Moving to a New Home Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful if You Know the Right Tips

Don’t Forget to Check a Home in Person Before You Decide to Buy

There are various things to do when moving into a new home that will help you move efficiently. The home inspection is the first thing to do when choosing a place to relocate to, so check the state of the building, how well it has been maintained, and what needs to be fixed before deciding to relocate there. Not only will those repairs affect your plan in terms of time, but they can also increase the costs of relocation, so be careful during the inspection.

Hiring professional inspectors to check the building before you buy it may cost extra, but it can save you a lot of money and nerves in the long run. According to  HomeAdvisor, the average cost of professional inspections ranges from $290 to $600. However, the best thing about their services is that their inspectors will give you a detailed report on the state of the building that entails:

• Foundation,
• Flooring,
• Roof,
• Plumbing or electrical system,
• Appliances,
• Fireplace and HVAC,
• Interior and exterior generally,
• Termites,
• Asbestos,
• Mold,
• Radon.

Once you have this detailed report in front of you, it will be much easier to decide whether it pays off to buy this property and perform required repairs and renovations, or if you should skip it and keep looking.

What Is the First Thing to Do When Moving into a New House? Tip No. 1 – Schedule the Relocation Date

Now that you’ve finished with the inspection and scheduled all the repairs, it is the right moment to focus on your current home and start to organize your move. The very first goal is to schedule the relocation date. This will give you a time frame and help you estimate how fast you should proceed with organizing your household for the move. Find reliable and experienced cross-country movers to provide you with all the moving services you need, whether you want to book packing services, or you’d like to ship your car and need a long-distance moving company to organize auto transport. Explore a few companies and compare their relocation quotes and long-distance moving services so you can make a rational decision beneficial for your relocation budget.

Check If the Cross-Country Moving Company Is Legitimate and Licenced

One of the most common relocation mistakes people make that could cause incredibly stressful situations during the relocation process is forgetting to check if the long-distance movers are legitimate and licensed to organize the relocation. The most secure way to ensure that the company is legitimate is to check their USDOT number issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Of course, there are some other indicators you can use to check if you’re dealing with professionals or relocation scams. For example, if the company refuses to provide you with an in-home inspection or avoids an answer related to the final cost of the relocation, this is a sure sign you should stay away. A professional long-distance moving company will always have answers to all your questions and will provide you with precise cost estimates, so choose wisely when you decide to entrust your belongings to someone.

Tip No. 2 – Make a To-Do Checklist and Follow the Progress

Creating a to-do checklist is one of the most effective ways to organize your relocation since you will have access to all the necessary tasks in one place. You can create it using paper and pen, taking notes on your phone, in a spreadsheet, or even using a phone app. Whatever you choose, keep it close to yourself, update it regularly, and track the progress. This to-do list should be divided into categories that each task requires, and if there is a possibility to assign tasks to all family members, it would be definitely the best option.

Tip No. 3 – Set a Packing Strategy to Box up Your Household in Time

Once you’ve scheduled the relocation date and chosen all the cross-country moving services you’ll need, the very next step is to make a packing schedule and explore and set all the packing strategies. This way, you will be able to estimate how much stuff you have to pack and how long this task will approximately take.

Make an Inventory and Declutter to Decide What to Take to the Next Home

Doing a home inventory is the first step in the packing process. It implies that you will identify all the stuff you want to take with you and decide what you will do with the rest of it. In this process, not only will you become aware of all the belongings you possess, but you will also find out how many things are redundant.

For that reason, the next step is to organize the decluttering of your household. The point of decluttering is to downsize the household and decrease the costs of relocation, too, since every estimate is based on an inventory list. Decluttering should include all the rooms in the house, including storage areas. Another useful tip would be to always have a few boxes close to you, labeled donation, recycle, throw away, garage sale, or give away and separate the belongings accordingly. This is a perfect moment to finally get rid of all stuff you don’t need to and help other people by donating unwanted items. In case you have any unwanted appliances, you can also explore what charities accept those kinds of goods, or you can direct them to a recycling center for electronic devices.

