Moving Into Your New Home Checklist
Congratulations! You just bought your new home in Pennsylvania and are about to move in. Living in Lebanon Pennsylvania we know exactly what you need to do before you move and while you move.
This list is the list end all move into your new home lists! If you see anything we forgot, contact us with your suggestions so our new neighbors in PA can move in and enjoy Pennsylvania in all its glory.
Jump To Your Stage Of The Move
Some of you might have already started your move and don’t need to see the whole list from the top. Here are some quick links to jump down to the step you are on in your moving process.
Everything To Do Before Moving Into Your New Home:
When packing up your old home there are a few tricks to making your move to Pennsylvania flow smoothly and effectively. Below are the first things on the moving list to do before you even move out of your old house and say goodbye to it forever.
1. Packing Up Your Old Home
This may seem pretty obvious, but you need to pack everything up. It is most effective to use storage containers and boxes to pack everything. Be sure to wrap fragile items in newspaper and
2. Take Pictures Of More Expensive Items
If you are using a mover you want to take pictures of your items. This will protect you from dealing with damages that might occur during the move. For example, if you get into your new home and see a piece of your prized coffee table damaged, you’ll contact the movers. They could say that it was damaged before they moved it, but you took photos of everything before leaving. This is a small and quick move that could save you a lot of money if your movers are subpar.
3. Transport Your Valuables Personally
Just like taking pictures, you want to take precautions to protect your valuables. By packing valuable items personally and transporting them in your vehicle you can rest easy during the move. Just be sure you know where those valuables are the entire time. We also would recommend you do not leave them out in your vehicle overnight. You can also get valuable possession insurance. This will provide protection for your valuables outside of the home.
4. Pack Like You Are Going On Vacation
This is a HUGE pro-tip. Pack some of your clean clothes in a separate bag like you are going on a trip. If anything goes wrong or your move gets delayed you will have clothes for the week that are easily accessible at any time. Nothing is worse than rummaging through a moving truck, and damaging your own personal items
5. Winterize Your Old Home
If you still own your old home and are moving out, it is best to winterize your old house now. This will prevent any costly damages occurring to your home and will save you money in allowing you to turn the heat down.
6. Turn Down The Heat
After winterizing your home you can turn your Old house is heat down. It’s recommended to set your houses temperature at 50°F. You should set the thermostat below 40°F. Going to that lower the temperature has the potential for pipes to burst from freezing. And you don’t want to invest money into your old home, you want to invest money in your brand new home.
7. Defrost Freezer
It is time to have a feast! Now is a good time to unplug that freezer so it can defrost. With all of the food you have left in the freezer you either need to cook it or store it somewhere else. If you have friends who want to help you pack, start cooking up food from your freezer. They’ll stay and help you pack longer for your move to Pennsylvania and it will become a fun workday rather than a difficult moving day.
8. Label All Of Your Boxes & Containers For The Move
Labeling your containers and boxes will make it that you move into your house once rather than five times. You want your movers or friends to only have to make one trip with the box they carry in. If you label the rooms to your new home, it will make moving extremely easy.
9. Do A Final Walkthrough Of Your Old Home
You should always do a final walk-through of your old home. So make sure you don’t forget anything before you finally lock the doors for the last time. Check in cabinets closets and any nooks and crannies that things can be forgotten. Also, make sure you check the property of your home for anything that you might have forgotten. Dig up any time capsule you might have placed with your family. If you want to make sure nothing is forgotten in your old home clean all of the open surfaces.
10. Clean Your Old Home
This is more of a suggestion. You don’t have to clean your old home, but this will make sure that nothing is forgotten or left behind.
Things To Do If You Are Moving Out Of An Apartment
These are a few specific steps you need to take if you are moving out of an apartment and into a new home.
- Notify Your Landlord: Notifying your landlord that you are moving out of your apartment should be done as soon as possible. This way you can get your security payment on your apartment back as soon as possible. When moving from an apartment to a new home, having more money on hand for unexpected costs during a move is always good.
- Remove Yourself From The Utilities: Depending on where you are renting from you may be pying the utilities. Be sure to remove your name and bank account from the electric bill so you don’t end up paying someone elses electric!
- Clean Your Apartment: Cleaning your apartment is so important because it plays a role in you receiving your money back. Some people will goes in depth as getting the carpets clean and doing all the cleaning legwork themselves so they can receive their security deposit back.
- Change Your Renters Insurance Policy: This is commonly overlooked, but such an important step in the moving process. Be sure to call your insurance company and switch your renters insurance over to home insurance.
Things To Do If You Are Moving From Out Of State Into Pennsylvania
If you are moving a large distance there are a few things you should consider doing before you move.
- Close Bank Accounts: It is much more effective and efficient to do this in person. Depending on the bank you use, there might not be a branch where you are moving to. Closing your bank account is something that should be done before moving so that you can open a new bank account when you move to your new Pennsylvania home.
- Inform Post Office Of Forwarded Address: The process for forwarding mail is different depending on the state, but they are all quite similar. Normally to forward your mail, you do need a new address to forward it to.
Everything You Need To Do On Move In Day:
We are finally here! Move in day! You are so excited to be moving into your new home, but let’s be honest you are also a little stressed over the move in process. Moving into your new home can and will be easy. Just follow our move in checklist.
