Your Move-In Ready Checklist: Everything Your New Build Needs Before You Move In

As beautiful as your new (or newly renovated/remodeled) home is going to be, as fully as it captures your vision and your personality, moving is still stressful! It is the nature of the beast, so to speak – but there is no reason you cannot tame that beast and get it to walk alongside you like a well-heeled puppy.

The key to achieving this feat is to plan, prepare, and execute (as much as possible) before your official move-in date. There are many tasks that can be accomplished quicker, easier, and more efficiently now rather than waiting until later.

Want to walk into a home that’s ready for you and your life?

Your Move-In Ready Checklist

Your home, newly built, renovated, or remodeled, is tantalizingly close to ready. The structure is there. The walls, windows, staircases, and showers are installed – but is it ready for you? For your morning routine? For family dinner? For a glass of wine or mug of tea at the end of a long day? It will be with this move-in ready checklist:

• Schedule Your Utility “Start Dates.” Primitive camping is fun and exciting (if you’re into that!) when you’re out in the woods, gazing at the stars. When you’re in your own home, however, there is little appeal to the lack of water, power, heat/AC, or even internet. Before you move in, contact your utility companies to ensure your services will start when you need them to. It’s also a great time to schedule deliveries for oil/propane, and other necessities. Start with the basics; they go a long way in making a house a home.
• Test Your HVAC System. To be sure of functionality, and comfort, ensure that your HVAC system is tested (either by you, your building/remodeling team, or a certified technician) ahead of your move-in date. That way, it’ll be all systems go as soon as you walk in the door.
• Install home security system. A home security system can encompass everything from alarm triggers and video surveillance to health/safety elements, like fire and CO detectors. Installing your system while you are living in situ can be disruptive, but luckily, it is easy to integrate into your build so you and your household are not impacted. And you can get new locks/keying done at the same time.
• Update Contacts with Your Address. Who needs to contact you via your home address? Your bank, credit card companies, utility providers, USPS, and other pertinent parties should be notified of your change of address. Make sure important mail, packages, deliveries, etc., get where they need to go without interruption (which can be costly!).
• Do Your Final Walk-Through. If you’re working with a builder or remodeling team, be sure to go on a final walk-through to ensure every box is ticked in terms of your project specifications – and, quite simply, the cleanliness and move-in readiness of your space. If it needs a deep clean, find out if they or you are responsible, and get it done so you have a clean canvas on which to start creating your memories.
• Arrange Movers. Select the right movers for your needs and schedule them as soon as you can to avoid delays. Clarify which aspects they are responsible for (e.g. are they packing and unpacking or simply removing and transporting) so you have a plan going forward.
• Organize Your Belongings by Room/Area. It takes far less time to box items up by room or use (and label them!) then it does to weed through endless boxes and totes trying to find what you need. You can advise the movers to put them in the correct spaces or oversee that task yourself. You’ll save yourself untold time and hassle, trust us.
• Safeguard Valuables and Important Documents. Treasured pieces, such as jewelry, as well as key paperwork, including passports, banking information, mortgages/deeds, should be packed separately and kept with you, if at all possible. Move these yourself.
• Pack an “Essentials” Bag. This is your “must-have” for moving in. It will contain essentials, including a change of clothes, pajamas, a favorite book, toothbrush, personal items, medication, charger, etc., that you cannot do without. This will also travel with you, and not the movers. Make sure you carry it into your new home so, no matter what, you can do what needs to be done – even if that is just having a good night’s sleep. If you have children, include the same, as well as a comfort item (e.g. their favorite stuffy), books, and busy activities (e.g. coloring, games, phone/tablet with charger).
• Ensure i’s are Dotted and t’s Crossed. Depending on your situation, all the little details may be attended to for you by your team. This can include hanging blinds/curtains, arranging furniture, placing accessories, installing lamps, and so on. If you are the one responsible, see if you can enter the home early to get it all in place. There’s nothing like stepping in for a quick rinse after moving only to realize you don’t have a shower curtain. If you can do it before, do it!
• Stay Calm and Move On! Along these lines, if you can enter the home before the big move-in date, use the time to set up your first day essentials (e.g. dishes, utensils, small appliances) and stock supplies (e.g. cleaning sprays, paper towels, toilet paper). This will help make your first day/night much more comfortable and convenient.
• Celebrate Your Move-In Date. You can take a break from unpacking. And you should. Plan a special dinner, whether enjoying a home cooked meal at your gorgeous dining table or sitting around the fireplace with takeout containers. Boxes will wait. Making memories in your space doesn’t have to!

The more you can do before the official “move-in” date, the better. Ticking these items off your to-do list can facilitate a much more streamlined process. Perhaps the most important step, though, is to communicate with your team, clarify what can be done ahead-of your move-in, and how they can help make the transition smoother – and less stressful.

Learn how Home & Willow Design helps you navigate what can be a challenging time in your life. As always, we are here to help you realize the home of your dreams… And make getting into it more manageable!

To discuss your project and needs, connect with Home & Willow Design.