WELCOME to your new home, now the work begins!
Fur Babies
If you have pets find a room that the door can stay closed, place their beds, food and water down so you can help keep their stress down too. Mark the door as Do Not Enter, you don’t want them to be let out accidently with the front door open
If you are thinking about letting your dog in the backyard, please go and check the fence to ensure they can’t get out, put out water and a place they can get out of the sun
Let’s get moved in and keep your sanity intact while doing so
Make signs to put on doors naming each roomso the movers or family and friends will know where to put the boxes. Such as Master bedroom, Susie’s room, Tyler’s room etc.
Those colored coded boxes will come in handy now for easy placements in the correct rooms, which means less trips looking for boxes and less time to get your new home in order
If using movers select one person to aid the movers on where to put boxes to keep them moving so they don’t waste time, and oneperson to start cleaning the house and if you are lucky one person to start putting things together and unpacking
Cleaning
The tote with all your cleaning supplies, toilet paper and such will come in handy. Take a minute to put the toilet paper into the bathroom with soap and paper towels so you do not get stuck without it and then start cleaning.
Start Cleaning:
1st – Bathroom you will be using while unpacking
2nd – The kitchen so you can put your food and dishes and have it ready to create meals
3rd – The rest of the bathrooms as you will long for a shower once the night is over
4th – Bedrooms for everyone to get a good night sleep
5th – Living and dining room so you can enjoy a well-deserved movie and rest
6th – The garage to find the little things that are needed such as nails to hang your art
Rekeying Doors
Most home warranties offer rekeying as part of their service for just a trip charge, if you didn’tget a home warranty you can purchase your own kit at Lowes or Home Depot, call out a locksmith or purchase all new door locks and deadbolts. Check out Amazon as they are normallyless expensive
Change the code on the door keypads
Keep safe as you do not know who has a key, one was ever lost or given to someone and they forgot to get it back
Unpack Essentials
Kitchen – Put food in the refrigerator and freezer, you don’t want to forget and lose good food
Bedrooms – Get the beds together and made so you have a place to put your head tonight and get reenergized
Bathrooms – A shower is going to feel like the best thing ever after all your work putting the house together
Kitchen – Get everything put in its place so you can feel a bit of normalcy
Living Room – You will deserve a down night of your favorite TV show or movie
Dining Room - In case you need it for work or homework
Back to the Bedrooms to finish off getting the clothes and shoes put away
Laundry Room – You know it’s coming after all the sweating going on, remember to clean out the dryer vent and put on a new exhaust dryer line
Garage – We all have items that never fail that will need fixed and this is where those tools arelocated
Storage Shed – Make sure not to forget the shed so when it is time to mow and weed eat you are ready to go
If you are going to paint the time has come, once done those pictures are going to look amazing. If you are lucky and you don’t have to paint its time to finish the house adding your personality, color and creations. If you are able have the painting done before you move in, that would be the best situation, if not that’s okay too
To Do List
1. Service the Chimney – If you have a fireplace and the sellers did not get it cleaned, please call and make an appointment to have it cleaned and serviced, so when you are ready to use it will be ready
2. Clean out the dryer vent before you put your new exhaust dryer line on
3. Change codes to all technology items such as Ring Doorbell, Wi-Fi thermostat, Alarm System, Wireless LED light bulbs, Wireless speakers, Wi-Fi LED screen on the refrigerator, change out batteries in the smoke detectorsand other items
4. Get your driver’s license address changed
5. Update your voters IDaddress
6. Make a list of items that need looked at and corrected in the house such as checking all the exterior lights, cleaning out those P-Traps on the sinks, check the filters and change if dirty, label the electrical box
7. Find all your cut off valves and educate the family so everyone is ready if needed
8. Make a grocery list to replenish food and cleaning supplies
9. Open an account on Nextdoor so you know what is happening where you live
10. Add an account on your HOA’s app if there is one
11. Make a file for your new home and warranty books
Recycle those Boxes
Once you are all unpacked, consider putting your empty boxes on Nextdoor or one of the other websites listed in the Buyers Move Out Tips section to help someone out who is moving, or give me a call as I enjoy helping to pass on boxes to others that are moving and getting them out of your way
GREAT JOB!
Now it is time to start making memories!
