent tasks you need to take care of after moving into a new home, you may not have the time and energy to play with your pets, to take them out for a walk (if applicable), and to ease their anxieties.
Have in mind that your animal friends may be very stressed and scared by the abrupt changes in their living environment, so they’ll need not only their daily routine restored back to normal as soon as possible, but also your unconditional love and tender care.
Do your best to restore your pet’s lost sense of security (give your animal friend their favorite toys and familiar items from your old house, introduce them slowly to the new surroundings, talk to them in a reassuring voice, engage them in fun activities, etc.) and spark their curiosity and enthusiasm to explore the new surroundings, so that they can feel at home once again. Monitor your pet closely for signs of depression and unusual behavior after the move and take them to the vet, if necessary.
Your home is meant to be your fortress, so taking adequate measures to secure it really well is one of the first things to do when moving into a new house:
Change the locks and install burglar alarms to keep thieves away from your home;
Install fire alarms and smoke detectors in every room and supply a fire extinguisher at every level of the house to be able to take proper measures in the event of a house fire;
Invest in a quality sump-pump to remove excess water in the event of flooding;
Keep your property in good condition – check the condition of the fence, window shutters, chimney, roof, gutters, etc. and fix any problems immediately to make sure that your home is as well protected against the whims of the weather as possible;
Purchase a first-aid kit and devise an escape plan out of the house in case of emergencies;
Make sure the stairs, balconies, and other places that present a falling hazard are well secured;
Not mitigating any possible risks as soon as possible will be a huge mistake that may result in severe property damage and personal injuries, so take all reasonable precautions to protect your property and your family at the earliest opportunity.
8) Forgetting to Change Your Address
It is recommendable to change your address prior to the move – to make sure that your mail will be forwarded to your new home and to speed up the process of updating the relevant documentation.
Changing your address is quite easy as you can do it even online with several clicks of the mouse. Just visit the official USPS website and fill out a change of address request.
Of course, you can go to the local post office and complete the procedure in person.
Just do it without delay, as having a wrong address may have various negative repercussions for you.
9) Missing the Deadlines for Car Registration and Other Paperwork
Do you like riddles and quizzes? Well, complicated paperwork may not be exactly a game, but it all depends on your point of view, right?
When moving to a new state, you will have to transfer your driver’s license, register your vehicle, and update its insurance.
Visit the local DMV office as soon as you have the chance, as the timeframe you have to complete this important post-relocation task may be as short as 10 days in certain states (usually a month in most).
You should also register to vote in your new city, transfer prescription medicines, update bank accounts, insure your new property, and put all the other relevant paperwork in order.
If you miss the corresponding deadlines, you will be charged an extra fee, not to mention that you may find yourself in trouble if you happen to need an important document that has not been updated yet.
Keeping the doors of your new home tightly shut for the outside world is a common post-relocation mistake. You may feel lonely and isolated in your new surroundings but keeping to yourself will definitely not help improve the situation.
The first step that will help you fit in, restore your confidence, and find your way around is to meet your neighbors and talk with them, invite them over for a housewarming party, or even bring them some small gifts as a token of your friendly attitude.
Your neighbors can help you adjust to the new surroundings and join your new community, can give you some useful advice and insider tips about life in your new area, etc. You may even find good friends among your new neighbors.
So, find the safest and shortest routes to your workplace and to your children’s school, the location of different institutions, the whereabouts of health care centers and pharmacies, supermarkets and shopping centers, gas stations and auto services, parks and playgrounds, restaurants and coffee shops, sports centers, movie theaters, concert halls, libraries, bars and clubs, etc. during the first days and weeks after your move to accelerate your adaptation period and to make the transition to your new life easier.
12) Overspending After the Move
Rushing into the stores right after arriving in a new city is definitely a huge mistake.
You probably want to get lots of shiny new things for your new home and to furnish it with fancy modern items, but all the desirable extras should wait for a while.
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You need to assess your finances and your urgent needs after the move in order to create an efficient post-relocation budget. Besides, you need some time to explore your options for affordable shopping in your new city and to find out the places where you can get good deals for specific items.
What’s more, it will be a good idea to avoid boutiques and expensive restaurants for some time (until you overcome the financial shock caused by your recent move) and to research frugal entertainment and transportation options.
In your moving review, you will be able to share your moving experience, rate the services of your chosen moving company, give some useful guidelines for organizing a smooth moving process, etc. Your relocation story and your ratings can also help you settle a dispute with your movers.
So, what to do after you move into a new house? Avoid the above 13 mistakes to avoid an inauspicious start of your new life.
I have no practical idea of how to solve this unmentioned dilemma–I have noticed two, three, six months after moving that certain items are missing. It is far too late to deal with the moving companies. These are items that I simply did not think about until I looked for them one day. One is a Japanese garden seat-one is a trunk full of clothing–one is an extra stool. It is impossible to inventory and check on every single item you own.The garden seat was important. I think the movers broke it but I didn’t notice it as it is a seasonal item. I would not have left it behind. The trunk was old and beat up but contained valuable mementos–perhaps they lost it. But this is not something that I anticipated.
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useful article, to understand clients requirements as a moving company.
I have no practical idea of how to solve this unmentioned dilemma–I have noticed two, three, six months after moving that certain items are missing. It is far too late to deal with the moving companies. These are items that I simply did not think about until I looked for them one day. One is a Japanese garden seat-one is a trunk full of clothing–one is an extra stool. It is impossible to inventory and check on every single item you own.The garden seat was important. I think the movers broke it but I didn’t notice it as it is a seasonal item. I would not have left it behind. The trunk was old and beat up but contained valuable mementos–perhaps they lost it. But this is not something that I anticipated.