The Essential Checklist to a Happy New Home: Part 1

Congratulations on the purchase of your new home! It’s such an exciting time and you’ve spent a lot of hours packing up your old home and preparing it for vacancy. Now all you have to do is put your stuff in your new pad and you’re all done, right? Not so fast. You may be moving into a shiny new (or new to you) home, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t things that need to be done before you move in. Before you start to pack the moving van, take a look at the checklist below and make sure you’re ready for your new adventure.

• Change your address. This may sound like a no-brainer, but a lot of people drag their feet when it comes to changing their address. Not only does waiting increase your likelihood of receiving mail late—or not at all—but there are a lot of new home tasks that require proof of residence. Save yourself the headache and do it as soon as you have a move-in date. You can even do it online!
• Reacquaint yourself with your new ecosystem. Your closing walkthrough probably feels like another lifetime, so make sure you do a thorough sweep of every room again. If there are any issues you encounter (even if they were disclosed to you when you purchased the home), take a picture and make a note. This way when you finally move that desk in your home office five years from now, you’ll know if that hole in the drywall was always there or if a water stain has spread. You should also have a working understanding of your water heater, propane tank and fuse box—these are things you don’t want find yourself unfamiliar with in an emergency, like a blackout or pipe leak.
• Keep those receipts. You’ll have to claim your new home on your taxes next year, so make sure you save all relevant paperwork. Certain things, like moving services, may also be tax-deductible, so play it safe and save receipts for anything that may be eligible.
• Get some help settling in. Molloy Bros. Moving & Storage’s OnPoint Preferred makes settling into your new home simple and stress-free with:
  • Wi-Fi, computer and home theater moving and setup.
  • Professional cleaning services.
  • Appliance hookup services.
  • Post-move garbage removal.
  • Increased destination waiting time if you arrive late.
  • Compensation for late moving truck arrival.
• Keep your vehicle legal. If you’re moving to another state, you’ll need to register your vehicle again and update your car insurance, which may result in a change of policy rates. Check your insurance company’s and new state’s DMV websites for specific instructions and time limitations.
• Get a safe deposit box. Make copies of your closing documents and put the originals in a safe deposit box. This may seem extreme, but all it takes is one unexpected home disaster like a flood or fire, or a county records error to erase your proof of ownership.

Now that you know what to do when you move to your new home, let us help get you there. Contact the professionals at Molloy Bros. Moving & Storage for a free, no-obligation estimate. Check out The Essential Checklist to a Happy New Home: Part 2 for tips on what to do once you’re all moved in.

Items that Most Movers Will Not Touch

5 Things Movers Don’t Want to Touch

For the most part, movers will want to move anything. When you are paying for our services, we are fine moving anything and everything during the process, it’s our job after all. However, during the consultation process, we should understand things that you want to manage personally. These can be anything from mirrors or jewelry, but for the most part, there are about five things movers don’t want to touch at all.

These items on the list below are the top 5 things among our movers that they do not want to move. It can do with the fragility or the nature of the item itself.

Things We Shouldn’t Move

Pets – Now we’re not going to pack up a pet and move it, but it’s best if we have nothing to do with your pet. Moving things around, kicking up dirt and dust will throw off a dog or cat who are used to things being settled. When you start having multiple people moving through the room and carrying out furniture, it’s only natural they are put on edge. Your best bet is to crate the pet and move it with the family if possible.

Plants – This is very tricky. Firstly, it counts as one of those things that are very fragile and can break, which puts the movers on edge. But depending on where you are and where you’re going, it can be illegal. There are several plants that are not allowed to cross state lines, and we put the effort of research onto the customer because we can’t know every plant nor do we know the plants you have.

Fragile Valuables – When it comes to mirrors, record collections, things like that, it requires additional servicing. Part of the reason we offer art moving as a separate service is that it needs to be moved specially. Often things like art, records, electronics, they can’t be moved with everything else. They can acquire dust or other buildups that can damage it.

Things We Shouldn’t Know About

Firearms – Out of sight, out of mind. We don’t want to know that you have a firearm nor do we want to be responsible for handling it. Similar to plants, there are a lot of legal implications that comes from us handling your firearms because if it requires physically handling them, that would require licenses. It’s just better off avoided.

