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Moving Tips

Handy Post-Move Guide Your First Week in Your New NJ Home

Handy Post-Move Guide Your First Week in Your New NJ Home

Whether it’s your first home or your third, moving into a new place is both exciting and stressful. All the tasks that lead up to moving day can be overwhelming, but the process doesn’t end when all of your boxes are brought into your new place. In fact, the settling in process can sometimes take just as long and be as stressful as the move itself if you don’t have a plan in place.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways you can simplify the process so long as you have a checklist and/or guide in place to help prioritize your tasks. It doesn’t matter if you’re downsizing or upgrading your home, these steps can make the week after a move more manageable.

Check All Your Boxes

Hopefully, you planned your move out and created a detailed inventory of all everything you’re bringing with you…right? If you didn’t, you should still have a general idea of how many boxes you packed and their contents. Of course, it’s better to have a full inventory of everything, especially if you hire professional movers. That way you can keep track of everything and immediately see if anything is missing or damaged. Ideally, everything should get from one place to another in one piece, but there’s always the chance that something happens along the way.

Your first order of business is to make sure all of the boxes are accounted for. If something is missing, notify the crew immediately and check the truck together to make sure it was unloaded. Once the movers leave, inspect the boxes for visual damage or other signs of mistreatment. Make sure you also check the contents of the box for broken or damaged goods and then note damage any you notice. You can then reach out to the NJ movers to resolve the situation. The best part is that even if you didn’t opt for moving insurance, you can still receive some compensation as your belongings are automatically insured $0.60 per item per pound. It’s not much, so if you’re moving a lot of high value it1ems, it’s worth it to pay extra for moving insurance.

Turn on Your Utilities

You really don’t want to be without water or electricity for any amount of time. The best time to have scheduled this task was before you moved into your new place. That way you would already have electricity and running water by the time you arrived. But if you haven’t done it, don’t delay. Call up your power and water providers as soon as possible and have it turned off. If you also have a gas connection, make sure to call your gas provider. In some cases, your electricity and gas provider might be the same company.

Once you have the main utilities turned on, you can then get your internet and/or cable provider up and running. You often cannot get these activated until you move into your new home since a tech has to do the installation. Make sure to set aside your whole day for the process as even when you receive a window of time, the tech might come earlier or later than expected.

Clean Your House (Or Hire a Cleaning Service)

Even if the previous owners of your NJ home cleaned before they moved out, it’s still a good idea to give your new place a deep cleaning. After all, you and the NJ movers will have tracked in a lot of dirt and debris while they’re unloading the truck. Before you unpack all your boxes, your first order of business is to find your cleaning supplies and give everything a good wipedown. 

If you don’t have the time or energy to clean yourself, hire a cleaning service! It is an extra cost, but they will have professional equipment and cleaning solutions to really get your new house squeaky clean. Make sure they pay special attention to things like the bathroom, cabinets, drawers, shelves, baseboards, etc. There’s nothing quite like a freshly cleaned house to improve your mood.

This is also a great opportunity to inspect your house for any issues like water damage, leaky pipes, pest infestations, doors that don’t close right, etc. Make a note of any issues you find and then do some research to find a great plumber, electrician, exterminator, or handyman to help you fix it as soon as possible.

Locate All the Shut-Off Valves

It’s fundamental that you know exactly where the shut-off valves are located now so that if you need to turn anything off, you’re not scrambling to find it in the future. Different houses will have different layouts and placements, but you should have shut-off valves for water and electricity. If you have a gas stove, there will also be a valve for your gas. 

Each line should have a few separate valves so locate them all. For example, your toilet will have a separate valve from your kitchen sink. On the other hand, you’ll have a circuit breaker for your electricity that should have multiple switches. Check each of the switches and label them once you figure out which room/area they cover. If your breaker trips in one room, you’ll know exactly which one to turn on to get the power back.

Unpack Essentials

You might want to just relax once you’ve made it to your new home, but you should absolutely start unpacking essential items as soon as possible. Focus on the bedroom and bathroom if you only want to do the bare minimum. For your bedroom, assemble your bed if necessary and unpack your bedding so you can prepare your bed for the night ahead. You should also take out your clothes for the next day so you don’t have to rifle through your overnight bag.

After that, unpack your bathroom box and take out the shower curtain, towels, and any toiletries you might need. There’s nothing quite like a warm shower after a hard day’s work to wash away your stress. Of course, you also want to have a roll of toilet paper ready, some hand soap, and a plunger, just in case.

If you have more energy, unpack your kitchen boxes. You don’t have to cook on moving day, but it is nice to have a home cooked meal the first week in your new New Jersey home. There’s no need to unpack everything, but you should take out a pan, a pot, some dishes, silverware, and a chef’s knife. You might also want to unpack a few of your favorite snacks and drinks (especially your favorite coffee).

