Checklist for Moving Into Your New House

There’s so much to keep track of when it comes to moving. You have to properly pack all of your belongings, the timeline needs to be exactly right, and you’ll likely have to round up several helping hands. Overall, it can be quite a hectic time! Use this checklist for moving into your new house to ensure the process is a smooth as possible.

If you need assistance selling your house or are looking for a new home in Isle of Palms, SC, contact Jimmy Carroll Realty today.

Are You Using Movers?

The first question you should ask yourself when planning for your move is whether you’re going to hire professional movers or not. Professional movers will pick up and transport all of your belongings in a single truck on your exact timeline, including items that require especially heavy lifting. You can even direct them to place items in the correct rooms of your new house.

The only negative to hiring movers is that they often come with a high price tag. You’ll certainly save money moving with the help of loved ones, but you’ll have to do all the lifting yourself, ensure everything will fit in your vehicles, and do all the unloading on your own, all of which takes significantly more time.

Prepping for Moving Day

Much of the stress of moving comes from the planning process, not the move itself. To make life a little easier, review this schedule of key tasks you need to complete as you approach move-in day:

30 Days Prior

30 days prior to move-in day, you need to:

Schedule your team. Whether you’re hiring professional movers or securing a few friends and family members to help, set them up to come the day you require their assistance.
Arrange new services. You need to contact your electric, internet, and cable providers to arrange for service to begin on your move-in day.

Two Weeks Prior

Two weeks prior to move-in day, you need to:

Declutter your belongings. You don’t want to pack anything that hasn’t gotten any use in your current home. The more items you have, the longer it will take to pack and transport. Donate, sell, or toss any unwanted clothes, junk-drawer items, or even kitchen appliances that no longer serve you.
Begin packing infrequently-used items. For instance, decorative objects such as throw pillows, wall décor, books, and curtains are great places to start. You might also pack any items you have in a storage closet, such as extra linens, office supplies, games, and more. Start packing any seasonal clothing that’s already stored away, as well as occasion wear such as suits or nice dresses and accessories. Be sure to clearly label each box for easy transporting.

One Week Prior

One week prior to move-in day, you need to:

Start packing by room. If you focus on a single room at a time, the process will feel less overwhelming and allow you to keep your belongings more organized. We recommend starting with the living room, which usually doesn’t consist of many essential items. When packing your bedroom, kitchen, and bathrooms, keep boxes that you may need something out of unsealed just in case.
Set aside important items in a special place. For instance, it’s of the utmost importance not to lose items as tax documents, your passport, your social security card, and anything else of significant value. You’ll want to keep these objects close to you on move-in day.
Buy paper plates, bowls, & utensils. If you’re still planning on cooking during the week, purchase some paper products to use so that you can pack the majority of your kitchenware. Keep out only essential items, such as maybe a pot, pan, spatula, and cutting board.
Clean your space. When you’ve completed a room, get out your cleaning supplies to spruce it up for the next owners or renters. It’s better to clean little by little than the entire house at once.
Confirm with your moving team that they’re still set to arrive on the designated date and time you agreed on.

The Day Prior

The day prior to move-in, you need to:

Clean the refrigerator and take out the trash, including trash from other areas in the house. Toss almost empty condiments, assess how much shelf life is left on your perishable products, and pack any refrigerator items you’d like to keep in a cooler. Keep the cooler placed in the fridge.
Have your whole house packed, except for toiletries, the items on your bed, freezer items, and cleaning supplies.
Fill your car up with gas to ensure it’s ready to roll to your new house!
If you live in a multi-story home and aren’t using professional movers, consider transporting some of your lighter items from upper stories to the first to prepare for move-in day.
If you aren’t using professional movers, consider pre-packing your car the night before.
If you’re using professional movers, take out cash so that you can provide them a tip.

The Day Of

On your move-in date, you need to:

Finish packing your remaining items. Place your toiletries in an easily openable bag and put freezer items in another cooler.
Regardless of how you’re moving, keep your valuable items with you as you drive to your new home so they don’t get lost or damaged.
Once your items are in the moving vehicle(s), do a final walk-through of your house to make sure you haven’t missed anything. Lock up, and make the drive over to your new home for unpacking and rearranging!

Choose Jimmy Carroll Realty

We hope this checklist for moving into your new house assists you! If you need assistance selling your home or are looking for a new property in Isle of Palms, SC, contact Jimmy Carroll Realty today. With over 20 years of experience, our expert team is ready to assist you throughout every step of your real estate journey!