Moving house is considered one of the most stressful things to do in life, often involving enormous demands on your time, money and organisational abilities. There are countless to-dos on your moving house checklist – before and after moving day – from swapping utility providers to updating your postal address.
We can’t make moving easy, but we can help make your moving experience less stressful. Here is a moving house checklist of everything you need to do when you move to make things run smoothly.
Moving house checklist: Before you move in
1. Inspect the house
Arranging a professional building and pest inspection is one of the most important things to do before buying a house, but you should perform an inspection after you’ve purchased and before you move in, too. This is to ensure everything set out in your Purchase Agreement is there and in the same condition. Check for swapped out items, such as cheaper appliances substituted for the higher quality originals, as well as any wear and tear from the occupants’ move-out.
2. Call the utility companies
If you can do so, arrange to get your utility accounts set up before you move in to your new place. This will reduce your workload during the days you’re unpacking your boxes, and ensure you only get one bill for the one place once you’ve moved in. Take pictures of your metres and make a note of the readings, as utility companies will ask for these later. Arrange any installation visits ahead of time so you’re up and running when you need to be.
3. Do any renovations first
If you need to paint the walls, varnish the floors, power wash the verandah or renovate the kitchen, do it before you move in. If you’ll need supplies (like paint or varnish), have them at the ready so you can get it out of the way before moving day. An empty house is ideal for renovations, and once you’ve moved in, it’ll be harder to prepare to do this.
4. Clean before you unpack
Empty rooms are infinitely easier to clean, so take the time to clean each room before you unpack into it. You’ll thank yourself later!
What to do once you’ve moved in
1. Find out where the fuse box is
You’ll need to know this if the power goes out for any reason, so make sure you know where it is before that happens so you can get it back up and running again.
2. Change the locks
You never know how many sets of keys the previous occupants have, or have given to others, over the years. Changing the locks for a fresh start will give you peace of mind in the security of your home.
3. Update your address with the post office and friends
Let your friends and family know you’ve moved, and visit your local post office to arrange an Australia Post redirection. You’ll need to contact your bank, insurer(s) and other service providers too, but having your mail forwarded will ensure you don’t miss any important letters.
4. Get an updated drivers license
Visit your local transport service centre to get an updated driver’s licence. Getting this out of the way in the first couple of days after you move will ensure you have a local ID with your updated address, which will make registering for services in your new neighbourhood easier.
5. Find and register with your local GP and healthcare services
Medical clinics can get extremely busy, and you want to be ready to slot into the next appointment if you get sick. Registering with your local GP and any other key healthcare services you’ll need will ensure you can. Also consider booking important medical appointments straight away to avoid long waits.
Don’t forget your pet – if you have one, register with your local vet.
6. For families: register with schools and daycares
Schools can be busier than supermarkets and medical centres combined. If you have kids, it’s a good idea to scope out the schools in your area and get them onto waitlists nice and early.
Moving is always going to be stressful, but knowing exactly what you need to do and checking tasks off one by one will ensure things can run smoothly from start to finish!
If you haven’t bought yet, and want to make sure you don’t buy a lemon, get a quote for a professional Building and Pest Inspection with us today.