Childproof Your Home

Babies and toddlers love to get into everything and they don’t really know what items are dangerous and what are not. To prevent them from potentially hurting themselves you will need to go through and childproof your new home. This is a series of steps to identify typical household hazards and eliminate the potential threats.

Start your child proofing process in the room your child will spend most of their time. This will likely be the nursery. Leave two items in the crib – your baby and a fitted mattress sheet. From there, secure the changing table so it doesn’t accidentally tip over, cover up any electrical outlets, and add cordless blinds and window guards.

After that, move on to the other rooms and make sure all electrical outlets within their reach are covered and have childproof locks on cabinets or closets that might contain cleaning supplies or other chemicals. If your child likes putting everything into their mouth, block off areas that have small items like nails, screws, plastic bits, etc.

Finish Unpacking

Once you have all the pressing tasks completed, take your time and finish unpacking. Much like packing, unpacking can be done in stages so take your time. Go by room and unpack boxes that have somewhat important items in them and work your way to least important/decorative. 

You can get the job done quickly by hiring professional unpackers , but it will cost you money. Your next best bet is to invite friends and family over for an unpacking party. That way you can chat, share memories, enjoy some food and drink, all while getting the job done. Of course, the second way will take longer, but it will be a lot more fun for you and your family!

Recycle Your Packing Materials

Unpacking will leave you with plenty of materials you won’t need. Many boxes will be in such bad shape that you won’t be able to reuse them. Regardless of the shape these boxes are in, you will need to break them all down so they are flat either for recycling or storage. You should only keep boxes that are in good shape and only if you believe you will be using them in the near future. Otherwise, consider reselling them on sites like Facebook or Nextdoor or, if you notice someone moving in your neighborhood, offer your boxes to them. 

Besides boxes, you’ll also have a glut of other supplies like bubble wrap, packing paper, newspapers, and so on. These can come in handy in the future, so hold on to the ones that are still in good condition. You can hang on to these for the next time you move or even have them on hand if you have plans on buying fragile items from a local store.

Greet Your Neighbors

You’re the new kid on the block so once you’ve settled in, you should take some time to get to know your neighbors. Not only is it good manners, it can also help you start your relationship with your neighbors on the right foot. Make sure to bring everyone in your family if you can. Even if your kids are a bit shy, it’s good for people to know what to expect. These first introductions don’t have to be long!

Once you have done the initial introduction, consider having a housewarming party and inviting your neighbors. That way, you can get to speak with them in a more relaxed environment. And if they have children that are similar in age to your own, invite them over as well so your kids can potentially make some new friends.

Enjoy Your New Home

Finally, make sure to enjoy settling into your new home! Take advantage of whatever features it has that you might not have had at your old place whether that’s a beautiful backyard, a larger kitchen, more space, whatever! And don’t forget to decorate your new place to fit your style. Paint your walls, pick some nice curtains or throw pillows for the living room, and choose some artwork!

Are you making a move to a new place in New Jersey? Then give NJ Great Movers a call! We can help with every aspect of the move including unpacking. Just let us know what you need and we’ll walk you through the process.

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Moving Tips

Essential Items You Need to Pack for a Relaxed Move

Essentials You Should Pack for a Stress Free Move

It’s all too easy to forget about the small details when you’re planning your NJ move. After all, there’s a lot to keep track of from finding the perfect NJ movers to making sure your utilities are turned on when you move into your new home. With so much long-term planning, many people forget to plan for the short term. However, remembering these small essentials can make a huge difference on moving day and the days after.

After all, you don’t want to spend hours after your move digging around boxes trying to find your phone charger or toothbrush! Even if you get your movers NJ to pack for you, you should always make sure to pack essentials on your own that will be easy to access.

If you’re not sure what to pack, below is a comprehensive list of essentials you should have on hand to make your stress free move.

Essential Cleaning Supplies You’ll Need After Moving

You don’t need to bring all your cleaning supplies with you, but you should pack away a few items. At the very least, you’ll want to bring an all-purpose cleaner, cleaning rag, and garbage bags. If you have a bit more room you might want to bring:

  • Paper towels
  • Small vacuum
  • Sponges
  • Dish soap
  • Laundry detergent
  • Broom
  • Toilet bowl cleaner

Before you pack these items up in a box, spend a bit of time giving your old home a deep clean so that the new residents won’t have to do too much work when they move in. Once you’re done, put these items in a separate box so you can access them easily once you move to your new place. Many movers will not allow certain cleaning supplies on the truck as it is considered hazardous so make sure to ask beforehand whether they will allow it on the truck or not.

