Moving into Your First Home

Congratulations, homeowner!

Buying your first home is one of the most exciting (and significant) purchases of your life.

As you leave the rental life behind and shift your things from your parents’ place to your very own home, you’re embarking on a new life stage.

Here’s how to ensure everything goes as smoothly as possible when you move into your new home.

10 tips for moving into your first home

1. Deep clean

Even if your first home is a brand-new build, there is nothing better than moving into a clean house.

Cleaning is significantly easier without furniture and boxes everywhere.

So before you move in, book a professional cleaner, rent a carpet shampooer, polish the floorboards – do all those things you will appreciate later.

1. Measure twice

Moving furniture between homes is a puzzle. 

Especially if you are moving to WA and bringing furniture, it pays to measure room dimensions and doorways carefully to be sure your furniture fits. 

1. Organise professional movers

Moving into your first home is a bigger deal than going from one rented room to another.

For starters, you will likely have heavy new furniture arriving.

Then there is the not-so-small matter of unpacking and setting everything up in the space.

Working with a professional removalist removes the stress of moving, ensuring you are prepared, planned and provisioned for an easy move.

1. Get small renovations out of the way

Minor touch-ups like painting a wall or replacing skirting boards can suddenly become big jobs after you move in.

Give yourself time before moving into your new house.

If you’re moving to WA, that might mean organising short-term storage while you sort out the minor cosmetic upgrades that will add value to your home.

1. Check light fixtures

One item that should always be on your personalised moving plan is light bulbs.

Hopefully the previous owners or builders left bulbs for you.

But even so, it’s worth checking your fittings and replacing bulbs with a different kind to achieve the right ambience.

1. Change the locks

Change the locks before you move furniture and valuables into your home.

You never know how many people have copies of your keys.

Changing the locks is a simple way to get peace of mind when you move.

1. Set up utilities ASAP

Having power and water connected when you move in makes a world of difference.

Getting internet connected might take a little longer, so it could be worth investing in a temporary hotspot if you work from home.

1. Update your address information

Updating your address can quickly slip down the priority list when moving into your first home, so consider contacting service providers beforehand:

• Bank
• Department of Transport
• Mobile phone provider
• Medicare
• ATO
• Electoral office
• Healthcare providers

Better yet, do the environment a favour and opt for online notifications where possible.

If you’re moving to WA from interstate or overseas, you will need to update address details for subscriptions and streaming services to ensure you aren’t blocked when you log in from a new location.

1. Unpack essentials first

Your essentials box has everything you need for the first night (or week) in your new home.

Unpacking a handful of must-have belongings like plates and cups, clothing, and toiletries means you can take your time with the rest and still be comfortable.

1. Set up your bedroom

Moving into your first home is exciting. 

But it’s a lot of work.

When the adrenaline of moving day wears off, you’ll only want one thing: to curl up in a freshly made bed.

Spend five minutes making the bed when you move in. Future you will be grateful.

Want more moving tips? Visit the KEYS blog for insights and articles about moving to WA and moving into your first home.