19 January . 2016
5 Must-Do’s When Moving Into a New House
Moving is exciting, but it’s also work. Here are 5 tips to make your transition a happy one.
1. Take notes during the final walk-through with your builder. Don’t be shy about asking questions. There is a lot to know, including warranty information. Keep these notes nearby and create a checklist for following with your builder. Sometimes an item may be overlooked in the walk-through, so make sure to add it to your list and reach out to your builder as soon as you can.
2. Make sure you have made arrangements for your utilities. Some utilities take longer to activate than others, so start this process sooner rather than later. These include: electric, water, garbage, cable, phone, internet and security system. If you have questions on when you need to have the electric service put in your name, check with your sales manager.
3. Moving can be very stressful on your pets. Be sure someone is taking care of your pets during the actual move into your new home. Friends or family that can watch your pets for a few hours that day. Some suggest taking your pets over to visit your new home prior to moving in so that they can get acquainted a bit more slowly to their new territory.
4. Introduce your family to their new circuit breaker box and main water valve. It’s a good idea to figure out which fuses control what parts of your house and label them accordingly. This will take two people: One to stand in the room where the power is supposed to go off, the other to trip the fuses and yell, “Did that work? How about now?”
5. You’ll want to know how to turn off your main water valve if you have a plumbing emergency, or if you’re going out of town. Just locate the valve — it could be inside or outside your house — and turn the knob until it’s off. Test it by turning on any faucet in the house; no water should come out.