Moving into a new home should be an exciting and happy time. For the most part, it is. Add in the fact you’d be done with the stress of actually buying the house, and you’ll have a sense of peace. That doesn’t mean there aren’t a few other steps you’ll need to take, though. This is a partner post.
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In fact, there could be more than a few other steps to take. You’ll already know about more than a few of these, like:
- Sorting out all of the paperwork
- Giving the house a deep clean
- Moving all of your belongings in
- Showing friends and family your new home
These can be far from the only steps you’ll have to take, however. Quite a few others could be relatively easily overlooked, despite how important they can be. It’s worth diving into some of the more important of these.
Seven stand out, as they can be easy to overlook, despite how important they can be.
Moving Into A New Home: 7 Overlooked Steps
1. Updating Your Doctor’s Records
You’ll naturally be registered with a doctor who you go to anytime you’re sick. If you’re staying with them after you move, then it’s worth making sure you update your details with them as soon as you can. You’ll likely get updates and other records sent from your doctor every so often.
With how important these can be, it’s vital they’re being sent to the right address. Updating this should be easy, and it should just be a matter of contacting the doctor’s office and letting them know about the move. There shouldn’t be anything to worry about after that.
2. Taking Meter Readings
It’s always worth taking meter readings on the day you move into your home. It makes sure your utility bills going forward are as accurate as possible. When you’re signing up for the utilities in your new home, your providers will usually expect you to supply them with this information.
Doing this on the day you move in is best so you can make sure you’re actually paying for the electricity and other utilities you’re using. You’ll also avoid overpaying for any electricity you haven’t used. The earlier you get these sorted, the better it’ll be for you.
3. Updating Your Electoral Roll Details
If you’re registered to vote, then you would’ve signed up for it at a specific address. Now you’re moving into a new home, that address will no longer be the one you live in. It’s worth making sure you update your electoral details as early as you can, especially if you want to remain politically active.
It’ll make sure you’re registered to vote in the area you actually live in, as well as ensuring you get all of the relevant information and letters sent out to you. With how important this can be, you’ve no reason not to put a little time into it.
4. Changing The Locks
When you buy a new home, you would’ve been given the keys to it relatively early. While you should be given all of the keys to the property, there’s never a guarantee that’s actually the case. That’s why it’s always worth changing the locks on the property as soon as you can.
It’ll make sure your house is as safe as possible, giving you less to worry about. All you’ll need to do is hire a locksmith, and they can sort it out for you relatively quickly. There’s no reason not to get this done.
5. Doing Another Walkthrough
Before properly moving into a new home, it’s always worth giving it another walkthrough. You would’ve bought the house believing it was in a specific condition, and it’s worth making sure that it’s actually in that condition. While it’s rare, surprises can happen between the time you buy the house and when you actually move in.
By doing a walkthrough, you can double-check everything and make sure it’s what you actually signed up for. While there shouldn’t be any problems with the property, it’s always worth being on the safe side. It shouldn’t even take that long to do.
6. Updating Your Driving License
Your driving license is a legal document, and it’s important that the information on it is accurate. When you move into a new house, don’t forget to update your driving license as early as you can. Since it’s always likely this could get checked at various times, you’ll be much better off getting this done early.
This can be one of the more time-consuming steps to take, as you’ll likely need to make an appointment with the appropriate authorities to get it done. By making this appointment as early as you can, you shouldn’t have to wait around too long after you move into your new house.
7. Redirecting Your Mail
You’ll already know you’ve to change your address with more than a few places, as highlighted above. Sometimes, a few places could slip through the cracks. Some mail could even be sent out before you get the chance to update everything. That’s why it’s always worth redirecting your mail as early as you can.
It makes sure anything that gets sent to your old address ends up making its way to your new one. With how important a lot of this mail can be, you’ve no reason not to get this done as early as you can.
Moving Into A New Home: Wrapping Up
Moving into a new home should be an amazing experience. You shouldn’t have to get stressed out about it, but that can happen if you overlook more than a few steps. It’s worth making sure you don’t forget about them so you don’t run into any problems later on.
Thankfully, this doesn’t have to be a long and complicated process. Quite the opposite. It could be much easier to do than you’d think, and sorting everything out shouldn’t take too long. It’s just a matter of making sure you get them done, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about.