1. Contact Utilities & Turn On The Lights To Your New Home
Make sure your electricity is turned on before the big move in. If your friends are helping you move they will be thankful for the lighting and of course the heating or air conditioning depending on if you are moving in the winter or moving in the summer. Having electric in your new home will make sure you can use it right away, no food gets spoiled and you can effectively clean your new home.
Be sure to bring lightbulbs! It is likely not many of the lights will work because they do not have working light bulbs. Having these on hand will save you from having to run to the store on your move in day.
2.Clean Your New Home
You will thank yourself after you clean your new home. In Pennsylvania, we tend to have an infestation of bugs that will fill every nook and cranny of your new home. Whether they are ladybugs, japanese beetles, stink bugs or the new and ever growing spotted lanternfly.
Cleaning your new home is also a great time to find any damages or repairs your house might need. Make a running checklist of things to repair in your new home. Having a home checklist will make it that you aren’t bogged down trying to remember all the things you have to do in the future. This will also make sure nothing is forgotten and a window isn’t left cracked open in the winter months.
3. Get Home Insurance For Your Pennsylvania Home
Warning: Make sure you get homeowners’ insurance before you move in. If someone is injured, your home is damaged or any catastrophe befalls you during the move into your new home it will not be insured. Having home insurance before move-in day will protect the property and investment you just spent all of your money on. Lucky for you we provide the best home insurance we have to offer.
4. Label Rooms Or Have A Map Of Your New Home
Labeling the rooms of your new house or having a map of your new home will be helpful for everyone on the big move-in day. When you tell someone to take a box to a certain room they know exactly where to place it. If you weren’t there and the movers start moving your stuff in they know where it all goes. By organizing your move into your new home you will save yourself more work of unpacking and reorganizing later.
5. Invite your Friends Over -OR- Hire Movers
Whichever route you take, make sure there is pizza. Your friends may like you but they do not like being hungry. Start the move in day in the morning and order pizza as soon as you have a head count. This way you have food the moment everyone is getting hungry, not 45 minutes afterwards.
When moving into your home it is most effective to divide people into teams and have one group unloading the moving boxes and placing them in a specified room (your new living room). The other groups are then taking the containers to different parts of your home and unpacking them if necessary. This move in process will keep less dirt from being tracked inside, make the unloading process faster and make sure everything gets to the correct location quickly.
6. What To Unpack & Set-Up On Move In Day
Certain rooms take priority over others. So which rooms do you prepare and unpack first?
- The Bathroom: The highest priority room to unpack and set up is your bathroom. You want basic toiletries set up and ready immediately. Technically you should have your bathroom prepared before people even come to your new home to unpack.
- Your Bedroom: The next room of priority is your bedroom. As soon as the move-in day ends you want to be able to fall asleep on your bed and access a change of clothes for the next day. Have your bed made and clothing container accessible.
- The Kitchen: Third most important room to have repaired is your kitchen. This room is one you can assign to a friend since kitchens have a standard setup. Unpacking your kitchen will make sure you can prepare food the next day and all of your perishable food is in the fridge before the end of the day.
7. Have An After The Move List
When moving into a new home it is common for things to come up you will “have to deal with later”. You’ve heard friends say this when you move them into their homes. To make sure you do not forget anything while you are moving into your new home, it is best to have a list where you can make notes of these items you will have to do after you move into your new home.
Everything You Should Do After The Move Is Complete
Your new home is finally quiet. Your friends who helped you move have left and now you have a massive amount of work to do. Unpacking, organizing and repeatedly cleaning. While the unpacking and moving process seems endless, here are the steps to unpacking in your new home to make sure you don’t have a spare room with random containers sitting for months to come. We also have a few other useful tips on items you need to complete after you move into your new home.
1. Change The Locks To Your New Home
It is better to stay safe than to be sorry. You do not want your new home to be robbed by past homeowners who still have a spare key. Even if you know the old homeowner there is a likelihood that friends of theirs have access to the house as well.
In securing your house, it is always a good idea to make an assessment of all points of entry. Lock windows and make sure your new home is secure.
2. Unpack All Of Your Containers & Moving Boxes
First you should unpack all of your containers. If you didn’t set up the bathroom, bedroom and kitchen on move in day, that is your first priority. Unpacking these three areas will allow you to function when you start work.
If you place all containers that haven’t been unpacked yet in the center of the room they belong in, it will ensure you do not leave a hidden pile of boxes anywhere. This can be a great time to get rid of things you do not need.
3. Complete Your “Do Later” List
Did you write a list of things you have to do later during your move in day? Now is he time to tackle those items and projects. Completing this list will give you peace of mind and make your new home feel like home.
4. Get New Driver’s License
Time to change that address officially with a new license. Contact your local DMV and get your license address updated. Also, if you haven’t taken care of your forwarding address yet, now is a great time to stop at the post office and set up your forwarding address.
5. Did You Ever Call Your Insurance Agency?
If you have not gotten insurance for your new home yet you need to immediately. Contact Strickler Insurance for a free quote on your Pennsylvania home insurance. We are located just around the block in Lebanon Pennsylvania and have been providing Pennsylvania and neighboring states insurance for over 160 years.
Welcome To Your New Home!
You have successfully moved into your new Pennsylvania home! We hope you enjoyed our moving into your new home checklist. If you see anything we might have missed contact us so we can add it! We hope you love PA as much as we do!
