Congratulations, you’ve finally moved into your new home. To help you get settled in as quickly and as easily as possible here is what to do
Make Your Home Safe
If you are moving into a house or flat that someone else has just vacated change the outside door locks as soon as you move in. You may be lucky, if you are renting the property and find the owner has already done this for you. To be sure do ask. If they have not been, ask for them to be changed or for permission to change them.
Changing outside door access is very important as there may be many keys out there you are not aware of, especially if the property has been rented before.
Clean Before Unpacking
Usually, people will clean a home before they vacate it. Or the owner will make sure that it is clean before your move in. This does not mean you should not clean it again as many a time in the move something is over-looked.
Start with your bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom. Then tackle the other rooms in the coming days. Do not unpack and arrange furniture before you clean as it can be quite difficult to give a thorough cleaning after the furniture has been arranged and all of your stuff has been put taken out.
Start Unpacking
Again, start with your bedroom, the kitchen and the bathroom. The bedroom first because you will be tired at the end of the hard work. And will be glad to have a clean room and readymade bed when it is time to sleep.
The kitchen should always be next, because obviously, you have to eat at some time. Plug in appliances that need plugging in, unpack utensils that you will need for cooking and eating and any other essentials for the next morning. Like an iron. The rest can remain in boxes.
The bathroom should be last. Germs and all. You do not want to do the toilet, then go to the kitchen then to your bedroom. You risk cross contaminating surfaces.
When you have cleaned the bathroom unpack your bathroom essentials and then call it a day. As difficult as it might be with most of the stuff still lying around unpacked, stop. The rest can be done the next day.
Don’t forget to gather any empty boxes and other trash into one place before you go to sleep.
Continue Unpacking
It may be tempting to defer unpacking for another week or two but, this is a very bad idea. Make sure that each item is taken out of the box and placed in your new home immediately. Don’t leave things lying around, because they will be the beginning of clutter.
It is always easy to get overwhelmed when faced with so much stuff to tackle but, continue unpacking the rest of the stuff and placing things in the right places as soon as possible. If you do it one room at a time, it will not be so overwhelming.
To keep you in an upbeat mood, start making it a home. Take out the things that will make it look more like a home first. Decorations, photographs and your books.
