Moving is a bitter-sweet moment that is both stressful and exciting. Still, it’s not all about sorting through your belongings and packing, as we saw in so many movie montages. There’s some bureaucracy, manual labour, nerve-wracking decisions, waiting in line, and unexpected expenses. So, here are 5 things to know before moving to a new house that can ease the anxiety and help with your fresh start.
1. You should start decluttering right away
Once you know you are moving, create a plan for how you want to handle deciding what to take and what to leave behind. Decluttering is the best method to figure out what you need and what you can sell or donate to charity.
The most efficient way is to declutter room by room and organize things in four piles: take, donate, sell, and throw away. When in doubt, think about whether you have a room in your new house for a certain item, as well as do you need it at all. Give yourself a day to sit on it or ask your friends and family to voice their opinion and help you decide.
2. It’s best to hire professional removalists
In the beginning, you may think you don’t need help packing and transferring things to your new house, but that may not be the case. Let’s say you are moving from one neighbourhood to another in a big city, for example, Sydney. Traffic, tourists, and heat may not be so easy to handle when you have your whole life to pack, go to work, or tend to your family.
Opting for professional Sydney removalists may seem like another expense. Even so, it will pay off immediately, at least when it comes to handling your valuables and fragile belongings appropriately and keeping them safe.
3. Your new house may need some work, too
You probably had professionals inspecting your house for potential work to be done to installations and structure before the buy. Now it’s time to address those issues, especially the ones that can lead to accidents, like fires, leaks, and property damage.
If you plan these repairs and renovations before you move in, you will avoid dirt, noise, and certain utilities being unavailable. Nonetheless, the minimum you will have to do before the move is cleaning, painting, and possibly changing the fixtures, like lights.
4. Moving is more than packing and unpacking
The last thing you want is to move into your new house only to find out you forgot to arrange for electricity, heat, gas, phone, Wi-Fi, cable, and water. The good news is that you may be able to transfer certain services to a new address. In most cases, especially when moving cross country, you may have to cancel them completely and set up new ones with available providers.
Moreover, remember to include this in your schedule to be at your new house when providers come to connect the services. Also, let’s not forget to change the address on your personal documents, like your ID, passport, and driving license.
5. A security system is always a good idea
Since you are moving to a new neighbourhood and everything is unknown, it may be best to install a security system. Changing the locks the moment you bought the house is a must, but think of setting-up motion sensor lights outside and a smart doorbell. Cameras to cover the outside areas or even a full home security system are not as expensive as they once were.
However, before you start splurging, research the neighbourhood to find out what security measures will make you comfortable and feel safer. Some local regulations may prevent you from installing certain security features and knowing it before deciding what you want can save you from fines and inconvenience.
In the end
When talking about things to know before moving to a new house, it’s clear that it all comes down to good organization and careful choices. Sometimes you may feel like paying for services, like professional removalists or cleaners may be an unnecessary expense, but consider how much it would mean to you. Decluttering, dealing with utility companies, and organizing yard sales — are all activities that will steal your time and tire you down, so don’t dismiss any shortcut too fast.
