Congratulations on your new home! Whether it’s down the street or across the country, there are a few things you want to take care of when you move to help get you settled. We’ve put together your new home moving checklist to help make the move simple and stress-free. 

1. Do a Final Walkthrough

You’ll want to do this one before all your things are unpacked, doing a walkthrough of your new home will be easier while your possessions are still boxed up. Take this time to:

• Ensure everything agreed upon with the previous owner is complete (i.e. repairs or improvements).  

• Check that any appliances that were supposed to be included are in-house and working. 

• Check for pests.

• Double-check that outlets and light switches are working.

2. Clean the Nooks and Crannies

Another pre-unpacking task. Before all of your belongings take over, clean the cabinets and other often neglected or hard-to-reach areas. Better yet, schedule a deep clean with a cleaning company. The one-time expense will pay off in the comfort of having a sparkling-clean home. 

When you’re ready to unpack, we’re more than house movers: check out our packing and unpacking services.  

3. Change the Locks

This seems like a no-brainer but it’s easy to overlook. While you’re swept up in new utilities, school districts, and potentially work stress, a little thing like lock changing might fall into the I’m-going-to-get-around-to-it-eventually category. The truth is—you have no idea who may have a copy of the keys to your new home. It’s way easier to silence that worried voice in the back of your head by changing the locks than by telling it to keep quiet. 

4. Locate Circuit Breaker and Shut-Off Valves

Shut-off valves can turn off the gas or water in your home. These are things you’re going to be very happy to have located ahead of time in the event of an emergency. Say, for example, you have a burst pipe and need to quickly stop the water flow, you’ll be glad you scouted it out beforehand!

5. Schedule Utilities

Make sure any applicable utilities—like gas, electricity, water and garbage pickup—are sorted. You want them to be in your name and maybe have automatic payments scheduled as well, so you know your bills are always paid on time!

Don’t let a big move stress you out. The right household movers like Bighorn Moving & Storage make it easy to set off on your next adventure. Get started with a free estimate.