First home, just stepped onto the property ladder?
Congratulations! We couldn’t be more thrilled for you!
However, before you move in, we’d like to inform you of specific tasks and precautions you should take to move in comfortably and live happily ever after. This is your survival guide to moving into your first home, from packing your things to organising your bedroom furniture and more.
Let’s begin.
Organise your packing and unpacking – First Home.
One thing that’s never changed about packing is that it feels as if it will never end! That goes for unpacking, too. Instead of packing everything into boxes willy-nilly, it’s better to organise and label boxes clearly by the room where you’ll be putting them. Then you can carry each box into the right room, saving you time, energy, and maybe a little frustration.
When it comes to unpacking, set yourself some goals. Don’t be too ambitious. Aim to unpack just two or three boxes per day. If you get through them, you can always do a non-unpacking task, such as cleaning.
Plan where your furniture will go beforehand.
Be strategic and plan where you want your furniture to go. Don’t tell the furniture removal people, ‘Just plonk it down there.’ You may have to lift it all and move it all around later.
Strategic planning will be convenient when transporting large furniture, such as bed frames, mattresses, sofas, and other bulky items. It’s worth leaving bookcases, drawers, etc., until last, so you have enough space to move and position conveniently the things that take up the most space first.
Think about improvements and renovations early on.
Once you have the keys, you don’t necessarily have to move in the next day (depending on your living arrangements). Take a good look around the property and think about what you might want to change. The flooring, perhaps? A possible loft conversion? Maybe you want to redecorate the bedroom or merge two rooms into one?
The choice is yours, but whatever you do, consider carrying out these renovations before moving in. Again, this will make moving furniture into the new home much easier because you can transport it when you’ve completed the renovation work. If you’ve not bought any furniture and want to furnish your home quickly, you could finance some of your purchases and start making the most of the furniture before you’ve paid for it all.
Arrange your utilities
You’ll have to organise your gas and electric provision and any other utilities, so look for the best deals to save money while you get on your feet in the new home. What about internet service providers? Do they offer enough bandwidth to service your home adequately? You don’t want to settle down with some TV for the night only to find you can’t make the most of your Netflix account from wherever you are in the house.
Change the locks
This is a simple security measure. You don’t know who has a copy of the keys, so soon as you get the keys, arrange to change the locks. Your home is your castle and intruders most certainly aren’t welcome!
Familiarise yourself with your first home.
It always pays to check your home’s different systems. Don’t assume everything will be running perfectly when you move in. Check the boiler, air conditioning, and fireplaces or chimneys to ensure they operate safely.
Make sure you know, too, where the breakers are for the electricity and the shut-off valves are for the gas and water. Knowing where all these features are now is better than figuring things out during an emergency.
Becoming a new homeowner for the first time is pretty exciting stuff, and it’s easy to get so caught up in it all that you forget some of the precautions you should take. Remember the tips above when you cross the threshold (and before) for a more straightforward move and the foundations for happy homeownership.