Personal Effects – If you have a desk that happens to have identification numbers, social security cards, tax forms, etc. We don’t want anything to do with that. In terms of keeping out movers legally safe, we insist that you personally manage and hide this information from us.

What to do when you move to a new city alone

The challenge of moving to a new city alone is not be underestimated. Moving to a new city is already hard enough, but when you’re facing that major change in your life on your own, things can become even harder, especially in the very beginning.

Only time will tell whether you’ve been truly ready for what the new city life has to offer you. For now, your top priority when you move to a new city on your own is to do whatever you have to do to breeze through the immediate post-relocation period without making any major mistakes.

Moving to a new place alone comes down to making the right choices while staying true to who you are and what you believe in. Here are the top 7 tips for moving to a new city alone:

#1: Find the right home for yourself
In the majority of cases, you’ll already have secured a place to live in the new city before you decide to move out of the current house or apartment. At times, however, circumstances may force you to stay with a friend for some time or rent a place temporarily until you find the right home for you.

Moving to a new city alone without having secured a decent roof over your head will add extra pressure, but you will soon make it work by setting your priorities right (figure out your requirements concerning the new home), researching your housing options (location, type of dwelling, size of home, and its current condition), and making sure you can afford the home (ideally, its monthly rent or mortgage shouldn’t exceed 25% of your disposable income).

How to find the right home when moving to a new city


#2: Start unpacking your stuff, little by little
Moving into a new city alone will often mean that you won’t have any good friends to help you unpack and arrange the contents of all the freshly-delivered cardboard boxes. This is why you’ll have to finish this arduous task on your own.

Naturally, you’ll want to unpack all the essentials boxes first, and then you’ll want to make sure the bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom are all unpacked and ready for use. Follow a good unpacking checklist because it’s really important to plan and organize the unpacking job in a way that it won’t clash with other equally important tasks. Also, such an unpacking timeline will help you maintain a much higher level of efficiency while unpacking and arranging your stuff in the new home.

What to unpack first when you move into a new home

#3: Find a job and focus on it
Ideally, you’ll be moving to a new city for a job (job-related relocation), which basically means that you won’t have to worry about securing a steady monthly income. But if you don’t have a job yet, then, obviously, your top-priority task is to find one as soon as you can.

During the initial post-move period, a place to work and a decent pay will really help you deal with moving to a new city alone. Focus on whatever it is that you do to block any negative and depressing thoughts from entering your mind. Also, your chance to spend time with your work colleagues will make the transition period much easier, while your adaptation to the unknown environment will become much faster.

How do relocation packages work?

#4: Make new friends
Yes, moving to a new city alone can be really tough as you won’t have close family members and good friends to support you and help you out whenever you happen to need help. The good news is that you should have plenty of opportunities to meet new people and turn some of them into good friends.

How to make friends in a new city? One of the guiding rules is to arm yourself with patience – you can’t expect to find great friends in a week or so. Meet your neighbors, interact with your co-workers, and pursue your hobbies and interests by signing up for classes and joining various clubs.

Another guiding rule is to open your mind and say YES! to unique opportunities to meet and spend time with people with similar interests.

How to make friends in a new city

#5: Explore and get to know your new city
Moving to a new area alone is a huge leap from your comfort zone, and as a result, the relocation itself will most likely make you feel ill at ease or even miserable. You probably don’t know a soul in that new area, and the place you’re expected to call home now is so unfamiliar and strange that it’s frightening at times.

Exploring the town or city you’ve just moved to is one good way to overcome that unwelcoming sense of unfamiliar strangeness. Take a long exploratory trip within the city itself, locate important landmarks, and find places of interest that you will definitely re-visit later.

What to locate first when moving to a new city

#6: Protect yourself from relocation depression
In addition to all the stress you must have endured during the long weeks of getting ready to move out, you’ve also recently survived Moving day itself – the most stressful day of the entire move. Add that stress to that fact that you’ve just got separated from family, friends and a city and a home that were perfectly familiar, and you may soon start to feel the sheer force of one powerful side effect of moving to a different city alone – relocation anxiety.

