The big day has finally arrived and everything’s feeling a little chaotic. Fret not – here’s a handy guide for what to do once you’ve arrived in your new home...

Give the neighbours a knock

We’re not saying you should conduct a meet-and-greet with the entire street on arrival, but it's nice to knock either side at least, just to say hello and let your neighbours know there’s going to be a fair bit of hustle and bustle close by. It’s also polite if the moving van is blocking any cars in, plus a good opportunity to ask when the bins are collected early on!

Help the removals company get going

The quicker your belongings are unloaded, the quicker you can settle into your new home. So prioritise your movers! Give them a quick tour of all the rooms and let them know which boxes you’d like dropped off where. To make things even easier, stick signs on rooms where it’s not immediately clear to your helpers which is which, such as the living room and dining room.

You should also make sure you show them where to plug in white goods, such as fridges, washing machines and tumble dryers. A good firm will check everything’s working properly for you before heading off.

Unpack the essentials

This is where your non-van-packed items come into play. We’re talking cleaning products, a kettle, tea and milk, or a bottle of celebratory fizz and some glasses – whatever works for you! Think of what counts as these ‘essentials’ ahead of time and ensure they’re handy for when you walk in the door. 

Get kids sorted…

Little ones should be kept occupied at this point with the likes of snacks and colouring books. Got older children? Get them involved with the organising and unpacking!

…and settle any pets

Moving day can be especially overwhelming for animals. If you can, arrange for someone to mind your pet for the day. It’ll allow you to set up a ‘safe’ area for when he or she arrives. Cats, for example, need to be kept inside for a few weeks after moving, so setting up a shut-in space with some treats and a familiar blanket will be comforting. 

Take photos

If it’s a rental property, we'd recommend that you take snaps of your new home before you unpack. That way, any marks on the walls or chips in the skirting can’t be blamed on you later down the line. Send the photos to your maintenance company via email so you’ve got everything logged, too.  

Get your clean on

You’ll want to give everything a proper scrub before you start unpacking. Change into sweats (if you’re not in them already!), pop on some rubber gloves and get to work, paying particularly close attention to toilets, showers and baths, and cooking areas.

Take meter readings

Next, do the rounds with the utility companies. Take readings for your gas, electric and water supplies, and get in contact with the providers to let them know the numbers and set up your new account. You can shop around for better deals once you’re settled.  

Change the locks

Tasking a locksmith with changing the locks is really important to make sure only you and the people you trust have access to your home. If you’re renting yours, you’ll need to check your contract to see if your landlord will allow you to change the locks first.

Start unpacking

If you’ve labelled your boxes well (and pointed out which rooms are which, as we mentioned), unpacking should be a doddle.

We’d recommend starting with the priority items in priority rooms first. For instance, getting cutlery, glasses and plates put away, putting beds together and ensuring there’s toilet roll and hand wash in the bathroom. Then, you can move onto the less important stuff.

Get moving day help from vetted tradespeople

Here at Rezigo, we connect you with a multitude of service providers – from locksmiths to cleaners, electricians to handymen, they’re all here to help make your moving day run smoothly. Click here to get free quotes to compare.