New homeowner checklist: What to do before move-in day
Before you move, you’ll need to take care of some things. Make sure you schedule your new home’s utilities, change your address, and secure homeowners insurance. Taking care of these tasks ahead of time will make the move-in process much less stressful.
Here’s a breakdown of each task you need to complete.
Set up utilities
You should transfer your utility services as soon as possible so you don’t go without basic comforts. Contact your electric, gas, water, sewer, and internet service providers to make sure you’re good to go for day one.
You may be able to simply change your address with your current utility provider, but if you’re moving to a new city or state, you might need a new provider or service altogether.
Utility companies typically make these services straightforward to change, but it does take time — time that you don’t want to waste on moving day. Taking care of it ahead of time helps you make sure your move to your new home is as seamless and stress-free as possible.[1]
Change your address
Changing your address is one of the most important things you need to do when you move. It ensures you receive important mail, such as bills and tax documents.
Make sure you notify the following services of your address change:
Think about any other services or important institutions in your life that may need to know your new address.
Good to Know
To cover all your bases, you can submit a change-of-address request with the U.S. Postal Service so that any mail from services that don’t know about your address change is rerouted to your new mailing address.[2]
Secure your homeowners insurance
If you haven’t already bought home insurance while securing your mortgage, you’ll want to buy a policy right away. While states don’t legally require home insurance, having coverage is essential to protecting your new home. It covers damages from perils like fire, theft, and natural disasters. Without home insurance, these types of damages can be extremely costly.
Knowing how to buy homeowners insurance is important. No matter what coverage levels you’re looking for, always compare home insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies before deciding.[3] Make sure the policy you choose covers both your structure and personal property thoroughly.
Set up your emergency fund
It’s crucial to have an emergency fund — especially when moving, as unexpected costs can and often arise during the moving process. A good rule of thumb is to set aside three to six months’ worth of living expenses. Doing so ensures that you can handle most sudden financial strains that can happen when moving.
Get packing
Now for the most important part: packing.
If you’re worried about handling the job on your own, consider hiring a moving company to do it for you. If you’re particular about how you want your items packed, you can pack everything into boxes yourself and have the movers take it from there. Or, if you’re less concerned about how items are packed, movers can often complete that for you, too.
Hiring movers is an added expense, but you’ll be able to breathe easy knowing that they can complete the job for you. You can schedule them ahead of time to come on your move-in date so you don’t have to worry about availability.
If you’re planning on doing all the packing yourself, make sure to create a thorough inventory list and have your family members check the list for anything you may have missed. Once you’ve got your list, make sure to pack things in separate boxes with related items. For example, unpacking your toiletries will be much easier at your new home if you pack them all in the same box.
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