Once you’ve moved into your new home, you may find yourself collapsing on the bare floor after all the stress and exhaustion of moving. After all of your furniture arrives at your new abode, you’ll be ready to hit the sack in a real bed. Take your Zs where you can get them, but know that there are a few things you need to do on your first full day home.
You want your transition to the new environment to go as smoothly as possible. Here are seven things that you can do on your first day to make that happen.
Confirm that your car shipment is on schedule
If you plan to transport a car from state to state, you want it to get to your destination on time, especially if you depend on it for daily travel.
Here are some factors that could delay your car’s arrival:
- Bad weather
- Heavy traffic
- Customers that no-show or show up late for drop-offs and pick-ups
- Mechanical problems
- Long weigh station lines
- Driving laws that prohibit 24/7 driving
- Challenging roads or landscape
A late car shipment could make your dream relocation into a nightmare for the first days or weeks. Picking a reputable car shipping company can help mitigate lengthy delays. With a reliable company, you know that your driver will do everything to deliver your vehicle on time.
Screen for these characteristics when researching auto transporters:
- Check their insurance and bonds
- Inquire about years of experience
- Check their registration
- Ensure that they meet your budget and needs for your specific vehicle
- Always read as many customer reviews as you can
Though obstacles like road construction and inclement weather are unavoidable, a reputable company will keep you in the loop about any delays so that you can better plan out your first days in the new city.
Check the condition of your home
Inspect your home right away to make sure that everything is safe and any issues disclosed in your closing have been addressed. You’ll also want to record your meter readings so that you can have utilities turned on or transferred.
After the utilities, give the house a walkthrough, making sure all windows and doors are secure, none of the faucets leak, and so on.
You want to keep an eye out for anything that could become a problem later on. Though you and your realtor likely had the home inspected, you’ll still want to look everything over and take pictures in case the seller didn’t follow through on any repair promises.
Take all of your boxes and put them in the correct rooms
Do your future self a favor by taking all of your parcels into the spaces where you’ll unpack them. For example, you would take your dish boxes to the kitchen, and so on.
If you can unpack a few, that will give you an excellent headstart for tomorrow, but if not, you can at least get the boxes where they need to go. Knocking this step out now will make it easier to get started unpacking later.
Try packing a “first-night” box before you leave so that anything you need to unpack immediately is within easy reach.
Take inventory of your belongings
Make sure that all of your belongings survived the journey. Sometimes things can get lost in transport or fall in the cracks of your moving van or car. Once you’ve confirmed that everything is here, weed out any valuables from the crowd. You should separate precious items like documents, jewelry, and photos right away to avoid losing them once you start unpacking.
If you hired a moving company, it’s vital to ensure that they brought everything to your new house. If you can, make a list of all of your boxes and then check that list once the movers arrive. This measure will make it easy to address any discrepancies before the movers even leave your new home.
Make sure your loved ones are safe
Safety first, especially if you have pets or kids. There will be many boxes lying around, which can be a tripping hazard for clumsy animals or junior track stars.
In addition to blocking off areas with tripping hazards, you have to ensure that there aren’t any sharp objects or other risky items that could threaten their wellbeing. You want their first days in the new home to be a good memory, so try to avoid any late-night hospital visits.
Appreciate your new space
You’ve done a lot of work to get to this point. Spending a first day or night in a new home is a special moment, and often one fraught with emotion.
Take a deep breath and enjoy this moment with your new house. If you’re the sentimental type, take a photo on the front lawn with your family.
Get to know your neighbors
Though you don’t have to do this on your very first day, there’s never a bad time to get to know your new neighbors.
If you get a spare minute, stop by for a quick, informal introduction. You’ll be seeing these people all the time, so you might as well make an effort to start on the right foot.
Parting shot
Unfortunately, your laundry list of moving tasks doesn’t stop once you cross the threshold. That said, moving is something to celebrate, and your finish line is well within sight.