What To Do After Your Move to Redondo Beach

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Okay, your move is done. Your movers did an amazing job and you are so happy and in your new house. The whole stress around your move is downgrading, you are already feeling better, sitting and sipping coffee on your porch, but this is not the end. Even though your move is done, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Girl having coffee in her apartment

You probably think that you just need to unpack and you are good to go, but unfortunately, there might be a couple of other things you need to do before fully embracing the new neighborhood, new streets and the energy of your new town.

You have to get to know your place better, to see what are some things that need to be done, learn how your house ‘’works and breathes’’ and what kind of things you have to change- this will all make you a proud homeowner. It is much better to do everything as soon as you move in and while you have a lot of energy than to wait and figure it out later.

In this blog we will be giving you some ideas what to do after your move and enjoy your new fairytale place.

Make a checklist

Similar to what you have done while you were preparing for your move, checklists are something we never get tired of. This process will be much easier once you have a list. It will help you do everything that needs to be done now that you are in your new city. Also, it will make you feel much more organized. 

To do list

Pay your movers

Once you check the inventory and boxes and make sure that everything is in ideal shape, make sure to pay your movers before they leave. You can tip your movers at the end of the move, once everything is finished. If you see that they did a good job and you are happy with their service, you can tip them before you go separate ways. 

It would be best to tip each mover individually , simply to avoid one mover taking everything to himself, since you don’t know whether or not he will split it with his crew. This would also be the way of showing that you appreciate their individual effort. 

It would be nice if you leave a nice review once the move is finished, and if possible, mention the name of movers that handled your move. That is how you can make sure that their bosses see their effort and they maybe get some bonuses for their service. 

You can also, as mentioned above, order pizza, drinks and show movers they did a really good job. 

TIp jar

Get to know your place better

Since you will be living in this new house for some time, it will be good to walk through your place, and the best way to do it is while it is empty. If possible, do a walkthrough before unpacking and furnishing, or maybe even before unloading the moving truck. This will make you get a better general idea of the place, where you would like to put certain furniture items and to think about the interior design, but it will also make you check on some things. 

  • Make sure that everything you spoke about with the previous owner regarding repairs is done and finished.
  • Check if everything is working – appliances, switches and outlets.
  • Everything sold to you by the previous owner is in the house.
Empty apartment

This is very important because you want to make sure that everything you agreed to is done. If you notice any irregular things such as – the previous owner said that she will leave the wardrobe and dining room chairs, but they are nowhere to be found, call your realtor to see what can be done about this. Make sure you have everything you are legally owed and that it is working. If there is anything broken or damaged, call your lawyer immediately.

Repair what needs to be repaired

If you are moving into a brand new house that did not have previous owners, you don’t have to read this part. But, since most of us don’t, this is good to know, chances are that there will be several things to do before you call your new house your own. You maybe even know what needs to be repaired if you visited the place before and talked to a previous owner, but it will be good to put everything on a piece of paper to prioritize what needs to be done immediately and what are the things that can wait. 

You are not obliged to do this immediately, but putting it in writing will make you have a better idea of what to do first and what are the things that can wait until you are settled in.

Girl painting the wall

If you can, start and finish all the renovations before you officially move in. It may be difficult to live out of boxes now that you moved and organized everything for months, but it is much easier to deal with a bit of dust now then start everything once you are settled and used to your place. If you feel like you want to paint the walls champagne beige, do it as soon as possible!

Clean!

Since your movers probably made a mess, everyone walked with their shoes on and some things were repaired, now is the best time to clean your new place top to bottom. Since you are tired, this is maybe a bit difficult for you, but this is the best time to do it. You can do everything by yourself if you love cleaning, so just grab a mop and cleaning gloves and get to business. 

If you are not a cleaning fan, you can always hire a cleaning service and they will come with all equipment needed to make your new place shine. It is completely worth it. 

Mopping the floor

Childproof

If you are moving with your family, after you finish cleaning, now is the best time to childproof the house (whether your child has 2 or 4 legs 🙂 ). Childproofing the house may be the most important thing, so just make sure to remove everything that can put your child in danger until you finish everything you need to do. Protect the electricity cords, remove the cleaning supplies, and make sure to put banisters if you have an apartment or house on two levels. Some other things you can do to childproof the house:

Gate the place

While you are making sure that everything in your apartment is secured, and you want to make sure your children don’t walk in the area you did not protect yet, gate off the stairs and put another gate to make sure the children stay in one space.

Play the cartoon on the phone and  give them boxes to entertain them for a while. If you have really small kids, make sure someone stays in the room with them to keep them entertained. You will have time to protect everything and before you let them inside, check everything one more time and remove any potentially dangerous items. 

Outlet plug

Cover the outlets

As soon as you enter the place, go into each room and put in outlet protectors. If you realize that you don’t have enough, focus on the ones that your kids can touch and in rooms they’ll frequent most often until you can order more. If you have rooms where reachable outlets are not protected, keep them away from kids until you are done with securing everything. 

Take care of windows

Make sure that all windows have screens before opening them. And even if a window does have a screen, if you want to open it, move all furniture and boxes away so that nobody can climb up there. You can also quickly put in some window stops that will keep your windows from opening too widely. If the window blinds have long hanging cords, tie them up and far out of reach.

Always lookout for hazards

Always look for the things that can be dangerous for your children. Stairs, doors, outlets and electricity cords – this can all pose a great danger, no matter how big your kids are. Even if you think that you have secured everything and that there is nothing more, get on your knees and check one more time. 

Thinking like a kid may help you even better – moving into a new place is very interesting to your toddler – he might find a lot of small and funny things he did not see before and places he did not have time to explore. If possible, get grandparents to come and help out with the child so you can exclusively focus to do everything else.

Hazard sign

Locate Water Valve and Fuse Box

These are the two main things you should know the locations of and you do not want to look out for them once the electricity is off. If the power is out or you need to shut the water down for some reason, you will be able to go there immediately and do it. Usually, the fuse box is either in the basement, garage or the storage room, and the water valve is around the perimeter of your house. 

Electrician repairing a fuse box

Start utilities in your new apartment

If you did not do this on the moving day, call your utility companies immediately and get your accounts switched over. Take pictures of the meters and make a note on the piece of paper. If there are any installation visits that need to be done, book them on time to avoid having your electricity or water shut off. Verify that your electric, gas, water, heating and cooling, phone, and internet are set up. Then call your local waste management facility to ensure that your new home is set up for garbage pick up as well.

Man repairing electrical wires

Change the address

If you already changed the address in the post office, make sure to let everyone else know that you have moved and that you are living in a new location now. Friends and family, your bank and anyone who sends you bills or correspondence should be informed. If you have moved to a new state, make sure to update your driver’s license and register your car. 

Unpack

Now that you have everything ready and going, it is time to do the best possible thing – UNPACK and FURNISH your new place! Once everything is cleaned, it will be a wonderful experience to slowly choose where you will put each item and decorate everything depending on your taste. Enjoy moving the furniture around with your friends, order pizza and see what looks and feels best for you. We believe you will love your new place!

Unpacking after moving

Throw a party for your neighbors

Once you are settled – it is time to meet your neighborhood! This will help you socialize but also, get recommendations for local services (where to wash your carpets and order birthday cakes) if you need them. You can organize a small party and try inviting people that live next door or on the same floor and being friendly will only bring you good things. 

Recommend us

Moving into a new place can be stressful but maybe reading this blog will help you be a bit less anxious. You can always spread the word and let your whole neighborhood that you have moved with Movers of Redondo Beach so they can call us and get their quotes. Enjoy your new place!

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