Don’t Forget to Label the Boxes and Indicate What Is in Each of Them

Another common thing people usually forget to do is to label the relocation boxes properly. This is important because not knowing what a box contains can lead to careless handling during the loading process or when you unpack them. For that reason, label all your boxes, especially those that contain fragile items, and avoid unnecessary stressful situations once they are delivered to the next address. Also, learn how to properly pack fragile items, using all the protective materials and pro techniques, because this is the only way to get them to the new place whole.

Tip No. 4 – What Should You Do When Relocating With Kids

Relocation all by yourself is stressful enough, but if you want to move with kids, it could become even worse. For that reason, having a detailed plan for organizing a relocation with kids is of tremendous help. Depending on their age, the relocation processes will look different. If they are teenagers, they could even contribute and pack their belongings.

On the other hand, if they are toddlers or young school kids, then the next step is to ask your family for help on the relocation day since you will definitely not have enough time to look after them.

Another vital thing to do with kids of this age is to start preparing them emotionally and mentally for relocation. You should explain that they are about to change schools and won’t be able to see their old friends so often, but that there is still a possibility to visit the old city from time to time. You could throw a packing party for them and help them pack their toys. This could also be a great way for them to say goodbye to their little friends and get prepared to move.

Relocating With Kids Means You’ll Have to Babyproof the House

Relocating with kids means you’ll have to make your house a secure place for them. All potential threats like a staircase, glass furniture, sharp objects, breakables, or any other dangerous item should be properly protected. For that reason, learning how to baby-proof a house before you move in will be the essential task on your to-do list. If you need more tips on how to properly babyproof a place, check out the video below.

Tip No. 5 – Get Your Documents in Order, Pay All the Bills, and Update Your Address

No matter what your reasons to move are, the process of organizing important papers is the same. You should divide them into categories, such as bills, personal documents, warranties, kids’ documents, work-related documents, school records, and similar. Also, before you relocate to another address, be sure you’ve paid all your bills so you don’t cause any inconveniences to the next tenants.

Since we’re on the topic of documents, we can’t miss mentioning the change of address since you will have to update it in all your personal documents like IDs, driving license, social security, and even with the IRS. So explore all the rules and procedures on this issue and act accordingly. The good news is that it will likely be easier than you could ever imagine, and all of those changes can be done online.

Tip No. 6 – Clean Both Your Old and New Home

Organizing the cleaning of the house you’re leaving and relocating to is a must-do. This is an essential step both in the old and the new place. If you don’t have the time or nerves to deal with it, consider hiring a professional cleaning company and prepare your household as you like it.

Other Things to Clean When You Buy or Rent a New Place

The next essential step to include on your what to do when moving into a new home list should definitely be cleaning air conditioning filters, pest control, and the disinfection of all critical spots. This is especially important to do if you don’t plan to renovate the bathroom or change the air conditioner since it is the only way you’ll know everything is ready for safe use.

Tip No. 7 – Create a Box of Essentials

If you want to avoid any stressful situations while traveling to the other location, pack a box or bag with relocation essentials. The items that should go in this box or bag are:

• Personal documents – IDs, driving licenses,
• Documentation related to your trip – hotel vouchers, airplane tickets, and similar,
• Medicines and supplements you use daily or that could prevent nausea – especially if you’re traveling with kids. Also, don’t forget to check the regulations on flying with prescription medication if you’ll be traveling by airplane.
• Mobile phone or laptop chargers,
• Bed linen, change of clothes, and toiletries,
• Anything else you find important to always have close to you.

What Is the Luckiest Day to Move Into a New House?

We all know how important relocation is to you, so falling for superstitions is justified in this case! Whether you’ll choose to relocate on Thursday, as many people believe it is the luckiest day of the week, follow the Feng Shui advice, Hindu calendar, full moon, or the zodiac. Just make sure you actually believe in it and let the magic happen!