Tips for Moving House: Settling In
Whew, you can breathe a sigh of relief once moving is over. But there’s still so much to do, where should you begin? Like with packing, unpacking and settling in should be approached in a logical and methodical way, giving you time and energy to enjoy your new home without feeling frazzled and disorganised! These tips will help you stay on top of things so that you’re on your way to feeling settled in no time at all.
Appliances & Connections
- Check that the hot water, gas and electricity are all working straight away.
- Plug your fridge in so it can start chilling. The sooner you can have it ready to store grocery staples and meal essentials, the better! Keep an esky handy in case you need to put a few things on ice before the fridge is ready to use.
- Connect the washing machine as soon as it’s moved into position in the laundry. Moving is dusty work, and being able to throw on a load of washing the day after you’ve moved in will prevent things from piling up.
- Connect your TV and Wi-Fi so that little kids can be entertained while you unpack. A lot can be achieved during a ninety minute kid’s film!
Furniture & Unpacking
- Put together the beds as soon as you can, it’s always nice to have somewhere comfy to sleep after the strenuous task of moving. If you can’t put together the beds, at least grab some bed linen and make up each mattress in the room it belongs in so everyone will have somewhere to sleep on the first night.
- Prioritise unpacking kitchen essentials first – cutlery, crockery, coffee mugs, and glassware are everyday items you’ll be thankful to have neatly unpacked and waiting for you to use.
- If you have little kids, try and unpack their clothes and belongings as soon as you can. Once their books, toys, and clothes are accessible to them they’ll be able to busy themselves while you continue getting organised in other rooms of the house.
- Unpack essential clothing items first, such as work clothes, school or sports uniforms, and any toiletries you’ll need in the first week. If you’re heading back to work and the kids are going back to school a day or two after you move, you’ll need these things ready to go.
First Home Buyers
- If you’re moving into your very first home, take the time to plan where you’ll store things. You may find that unpacking quickly just to get it done means things aren’t organised in the most convenient way – it may take you a few days to figure out the placement things, so take some time to get a feel for the space and layout of the house before you unpack absolutely everything.
- Before you shop for any new furniture, measure each room properly and the floor space you want to allocate to each furniture piece. Mapping out spaces to measure on the floor with painter’s tape is a good way to get a visual idea of how big furniture is and how it will fit in each space.
- Don’t feel you have to fill every room with furniture and accessories in the first few weeks. You may decide you swap kids’ rooms around, or change the location of your dining area as you keep settling in. If you have blank spaces, take the time to think about how you’ll use them before you spend money at furniture stores.
Paperwork
- Get a change of address form from the post office and fill it in as soon as you can. You can also check a box on there that changes your address on the electoral roll as well. When the next election rolls around you’ll be set up to vote with your new home address details!
- Ensure you have rerouted your mail so you don’t miss out on any important bills and paperwork at your new home.
- Make a list of any and all services and subscriptions that contain your address and spend some time online or on the phone within the first week updating them with your new address.
Once you’ve moved into your new home, it can feel like you’ll never get rid of moving boxes and all the headaches that go along with moving house. But as the dust settles while you accomplish each task and unpack each box, you’ll start feeling more and more like you’re settling in at home.
