10 Things to Do the First Week in Your New Home

Don’t let the stress of a big move keep you from enjoying the excitement of relocating to your dream home! To help you stay organized, here’s a master list of things to do the first week in your new home:

1. Take Time Off Work

If you’ve never moved before, let us be the first to tell you that it’s an exhausting process. Humans crave routine and appreciate the creature comforts of home; shifting that dynamic can wreak havoc on your patience and cause all kinds of stress. Taking time off work will help you acclimate to your new surroundings and reserve some extra self-care time for yourself.

2. Deep Clean Before Furniture Arrives

An empty home might look daunting, but resist the urge to unpack right away! Why? Without furniture in the way, you can give your home a deep clean—something you likely won’t be able to easily do in the future once everything is in its proper place.

3. Update Your Address

If you haven’t done so already, update your address! These days, that includes more than simply forwarding your mail. You’ll also need to update your address to maintain subscriptions, manage insurance, register cars, apprise the bank, and much more.

4. Transfer Utilities & Schedule Automatic Payments

While you’re updating your address, triple check that your utilities have successfully transferred and set up any new automatic payments. Getting this responsibility out of the way will help you focus on enjoying your new home.

5. Gather Important Documents

Moving can shuffle around important documents; after all, most of them are small booklets and random pieces of paper. Before you do anything, locate these documents and put them in their forever home, whether that’s a safe or a dedicated desk drawer.

6. Stock Your Pantry & Fridge

Relocating and fast food go hand in hand. While going to the grocery store is probably the least of your concerns, having food in the house will make it feel more like home. If you’re not in the mood for cooking, go out for a celebratory dinner on the town!

7. Locate the Electrical Panel & Water Valves

Knowing where shut-off locations are around your home (often in the garage) will help you out during emergencies.

8. Find a Home for Your Treasures

While you certainly don’t have to finish unpacking the first week in your new home, you should try to at least move boxes to their allocated rooms; the sight of stacked boxes in the living room will not help your nerves. Doing this will streamline the unpacking process and also help you manage the moving mess.

9. Make a Sanctuary Room

Pick a room, preferably one that you’ll be spending a lot of time in, and make that area your sanctuary. You’ll appreciate having at least one alcove that’s free of mess and completely ready for lounging after moving in.

10. Explore the Area

Yes, nesting in your new home is important. But don’t forget to get out of your house during that first week, too. This is a great way to meet locals and jumpstart daily routines.

Explore Chesmar Homes’ blog for more moving tips! We are a home builder that specializes in designing and constructing new homes throughout Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, and elsewhere in Central Texas!