First Things First - 10 Moves to Make in your New Home

August 27, 2018

There's not much more exciting (or more stressful) than moving day. To help you settle in quickly, McKendree Moving & Storage offers these tips for your first day in a new home:

Inspect and clean your new home: Before the moving truck rolls up and boxes start flying every which way, do a thorough inspection of your new home and yard, looking for any signs of damage, pests, plumbing leaks, dripping faucets, continuously running toilets, broken windows, broken or faulty door, window and gate locks, etc. You'll want to have any existing or potential issues addressed before settling in.
Inspect all delivered boxes: Hopefully, you made, or received from your moving company, a comprehensive list of which household items were in which boxes before the move. Take a look inside each box as it's delivered to your new digs and check it off your list to assure nothing got left behind or lost in transport.
Get utilities up and running: Trust us, you'll want a hot shower or soak in the tub after a long day of moving. If you haven't already, dial up the local power and water company immediately to the basic utilities turned on asap, followed shortly by phone, internet and other services. While you're at it, locate the circuit breaker box and main water valve so you're ready when utilities service starts.
Unpack the essentials: When it comes to arranging furniture and unpacking boxes, start with the two most important rooms-the bedroom and bathroom. Depending upon the distance and complexity of your move, you may be tuckered out before everything can be unpacked. If that's the case, you'll appreciate the comfort of your bedroom and the necessities of the bathroom for a night before getting back to the moving grind the next day. Of course, you'll want the other important rooms such as the kitchen and laundry room in operation quickly, so get all major appliances in place and plugged in before following with all the smaller appliances and accessories. Just make sure you give your refrigerator at least three hours in its final spot before plugging it in, assuring time for the oil to flow into the compressor.
Greet your new neighbors: Introduce yourself to your new neighbors. Not only is it the polite thing to do, but it can prove a huge help as you begin to navigate your new surroundings.

If you're planning a move to or from the Washington, DC metropolitan area, call McKendree Moving & Storage at 800-530-2626 today.