It’s very exciting to move into a new home. It’s also very exhausting. However, having a professional residential moving company behind you helps immensely. Once you have moved in, there are many things you have to take care of immediately, from creating a priority list to unpacking the essentials.
Here’s what to do after moving into your new home in Anaheim, the second-largest city in Orange County, and home of the Anaheim Convention Center, Disneyland, and two professional sports teams (Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Angels).
Create a Prioritized List
The second you walk into your new home, your mind will race with all the stuff you have to do. It’s best to get it all down in writing so you can check things off as you go. Put a notebook in a central location, jotting down all action items you have deemed important. Encourage family members to add to the list.
Number each item in terms of priority. You can group them by hour, day or week, but make sure you follow it to keep your sanity. The top priority should be completed in the first few days or week, such as cleaning, unpacking the essentials, and safety concerns.
Second priority tasks should be completed within a month, such as tasks related to organization, maintenance and unpacking non-essentials. Priority-three tasks are non-essentials, and can include projects you want to complete within the first six months to a year. These projects can include large furniture purchases, landscaping and renovations, says the Family Handyman.
Unpack Essential Items
The first step is to unpack the items you will need right away. These can include:
- Setting up the TV and electronics
- Hooking up appliances for the kitchen and bath
- Configuring basic furniture such as sofas, chairs, and tables
- Setting up kids’ bedrooms
- Making up beds
- Getting out the cleaning supplies to deep clean the bathrooms and kitchens
Sort the Utilities
Hopefully, you have already set up service for your utilities before you moved to ensure no gap in coverage happens. Having no electricity, Internet or TV service – even for a few hours or a couple of days — can be agony. Especially when moving into a new home, you want to be able to take advantage of the new place as soon as possible.
Change the Locks
New homeowners are responsible for changing the locks on the house they just purchased. Do this right away, or even before you move in if possible. Give every responsible teen or adult in the household a copy of the new keys. Change the locks on all major entryways to the home, including the remote control for the garage door.
It’s a good idea to install a keyless lock system so you don’t need an actual key that could get lost. Use your smart phone to control your locks, as well as your heating and cooling system. If you need actual keys, hide one in an out-of-the-way place in case of emergency. Only tell family members where this spare key is.
Clean Out the Lint
This may seem like a minor detail but it is an important safety issue. Many new homeowners neglect to start fresh with their dryer vents, and it’s likely that the previous owners just disconnected the dryer to take it with them – and didn’t clean out the vents.
A clogged lint screen or duct not only reduces the efficiency of your clothes dryer, but it also can lead to house fires. In fact, lint buildup is a top cause of fires.
Going forward, try to dry loads of laundry one after the other. When the dryer is allowed to cool down between loads, it’s not as efficient as a warm dryer, which uses less energy. Only run it until your clothes are dry. When you overdry clothing, this can actually damage your clothes while increasing your electric bill. If you were planning on buying a new dryer when in the new house and there’s already a gas line installed, choose a gas dryer, which is more efficient.
Baby-Proof and Pet-Proof the House
If you have small children or pets, one of the first things you will want to do is child proof and pet proof the home. Set up cribs, play pens, gates, cages, and crates. Use outlet covers and install bumpers on all sharp edges such as on coffee tables. Put locks on cleaning supply cabinets, as well as toilets if you have very small children.
Familiarize Yourself With the Electrical Panel
Know where the electrical panel is in the event of a power outage. Usually, the main circuit breaker panel is located in a basement, garage or utility room, and looks like a gray, metal box. This is where the main breaker for the whole house is, with switches to control individual circuits. Hopefully there is a guide included so you know which circuits go with which rooms.
Meet the Neighbors
Reach out and extend a warm gesture to your new neighbors, if they haven’t already reached out, as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more awkward it gets. Wait till you see them outside in the driveway or at the mailbox, or if you’re really brave, knock on their front door to say hello.
Establishing yourself early on with your neighbors will keep you in the loop with neighborhood goings-on, such as watches, block parties, resources and gossip. If you both have children, introduce them as well so they can forge a friendship early on.
Contact Best Fit Movers
Our movers have been helping people move to and from Anaheim for many years, so trust us to handle your next move! Get a free quote when you call us at 858-285-4534.
