Moving house: Your arrival checklist

Check for items being left behind
We all hope that the moving process is easy and goes ahead without problem, but from time to time something will end up being forgotten about. You might think you’ve done a thorough check before moving, but it’s logical to go over everything again at the delivery end to catch any missed items immediately. In addition, once you arrive at your new location it is wise to give your new home a once over, to make sure that all the items included in the sale are in the property. If they aren’t, you’ll need to immediately alert the estate agent of anything that is missing.

Take meter readings
The home moving process is full of chores, with many jobs taking laborious amounts of time to complete. Thankfully, some jobs are quick and easy, such as taking an immediate meter reading upon moving into your new home. Make sure you identify where your meter is located and take accurate initial readings to give to the utilities companies as soon as possible.

Identify potential hazards
Have a look around the property for potential hazards. If you have a young family or pets, make sure you keep them close and confined to safe areas while you unpack. If the property is on a main road, make sure that everyone is safe from passing traffic. It will take children and pets a few days to familiarise themselves with their new surroundings so it’s very important to supervise them closely to begin with.

Review rooms for unpacking
Before you just head into the unpacking process gung-ho, have a quick check over your new premises and maybe give your rooms a once-over before you move in your larger items. When checking each room, begin to plan out what furniture and other items will go in each room. It can be helpful to set up a ‘dumping room’ for any non-essential items that will need to be unpacked over the coming days, rather than immediately. Make sure that you prioritise your rooms and unpacking. After a long day of moving and unpacking, you’ll want to make sure the sofa, TV and bed are all in position for you to crash and unwind that evening.

Meet the neighbours!
You’re moving into a new area and a will be part of a new neighbourhood, so as soon as you can, introduce yourself to the neighbours. It’s always nice to feel a part of the community, and although you might not be expecting to become best friends with the home owners on your street, it’s always nice to be on speaking terms. Introducing yourself soon after moving in will help break the ice and is far easier to do when you first move in.

Photo Credit: Pexels