What to Do After You Move – The Ultimate Checklist

Just because your move is over, doesn’t mean there isn’t any work left to do. In fact, now’s where the most important work begins. There are more than a few critical items to take care of in a post-move list. If you aren’t sure what to do next or don’t remember everything you are supposed to take care of after your move, don’t worry.

Three Movers has your back. We have compiled a handy checklist of things that you should do right after you move, to make sure everything goes smoothly. Let’s get down to it.

Make a Checklist

You want to make sure you tackle your post-move tasks in an orderly and efficient way. For that purpose, the first thing you should do is make a checklist of everything.

Organize it by order of importance, or by things you need to do inside the house first, and then outside of it. This will help you keep track of everything and make sure you take care of things in a timely manner.

Post-Move Checklist

Now that we’ve established the importance of having a list, we need to start writings things down on it. We have compiled a list of 25 tasks that you should take care of after you move.

We divided the list into 3 aspects: housework, paperwork, and social matters.

Housework Checklist

Take Photos of Your Place

If you had to give a security deposit for your new place, the first thing you should do before any unpacking is taking pictures of every part of the house or apartment. This will help you make your case in case later down the line you have an argument over the condition of the apartment.

Check Your Boxes and Belongings for Damage

If you are already in the process of checking the area for damage, might as well check your boxes and belongings while you are in it. If you need to file an insurance claim or make a report of any kind due to damages, it is best to get it done as soon as possible.

Locate the Shutoff Valves and Electrical Panel

You should find out right away where the shutoff valves are for gas and water, as well as the electrical panel. This will be very useful in case of an emergency or if you need to do house repairs.

Setup Your Security System

If you have a security system installed, this is a good opportunity to set it up. Create a new password and make sure it works properly. If you don’t have one, consider installing it.

Change the Locks

A smart thing to do after you move in is to change all of the locks so only your family has a way to open them. It might sound a little extreme, but it is a good precautionary measure.

Clean Your Heater and/or A/C Unit

If you are moving to a place that already has its own heater or A/C units installed, you want to make sure they are in good condition. Take the time to clean them so they work properly when you need them to.

Examine the Smoke Detectors

Just like with the heater or A/C, but even more important. You should verify your smoke detectors are working properly and have the necessary batteries.

If they aren’t, get them fixed right away so you can rest easy.

Unpack The Essentials

You’ll have a lot of unpacking to do, but make sure you take care of the basics first.

Toothpaste and toothbrushes, towels for the bathroom, and clothes to change should be readily available after you move. If you brought some food, that should also be unpacked first.

Clean Up

Sooner or later, you will have to clean around the house. Might as well do it now. Take care of the trash, bags, and boxes, as well as dust off and clean the rooms.

Organize Your Closets

When it’s time to organize your closets, don’t rush yourself. If you just throw everything in there without care you will regret it later. Take your time when putting things away.

Babyproof Your Place

If you have babies or little kids that could get hurt by carelessly going around the house, then right after the move is the best time to make the place safe for them.

Socket protectors, securing sharp corners, and window guards are just some of the ways you can make the new place safe for the little ones.

Find Out Where the Thrash Goes

You’d be surprised how often this is an issue. Some places place their bins in locations that might be unfamiliar to you. You can ask your landlord or new neighbors about it if you can’t find it on your own.

Get Your Pets Used to the New Place

Moving can be a very anxious and uncomfortable process for pets. A way to make it easier is to acclimate the place for them quickly. Show them the place where their water and food bowls are going to be, as well as where they will take care of their physical needs.

Playing with them is a great way to make them feel more comfortable about the move.

Decide What to Do with Your Leftover Moving Supplies

Are you giving away your boxes? Selling them? Recycling them? Whatever you decide, you should make sure to add it to the list. The sooner you take care of them, the better.

Paperwork Checklist

Write a Review for Your Mover

Whether you had a good or bad experience with your mover, you should remember to write them a review. You can do so through aggregate review sites, or the website of the moving company if they have the option. Let others know how they were so they can choose them next, or stay away from them.

Set up Your Utilities

Electricity, internet, water, cable, gas, and a phone line need to be set up as soon as possible. You probably already arranged to have some of these installed, if not all, but in the event that you didn’t make sure to add them to the list.

Update Your Address

Having your new address updated for all services and institutions that use it is extremely important. Make sure you do so for the following:

• Banks
• Credit card companies
• Miscellaneous financial companies (401k provider, stockbroker, etc.)
• The Post Office
• The DMV
• Electric, gas, and water companies
• Cable/internet providers
• Newspaper and magazine services
• Companies that deliver to your home (like Amazon, or mail-order prescriptions)
• Current and recent former employers
• Children’s schools
• Doctors
• Insurance companies

Get a New License and Register Your Car

If you are moving to a new state, you most likely will have to get a new state license and vehicle registration. The window to register varies depending on the state, with some giving you 10 days and others up to 30. But make sure you take care of this as soon as you can.

Register to Vote

Like with the car, if you are moving to a different state or city you will need to update your voter registration record. Sometimes you can do this online, or you could visit your local town or registration office to handle it. In some cases, you can even do it at the same time as your vehicle registration, you just have to ask for the necessary forms.

Find New Care Providers and Transfer Your Records

If your move is far from your old place, you might not have access to your old healthcare providers anymore.

That means finding new ones that accept your insurance should be a priority. If you already had a healthcare provider lined up for your move, make sure to transfer your records if necessary.

Find a New School for the Children

This is one step that is usually taken care of before the move, but sometimes people forget. Or if your move was during the summer, maybe you preferred to leave this for later as the school year hasn’t started. If you haven’t you should get your kids enrolled as soon as possible. Make sure you have all the necessary documents to ease the process.

Social Checklist

Meet the Neighbors

While the advent of the internet and social media might have made it so people aren’t as outwardly social as they used to be, you will still find many friendly folks out there.

Go around your neighborhood seeing the new faces and strike up a conversation. It will help you feel like you’ve settled in faster.

Explore the City

Seeing new sights and exploring the corners of a new city can be exciting. Make it a trip for the whole family. Check out the local entertainment areas like cinemas or parks, or see if there are any museums to visit.

Go Grocery Shopping

A family has to eat, so take the opportunity to go out with everyone to buy groceries. Checking out the stores around town can be a good way to connect, and you can see what products are available at your local supermarket.

Throw a Party

A good way to get to know people and really make your new place feel like a home is by throwing a housewarming party. Invite some friends, family, or your new neighbors to have a snack and socialize.

Wrapping Up

With this checklist, you should be ready to handle everything that comes after a move. If you enjoyed this guide, check out our blog for other useful guides on different topics related to everything about the moving process.