Shifting to a new home? Here’s your Moving Day Essentials Checklist

Table Of Content

Two Weeks Before Shifting To A New Home

• Declutter
• Find the right packers & movers
• Child & Pet Safety
• Check Fittings & Fixtures

One Week Before Shifting To A New Home

• Plan the placement
• Finish last-minute repairs
• Perform deep cleaning
• Do the prayer/pooja prep
• New home, new rules
• Pack your bags
• Taking care of children/elderly

One Day Before Shifting To A New Home

• Keep the essentials ready
• Do a double-check
• Make arrangements for food
• Prepare an overnight bag

On The Day Of Shifting To A New Home

• Supervise the loading and unloading process
• Set up the utilities
• Delegate
• Take stock
• Happy goodbyes

Easy House Moving

Moving into a new home is an exciting experience – it means an opportunity to get acquainted with a new environment, new neighbours, and, in many cases, even a new location. While the thrill of embracing a new phase in life is indescribable, packing and moving involves many nitty gritties that have to be taken care of. And it could seem especially daunting if you are doing it for the first time.

So, here are some essential tips for first-time home buyers – seemingly minor but crucial aspects that will help you make a smooth transition to your new home.

Two Weeks Before Shifting To A New Home

1. Declutter: Now that you are moving to a new address, go through all your cupboards, wardrobes and storage spaces, and discard whatever you don’t need.
2. Find the right packers & movers: Do a thorough online search (can also ask friends and family members for recommendations) for the best “house shifting services near me” and shortlist a few. Contact each one of them and get a quote. You can then finalise your packer & mover.
3. Child & pet safety: If you have small children and/or pets, make sure that your new home has all the safety measures necessary for them. For example, cover open windows and balconies with railings and nets.
4. Check fittings & fixtures: If there’s any work left to be completed as far as bathroom fixtures and electrical fittings are concerned, this is the time to do it. Later on, you will get busy with packing and moving.

One Week Before Shifting To A New Home

1. Plan the placement: Though you might have already decided which goes where in your new home, make a list/plan once more. This will avoid confusion and delay when you start unpacking. Also, this will help you unpack items in their designated places.
2. Finish last-minute repairs: No matter how meticulous you have been, there will always be some last-minute work to be done. But don’t keep it for the last minute. For example, get a carpenter to make attractive frames for your paintings/photos that you plan to hang on the wall. Install the Window ACs, contact the cable operator/DTH service provider, and get your Wi-Fi connection sorted. If you have bought an old house, make sure that you have changed the lock. Further on the topic of repairs, when buying a home, ensure the quality of construction. For example, at Provident Housing, we promise high-quality, durable construction requiring minimal renovation/repair work later on. We have multiple projects in nine cities across India, and each one of them is known for top-notch living experiences.
3. Perform deep cleaning: Since you will initiate the process of moving in a few days, it’s better to get the house deep cleaned while it’s still empty. It will be more convenient and can also be done thoroughly.
4. Do the prayer/pooja prep: When you move in, are you planning a prayer ceremony/pooja? Contact the priest/pandit and finalise the date and time. (Before or after you move in, as per your convenience).
5. New home, new rules: Your new housing society could have different rules and regulations from your existing one. So, get yourself acquainted with it. For example, they could have a different waste management system (wet/dry segregation), a rule against keeping footwear outside the front door, not using the lift to carry heavy objects, fixed timings for moving in/out, etc.
6. Pack your bags: You don’t need packers and movers for this. Pack your clothes, important documents, cash, jewellery, and other valuables. Carry the basic essentials for a new home with you when you move in.
7. Taking care of children/elderly: Since you will be too busy on the day of moving, make sure there is someone to take care of your children/elderly parents. If yours is a small family and there’s no one to help you, find a temporary nanny or home nurse or station them with friends, if possible.

