When moving house, it’s easy to get so caught up in packing up and cleaning your current house that you don’t really get to think about your new home until you’re in it. But if you’re organised and time permits, there are certain tasks that will make your life a whole lot easier if you can get them done BEFORE you move…

  1. Declutter
    There’s never a better time to de-clutter than when you move – don’t pack and move junk that you don’t need! Allow yourself time and de-clutter before you get into your new home. Check out our list on the 10 things everyone should cull before they move house.
  2. Change the locks
    It may seem expensive and a hassle – but you don’t really want previous tenants or owners having the key to your home. Do do yourself a favour and change the locks before you move in so it doesn’t keep you up at night once you’ve moved in.
  3. Replace (or thoroughly clean) the toilet seat
    Toilet seats are surprisingly inexpensive, and even in a rental can usually be justified to help a new place feel like your new home. If you can’t afford to replace them, dismantle them and thoroughly clean and bleach each part before reassembling. It’s one of those tasks you’ll be hard pressed to find time for once you move in.
  4. Clean inside of closets, cupboards and drawers
    You’re never going to get a better opportunity to thoroughly clean the insides of drawers, cupboards, wardrobes and closets than before you move in. It’s nice to be able to unpack your crockery and cutlery and know the drawers they’re going into don’t have any residual dirt or grime left in them from previous occupants.
  5. Organise pest control
    Sometimes even a clean house can have invisible pests like silverfish or cockroaches hiding in them. If you’re concerned, arrange a professional pest control service to spray the inside or outside of your home, or drop a few bug bombs inside. Do this before you do any cleaning or carpet steaming! Which brings us to point 6…
  6. Have carpets (or the whole place) professionally cleaned
    While it’s usually mandatory for tenants have carpets professionally cleaned before they vacate a rented property, and leave the property in good, clean condition, this isn’t necessarily the case if you’ve just bought a home. Bring in professionals to steam clean any carpets while it’s empty. And if your new home looks like it needs it, and budget allows, hire a professional cleaner to go through and clean inside drawers, cupboards and closets; wash walls; scrub bathrooms etc.
  7. Get spare sets of keys cut
    Once locks have been changed, get a couple of spare sets of keys cut. Moving day is usually busy, so having a spare set or two means you can provide one to your movers and help minimise the chance of losing them or locking yourself out.
  8. Arrange connection of services and utilities
    Try to organise the connection of any utilities and services before moving in. Gas and electricity is often easy to simply transfer into your name, but check what is available in your new home and tee up a supplier. Arrange for any internet or pay TV services to be connected – some may require professional installation so it’s good to organise in advance of moving in.
  9. Organise insurance
    Make sure that new home of yours is insured! If you’ve just bought make sure you’ve insured the place even if you’re not moving in for a while, in case of any kind of accident or disaster. Insure your contents from the day you move in. Use your moving inventory to calculate the value of your belongings and take out a contents policy that adequately covers its replacement cost. Check whether your contents are insured while in transit, and take out cover where necessary.