Moving home can be a fun, exciting experience for people – it can signify a new start, a new career, or a new family lifestyle. So, it can be easy to forget some of the more mundane tasks that you might need to carry out while you surround yourselves with upcoming plans and paint samples.
However, you will want to make sure that all you need to do for your move is completed, so you don’t come across any unforeseen issues later on. Check that your move will be problem-free by carrying out these tasks, so you can settle into your new home and focus more on your new start.
Decide how you’re going to move
This is one of the most essential things to do before moving. You will have two viable options from which to choose:
- Hire a professional moving company
- Rent a truck and organize your own move
The success of your home move will depend on this decision. However, you may already know that it’s not that easy to decide which of these to select.
You may only want to organize a self-move if:
- You’ve moved home before
- You own (or know someone with) a truck, or you’re confident you can drive a rental van in unknown areas
- You’re moving just a short distance
- You don’t own many valuable items
Consider hiring a mover if:
- This is your first house move
- You’re moving long-distance
- You have large and heavy valuable items that must be moved with care
Declutter your home
This will be the most beneficial task for you, as you inventory your home and reduce your belongings – so you have only the ones you really need and want. List everything you have in your property and decide what you want to do with each household item: whether to take, donate, sell, or throw away. Large and heavy items (e.g., furniture) may not be worth moving because of the cost.
You may consider using temporary storage services, such as those provided by StorageArea.com. You could place items here for a short time while you’re moving and transport them there yourself if you wish.
Update your address
This doesn’t have to be an intimidating process. The USPS, for instance, offers mail forwarding for movers. Just $1 and 15 minutes is all you need to make sure that you will get all your mail at your new home. You’ll eventually need to update your address on items such as subscriptions and credit cards – but setting up mail forwarding will mean you won’t miss any important documents.
Change the locks
You need to make sure that your property and your family are safe. So, it’s a natural step for you to change the locks at your new home. If you do it before you move in, then you’ll be thankful when lying in bed on those first few nights in your new home. Doing it before you move in your belongings will stop them from being exposed before the locks are switched over, too.