What To Do After You Move {Printable Moving Checklist}

In the past 10 years, we have lived in 7 different houses! While I love our current house and property, I'd like a house that's a little bigger. I keep telling my husband I think we have one more move left in us. 🤦🏼‍♀️

When it comes to moving, it can seem pretty simple to pack all your items, put them in a van and then get to your destination. But nobody really tells you exactly what to do after you move!

Nobody really discusses the ideas of how to actually unpack all of your items into your new home. Sometimes the unpacking is more overwhelming than the packing. These tips are meant to help you organize and make the unpacking process less stressful.

So hopefully you’ve packed all of your prized possessions in an organized manner, moved and now you’re at your new place.

The movers are gone. You are very happy in your new space . But now you find yourself surrounded by a bunch of boxes. You feel overwhelmed and not sure what to do first.

Don't worry! I've done this a zillion times and can help you figure out what you need to do too.

Put Boxes In Correct Rooms

Hopefully the movers put the boxes in the correct rooms. If not , please place all the boxes in the appropriate rooms. Make sure all the boxes in each room belong there. This seems like a pretty logical step , but you’ll be surprised how many folks find this first step hard.

It should be very easy to do. Take each labeled box and place it in the corresponding room or if you’ve changed your mind on where something should go, feel free to move the box to another location.

Change the Locks

While you're supposed to get all the keys to the house when you move into a new house, it's impossible to know who else may have a key to the house you're living in. There may be an old babysitter, cleaning person, or family friend who once picked up something and made a copy of the key. For your security and safety, it is always a good idea to change the locks when you move.

Make sure to make a few extra keys to have as spares to give out to your family members, or future neighbors should you need help.

It may take a few days for a locksmith to get you on the schedule, so I recommend doing this as soon as possible after you move (or you can even schedule it before you move).

Reset Garage Door Code

While changing the locks may have seemed like a no-brainer, one of the things that is often overlooked is the garage door code. This could be an easy access point for burglars to get into or past people who have the code to not have any way of getting in.

Consider A New Mailbox

If you built a home, you’ll need to put a mailbox up so you can receive and send mail out. And if you've purchased an older home, you may want a bigger mailbox.

Be sure to check if you need to get a certain mailbox depending on your HOA blueprint otherwise, feel free to grab one that matches the exterior of your house or your family’s personality!

Some ideas could be a fish mailbox (if you live near the lake) or a pretty flower one with a small flower basket for you to add your favorite’s in. Here in Florida, dolphin mailboxes and manatee mailboxes are quite popular!

Check Your Lightbulbs and Switches

Another thing to check after you move into your home is the lightbulbs and switches attached to them. Several times there are outlets that don’t work or light bulbs that need changing asap.

You’ll want to add light bulbs that offer light and can help you see both during the day and night. There are many varieties of bulbs so if you aren’t sure what would work best, I would ask professionals to help you find ones that can assist your home.

Take Care of Smoke Detectors and Fire Extinguishers

While we all hope that our home never catches fire, the reality is that fires are a very real possibility. Be prepared by making sure you have working smoke detectors and fire extinguishers on every level of your home.

Test (and Label) Your Circuit Breakers

Do you know which breakers go to which area of the house? This can be helpful to know. I recommend testing your breakers and labeling them so that you know exactly what each breaker does.

Put Away Your Things and Label EVERYTHING

Finding a new home for everything you own can feel challenging…and then remembering where each item belongs is a whole new challenge. Finding a place for everything…and then labeling what goes where can help immensely!

I use this label maker for everything that's not going to be seen on a regular basis {think stuff in closets or pantries} and I use a Cricut to label everything that will be seen {think canisters that will sit on your counters}.

The sooner you get everything put away and that everyone in your home knows where everything is, the sooner you'll be able to relax!

Hopefully these tips will help you! If you need a proper moving company to help you do any unpacking, you should call Infinite Moving. They help to move, unpack and even assist with long distance and local moves in Polk County. The friendly staff is there to make sure all your items and placed in the proper concealed box, moved to the location and then also put where you want them once you get to your new home.