You have finally done it!
You just purchased a new home and you’re eagerly awaiting the big move. With so much happening, the task of moving can often become overwhelming and place your stress levels at an all-time high. Take some deep breaths. There are several ways you can make sure it all goes smoothly – and that’s through planning.
While one of the first things you’ll do when planning the move is to organise removalists and enlist the help of friends and family, there’s a lot more involved in making a smooth transition. Organising things like utilities, updating the details of various accounts and organising home and contents insurance are just some of the things that need to be taken care of prior to moving day.
Whether it is a new build or an existing home, here’s a handy checklist to follow leading up to the big moving day.
Set up utility accounts:
Before moving into your new home, it’s important to set up your utility accounts so you can have access to water, power and gas as soon as you walk in the door. Check with your conveyancer to make sure that everything is ready for you to move in. Not having access to power and water will make the move much harder and will cause angst and delays. It’s also important to set up accounts for your new phone line and internet if you wish to have a connection in your new home straight away.
Water:
If you’re moving, buying or building, you’ll require access to water on your property. Head over to the Sydney Water Website for guides that walk you through the processes involved with accessing water on your property. These easy to navigate guides will provide you with all the information you require.
Power:
Electricity is essential for most homes, powering your home appliances, hot water systems and electrical devices. There are multiple power providers in Australia which all have their own rates and fees. Compare a few well-known providers before making your final decision on which company best suits how your home will use electricity.
Gas:
Although many newer homes are moving away from the inclusion of gas, most houses still use it for stove tops and heating. If you do require gas to be connected to your new or existing home, research online or speak to your family and friends to find the right provider for you.
Check key days with your local council:
Each local council will have their own set rubbish recycling and green-waste bin collection days. Before you make your move, contact our new local council to request a calendar of key dates.
Complete change of address forms:
One of the most common problems for new homeowners is updating their address on an extensive list of accounts. One of the easiest ways to ensure you still receive your mail at your new address is to complete a redirect mail form with Australia post. For either one, three, six or 12 months, Australia Post will redirect your mail to the new address, giving you some room to breathe while you update the address details on various accounts.
The Australian Government have put together a change of address checklist to make the process of moving house and updating your details easier. Remember to include any additional accounts to the list before working through it.
Re-key your new home’s locks:
Your real estate agent will try to ensure that every key to your new home is in your possession at the time of settlement but it is no possible for them to guarantee that every key has been accounted for.
Therefore, one of the first things you should do when moving into a new home is to arrange to have the locks re-keyed. Your real estate agent should be able to help you find a reputable local locksmith service that can re-key your entire home to ensure that the previous owners or tenants are not able to gain entry. To make access to your home even easier, this is be the perfect opportunity to ensure all of the locks in your new home use the same key.
Organise home & contents insurance:
Before you move into your new home it is vital that you take out a home and contents insurance policy with a reputable insurance company. The unexpected can happen, especially when moving home so taking out the right policy before the move is crucial. Most lenders make appropriate insurance cover a condition of your loan.
Re-paint your rooms before moving furniture in:
If you are planning to change the look of your home it is so much quicker and easier to get started the re-painting before moving the furniture in. Maneuvering around furniture to paint walls or position art is way harder once your home is filled with your belongings, even if they are in boxes.
Prepare for the first night:
You’ will be left with boxes towering up to your ceiling when your move in. You are physically and emotionally exhausted from packing. You certainly don’t have the energy to search through every box looking for the kettle, or worse still for important medicines.
With some planning, your first night in your new home will be a little more relaxed.
Pack a box labelled ‘first-night’ box. This box should contain the essentials such as:
- A change of clothes.
- Nightwear.
- Toiletries.
- Toilet paper.
- Towels.
- Bed linen, pillows and doona.
- Prescription medicine.
- Coffee, tea, the kettle and some disposable cups.
- If applicable, some baby food.
- And don’t forget a phone charger and cables.
Keeping this box handy makes it much easier to settle in and get a good night’s sleep before a big day of unpacking.
