Before you’re moving to a new house, there’s a wide number of important actions to take in order to ensure a safe, easy, and stress free move. Fortunately, the team at SOS has  compiled a fantastic list of steps to take in order to be effectively prepared for a move. Check it out.

Re-keying Locks

The most important thing to do when you’re moving into a new home, is make sure that all locks are re-keyed. You have no idea who may have continued access to your home’s locks – from previous tenants, to even friends of your landlords. It’s imperative that you get all your locks changed to make sure that you, and only you, have access to your new digs.

Hire Moving Company

Once you know you’re ready to move, hire a moving company. The earlier that you schedule your move the better. We recommend scheduling moves for the middle of the week, rather than the weekend, as it usually costs much less.

Get Moving Supplies

You might want to buy boxes or other supplies for packing up and transporting your belongings, but you may already have many packing items that you can use in order to save money. If you need boxes we recommend trying the local liquor store or cardboard recycling center in order to find free boxes.

Consolidate Belongings

Bring items that you don’t use, want, or need to local donation centers or charities – it will help make the physical labor of moving much more manageable, and goes to a  good cause to boot!

Make a detailed inventory

Before you pack, create an inventory of all your belongings – you want to be able to double check the list when you get to your new location to make sure that all your belongings have arrived safe and intact.

Pack and Label

Start out with packing your least used belongings, as well as your crucial valuables – which you should set apart in their own secured box. Make sure that you label absolutely everything throughout the process; we recommend using colored or numbers coding systems that will coordinate with the rooms in your new property in which specific voxes should be placed. THis way it will be much easier to unpack.

Keep important documents together

Use a folder to keep any important or precious documents, or other paper goods that may get damaged or roughed around during transportation. These sort of documents include passports, birth certificates, social security cards, financial statements, receipts, or medical records.

Change your Address

Officially change your address with the United States Postal Service so you keep getting your mail sent to the correct location. Update your insurance, bank, phone, internet, and cable providers on your new address- as well as updating your driver’s license and car registration.

Taper off your grocery purchases

Since you’re going to be moving soon, make sure to stop keeping your home as stocked with groceries as you have been. You don’t want to waste food – and it’s simply an impracticality bringing any sort of perishable item with you on your trip.

Change Utilities

Make sure to notify all your utility companies- including gas, water, and electric – of your move so that service can be turned off at your old home and on at your new one – it’s best to do this as far in advance as possible so as to avoid being charged for an entire month that you won’t even be home.

Deep Clean

Clean your home thoroughly to avoid potentially losing a deposit on your home – and clean your new home before unpacking to make your living situation upon moving as absolutely pleasant as possible. Cleaning should be your final task that you do once the movers arrive with all your items – you’re going to want to unpack them in a clean house.

Replace Toilet Seats

The comfort-based benefits of this action should be obvious – you simply don’t want to share the same toilet seat as countless strangers! Fortunately, toilet seats come cheaply and are very easy to install.

Locate any leaks

Scour the home for any leaks in plumbing, faucets, or even toilets – by investigating the water meter after taking a break from using any water is one method – and repair any leaks that you identify.

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