Things can seem a bit up in the air for a while when you move into a new house. Your things are all packed up and you end up spending a lot of time digging around boxes it seems.
Not only is moving house a case of getting all your belongings from A to B, but it’s also remembering everything you need to get installed in the new place. So send the kids out to play with their friends while you sit down and go through everything that needs sorting!
- Furniture
New houses are typically unfurnished but sometimes flats come ready furnished. Make sure you know exactly what you will be getting in your new place – if anything – so you know what to bring. If you need some real essentials, plan ahead and get them delivered on the day that you move in. This will ideally be a couple of hours after you have transported your stuff. For instance, you don’t want your kids to have to go a few nights without a bed or something similar! Go through every room mentally and work out what is needed and what might be missing.
If all the rooms are in an adequate state, moving the furniture into the correct place is evidently the first step to any house move. You can’t make a bed up until the frame is there and fully built. Much like you can’t start unpacking your clothes until the wardrobes are all up and running. Keep this in mind when you are packing your things in the moving truck. You want to pack in a way that means the things you need first are packed last at your old house. This will mean they are the first things accessible when you open up the van doors.
- Set up bills
A change of house means a change of energy supplier. But of course it’s not just that; there are countless providers you need to sort out for a fully functioning home.
Do your research into the best gas, water and electricity providers for your area. You can find information like this on useful price comparison sites. Or you could even just knock on a few neighbours’ doors and ask them who supplies them. Your council tax code will be worked out for you depending on which band your home is in. The estate agent or seller should be able to tell you this or you can simply look it up online. If there are any issues with the amount you are charged, dispute this online as soon as possible. Discounts are also possible for certain reasons, so just make sure you are well-researched here really.
Then you need to be able to use a phone line and the internet. Again, you can figure out who your best supplier option is online. Visit Suddenlink.com/internet and other similar sites for data plans and professional installation options.
Now your telecoms bills are sorted, you need to get a TV license. It’s illegal to watch TV without one and is priced quite reasonably, so this is worth doing as soon as possible.
- Sort the security
You can feel a little bit nervous moving into a new place as you might not know all that much about the neighbourhood. Although it is likely very safe for you and your family, there is no point taking any risks. Firstly, you need to make sure all doors deadlock and be careful where you keep any spare keys for this. Don’t hide them under doormats at any cost because this is the first place anyone trying to get in will look. Next, make sure every window in the house is secure and lockable (and that you have keys for them). You might think the top floor windows are far too high for anyone to reach. Unfortunately people might have ladders pretending to be window cleaners and so on. Finally, install a burglar alarm that is code or swipe key protected. Again, it’s so unlikely that you will have any problems but always play it on the safe side. Then you can leave your lovely new house and all your precious belongings with your mind totally at ease.
- Get home insurance
This isn’t a particularly fun activity, but it is essential for every homeowner. You just need to protect yourself against the possibility that something could go wrong. If this costs a lot and happened in your home, the insurance may cover part or all of this cost. It’s something you can do once and then put out of your mind completely going forward. When buying home insurance too, keep in mind that you need to follow all the security guidelines recommended. For example, your insurance policy will not work if you leave the door unlocked when you are out etc. Read your policy through very carefully and communicate this to all members of your household
- Get your bearings
Moving into a new neighbourhood is so exciting as you get to do some serious exploring. It almost feels a bit like when you go on holiday and head off to find the nearest supermarket! Go by yourself, or with the kids in tow, and find out where their school might be. Or your new coffee shop that you’ll meet friends at. Or where your local pizza place is. If you’re moving a bit out of the city, you might need to go for a little drive to find some of the amenities you might need. Buying or hiring a bike is a great way to explore your new ends properly though, as you can just hop on and off as you please.
- Work out a decorating plan
When you have settled in a bit more, you’re likely to want to do some work to the house. Perhaps you are coming up with more and more ideas the longer you live there with what you’d like to change. These are big changes so cannot and should not be rushed. Sit down with your partner or friends that you trust and form a coherent renovation and/or interior design plan. If necessary, call on a professional interior design to offer advice or change up the whole place. Then set realistic goals for yourself of what you want to achieve and one.
A good tip is to do it room by room. Don’t think it’s a great idea to paint the whole house at once – you won’t have anywhere to store the stuff! Pick the room in the most dire need of renovation first and start there. Save money by doing as much as you can yourself. Painting and basic home DIY doesn’t need to be done by an expert – you are perfectly capable of doing this yourself. But again, take your time in doing this – it’s going to look the same way for a few years to come yet!
- Add the finishing touches
After being in the house for a few weeks or months, you’ll have more of a feel of exactly what you want it to look like. Maybe you want a chill out room where candles are constantly burning and bean bags cover the floor. Maybe you want to go Tokyo-inspired super minimal with your interior design. Maybe your little girl just needs a pull out couch in her room for all her friends that visit! Whatever it is; now is the time to sort it. With everything in place you can add personal flourishes around the house. Visit galleries or quirky shops to look for unique paintings and prints you might want to bring home and display. Keep an eye out for kitsch treasures if you go on holiday or visit a new town; this is often the best way to unearth undiscovered gems. And if your little ones have been begging you for an indoor tent ever since you moved in, now is the right time. After all the initial payouts and movement, you are in a stable enough place to start treating you and your family to things here and there.
- Move on to the garden
Doing up the garden is best done in the warmer months for obvious reasons, so this might not be relevant when you move in. Waiting until the weather heats up a bit buys you some time to do up the rest of the house and to get settled in. Depending on how much work is needed you might want to call in a landscaper. Then do some research into a gardener or builder that you trust to fully transform the face of your garden. This could be anything from adding a water feature in the back corner to building a whole fence for added privacy.
You did it! After your first few months in the house, it will now finally look exactly as you imagined it when you first went to look round. Take some time to yourself to reflect what you have achieved so far since you moved in and figure out where you want to go next. But most of all, just sit back, relax and enjoy your very own home, personalised just as you wanted.
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