One Day Before Shifting To A New Home

1. Keep the essentials for a new home ready: If you are moving within the same city, you can carry over a few essentials like the gas stove, some utensils, tea/coffee powder, sugar, milk, drinking water, etc., to your new home. Get the stove connected so you can boil water and make tea/coffee the day you move in.
2. Do a double-check: Go through every nook and crevice in your old home to ensure that you have not left anything behind. Once again, check if all the cartons have been packed and labelled properly.
3. Make arrangements for food: Since most of your things would be packed by now, arrange food for everyone for the next couple of days until you are comfortably settled in your new home.
4. Prepare an overnight bag: Make sure that you prepare an overnight bag with all the essentials for a couple of days. Pack emergency medicines, items required by your children, toiletries, etc.

On The Day Of Shifting To A New Home

1. Supervise the loading and unloading process: Guide the movers when they are loading/unloading and number/label the cartons yourself. For example, if there are delicate items, ensure they are handled carefully and you know which cartons have these items.
2. Set up the utilities:  Items like beds, refrigerator, washing machine, etc., should be installed on a priority basis.
3. Prioritise unpacking: Unpack in the descending order of importance. That is, unpack the things you need most first and the things you need least, last. For example, kitchen essentials like groceries should be unpacked at the earliest, while items like dinner sets and crockery can wait. As far as sleeping arrangements go, ensure that your mattresses, blankets, bedsheets and pillows have also been unpacked.
4. Delegate: Delegate responsibilities depending on the number of family members/friends helping you out. Somebody can be in charge of unloading, while someone else can supervise placing the cartons – for example, a carton carrying cushions should be placed in the living room, a carton carrying curtains should be placed near the wardrobe, etc.
5. Take stock: List down the number of cartons you have loaded. Make sure all of them have been unloaded without any damage. Especially in case of outstation shifting, cartons can easily get lost.
6. Happy goodbyes: Meet your neighbours/friends and bid farewell to them. Also, welcome them (again) to your new home.

Easy House Moving

Now that you have gone through our checklist, shifting residences definitely sounds a lot easier, doesn’t it? These are especially essential tips for first-time home buyers. Follow these simple steps and shifting to a new house will be a stress-free experience. After all, what’s better than entering your home on a joyous note?

FAQs

1. Are there any tips to make loading and unloading easier and faster?

Of course. A systematic, practical approach when shifting to new home, is all that you need to make loading and unloading hassle-free. Here are some simple tips to help you with it.

1. Make a detailed plan: Write down everything – what you are taking with you, the number of cartons needed, the type of packing materials, etc.
2. Choose the right vehicle: Make sure you choose a truck of the right size. If you have a lot of things to move, don’t pick a small truck as that will require multiple trips. Also, don’t pick a truck that’s bigger than necessary, as you will end up paying more for no reason.
3. Divide the work: Delegate; while loading and unloading, assign specific rooms (hall, bedroom, kitchen, etc.) to people. They will be responsible for loading and unloading things from the allotted areas.
4. Label everything: Place labels on every carton. For example, “Crockery”, “Books”, “Utensils” etc. This will help you easily identify the cartons you want to open first.
5. Secure the items:  Use tarps, ropes, straps, load bars and load locks to secure your household items. Securing tightly will also prevent damage from movement.

2. When packing, which room should one start with? 

Planning your packing and unpacking is an integral part of the essentials for a new home. It’s always best to start with a room that you use the least. This could be the guests’ bedroom or storage area. Since you wouldn’t require the items in these spaces anytime soon, you can pack them off first. Pack the most frequently used items last.

3. Which is the best day to move into a new house?

Well, this is a purely personal choice, depending on each person’s convenience. But generally speaking, when shifting to new home, it’s always better to shift on a Friday or Saturday because you can make use of the weekend to settle down in your new home. This also won’t require you to take additional leave.

4. Can you share some tips to pack children’s toys?

This can be a cakewalk with some proper planning and listing down the essentials for a new home. To begin with, pack everything except for their favourite toys well in advance. Make sure you clean each toy before packing them, as they are some of the most contaminated items in your home. Involving your child in the process will be a good idea as it will make them feel important and also keep them occupied. Give them age-appropriate responsibilities. You don’t have to carry all their toys to the new house. In fact, when shifting to new home, is a good time to discard old, broken, forgotten toys. It would also be a good idea to pack similar stuff together — for example, stuffed toys in one bag, plastic ones in another, and so on.