Relocation depression is a strong nostalgic reaction to losing the comfort and familiarity of your old life. If you suddenly notice any disturbing signs such as lack of energy, excessive sleep, reluctance to go out of the new home and unwillingness to meet or interact with new people, you may be down with relocation depression.

Besides giving yourself enough time to acclimatize properly, follow the link below to learn how to cope with relocation depression.

How to overcome relocation depression

#7: Manage your new city budget
Now that you have overcome the fear of the unknown and have found a good solution to the puzzle How to move to a new city alone, you may find it difficult to slow down the momentum of the relocation pace and shift into an unnecessary overspending mode after the move is over. The thing is that it’s relatively easy to rush into Home Depot stores to purchase all the things you think you’ll need for the new home.

Above all, be careful how you manage your personal finances right after the move. Be a sensible shopper: fight the impulse to buy all the things on the first day, and keep your eyes and ears open for priceless information about deals, sales, coupons, and of course – the cheapest places to shop in town. Also, cut your transportation costs by learning about and using the most cost-effective ways to commute to work and travel around the city. Remember that using your own car is not always the best way to save money when moving to a new city.

HOW TO INCREASE YOUR CURB APPEAL

Whether you are looking to sell your home, or create a warm and inviting exterior for your house, there are many cost-friendly, easy, fun, and beautiful ways of increasing your curb appeal.

Because, after all, first impressions count.

The tricks to remember are: keep it simple, and keep it cohesive. Don’t go out of your way to build intricate and involved facades, and don’t break the bank collecting all of the details to put it all together. Stick to one aesthetic that works for you, your family, and your space. If you try and combine too many ideas, your end result will feel disjointed and messy.

So ask yourself: What do I like? Country chic? Modern minimalism? Big, bright, and brilliant colours?

Answering these questions will allow you to build out your plan and decide what areas are best to focus on. You can also incorporate the following four tips to boost your home’s curb appeal.

FUN WITH DOORS

A statement door can be a great way to catch the eye of a prospective buyer. If your home’s paint colour is a neutral tone, play up the contrast by painting your door a rich red or deep purple. You might also think about going retro by outfitting an antique wooden door or choosing one with beautiful stain glass woven throughout its design.

If you like to adorn your door with simple and sweet accoutrements, think about hanging a beautiful wreath (that you can change to fit the different seasons) or placing a beautiful welcome mat at the entrance to your home.

KEEP IT CLEAN

The exterior upkeep of a home greatly impacts how potential buyers feel about a place. Dave Notte, Managing Director of Shack Shine, a house detailing service, and sister brand to You Move Me, recommends power washing walkways and patio spaces to make these areas more inviting. When they are clean and tidy, buyers will imagine themselves using these spaces all year round.

Try to keep any outdoor tools, bins, and furniture to a minimum, and be sure to clean your windows. Squeaky clean exterior windows will make your home literally shine, creating a warm and welcoming environment.

LET THERE BE LIGHT

Outdoor light immediately makes a space inviting and cozy. Plus, it adds an element of safety and security - a must for both potential home buyers and new resident

You can use low-voltage lighting to highlight your favorite parts of your garden and lawn, a well as illuminate pathways and stair cases. Solar lights are great for low-rise lighting fixtures, and you can also have fun hanging beautiful fairy lights or small lanterns from both trestles and trees alike.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW

Flowers in the front garden; flowers in clean, freshly painted window boxes; flowers in beautiful, symmetrical pots placed one each side of your front door - no matter how you plant it, you cannot go wrong with flowers.

You could also consider purchasing a few hanging baskets that you could attach as fixtures on your porch, or just off to the side of your front door.

Flowers add beautiful pops of colors to your yard and the outside of your home, and are a great way to create a friendly, approachable feel to your house. Plus, depending on the type of flower you choose, they will keep coming back every year, without any work on your part!

There are so many different ways to boost the curb appeal of your home. Have fun incorporating color, light, and nature into your look. No matter what you do, you’ll create a space that you and your family love.

Vanessa Woznow is the National Public Relations Manager for You Move Me and sister company WOW 1 DAY PAINTING. Having spent much of her life moving between the East and West Coasts of North America, she now mostly moves around Vancouver wearing her running shoes.