Even if the previous owners of your new home cleaned the place before they left, you’ll probably have to do some light cleaning as you’ll be tracking in dirt during the move. Before you unpack you should spend some time cleaning every room. Sure, cleaning isn’t really the first thing people want to do after a big move, but it will make unpacking a lot easier. While you’re at it, take this time to inspect every inch of your house for any cracks, holes, etc.

Bedding for a Relaxing First Night After Moving

It might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people forget these! Your bedding includes more than just your sheets. It also includes your pillows, pillow case, and some extra blankets if you’re moving during cooler seasons. Before you leave your old house, make sure to wash all your bedding, including your pillows. There’s nothing quite like sleeping on clean sheets in your new home!

You don’t need to pack all your sheets, pillows, and blankets together. In fact, just save one set of each per person. Use the rest to wrap your fragile items such as glassware, vases, mirrors, etc. That way, you’ll save on the amount of bubble wrap you’ll need to use.

Essential Toiletries You’ll Need After Moving

There’s nothing quite like taking a shower after a long day of moving. You get to clean off the dirt and sweat from the day and relax a tad before you have to start the grueling process of unpacking. There’s nothing worse than realizing at 10pm at night that you have to go through all your boxes to find your toothbrush, soap, towels, etc. And let’s not forget the toilet paper!

You don’t need to have every single bathroom item in your toiletries box, but you should include the daily necessities such as:

  • Hand towels
  • Toilet paper
  • Toothbrush and toothpaste
  • Bath towel
  • Shower curtain
  • Contact lens solution and case
  • Medication
  • Shampoo and conditioner
  • Bath soap
  • Hand soap

If you use any beauty products on a daily basis, pack those away in the same box/bag as well. You want to have these items as easy to access as possible. Remember, you don’t need to put all your spares in the same place, just what you will need while you unpack. Chances are your bathroom will be one of the first rooms you unpack so you won’t go without the other items for too long.

And while this doesn’t fall under toiletries, you should also pack a general first aid kit that includes rubbing alcohol, bandages, gauze, antibiotic cream, and ibuprofen. Accidents can happen and you want to make sure you’re prepared.

Focus on Packing Kitchen Supplies

After the bathroom, the next most important room is the kitchen. Sure, ordering a pizza the night of the move is fine, but you won’t want to do that for a whole week. Plus, what are you going to do for your morning cup of coffee or if you want a bowl of cereal?

You don’t have to pack everything, but you will want to set aside some room on your essentials box(es) for items you’ll want immediately. Of course, that depends on your habits. If you’re okay with ordering takeout, you’ll probably only need to pack a mug, fork, spoon, knife, a sponge, and dish soap. However, if you enjoy cooking, make sure to pack away other essentials like a pot, pan, knife, cutting board, and spatula.

Speaking of the kitchen, you’ll also want to pack away some snacks to have on hand like trail mix, fruit, granola bars, and plenty of water. That way you won’t be starving during or after your move!

On that note, a great way to show your appreciation to those who helped you move, whether your friends or pros, is to provide some food. Pizza is a great option for friends. For pro movers, offer something they can take on the go such as bagels, water, etc. Of course, they also appreciate a cash tip for their hard work and stress free move!

Pack Chargers and Batteries Separately

Smartphones are ubiquitous and most working adults depend on them for almost everything including work, banking, calendaring, and more. With so much important information on your phone, the last thing you want is for it to die on moving day and not be able to find the charger. Along with your phone charger, make sure to pack away other chargers for your laptop, watch, etc. in your essentials box. If you’re really worried, bring a power bank for your devices just in case you’re far away from an outlet.

And what about batteries? While most electronics run on rechargeable lithium ion, your standard remote controls, flashlights, etc. still run off regular batteries. So pack a few AA, Ds and AAA batteries so you can use items that aren’t rechargeable. When packing them up, make sure to take out the batteries and pack them separately from the items you removed them from. Wrap them up in paper, tape it up, and then mark them well so they don’t get thrown out accidentally.

Change Dirty Clothes for Fresh Ones

You don’t want to wear the same dirt moving clothes a few days on end! Instead of rummaging around in your box, put a couple outfits aside for the next few days as well as a pair of pajamas. That way, you can focus on unpacking your boxes without worrying about what you’re going to wear. When packing clothes, don’t forget things like underwear and socks! For families with children, make sure you have a bit more options available to your child in case they get their first outfit dirty.

If you’re not able to take a few days off work and have to go back immediately, make sure to set aside some work clothes as well. For office workers, you might also want to pack away an iron to ensure your clothes are nicely pressed. Don’t forget other important items like hangers and your dress shoes while you’re at it!

How to Stay Organized During Your Move

Organizing a move is a stressful ordeal as you’re juggling numerous priorities. While it’s easy to get caught up in the big ticket items like whether to rent a truck or hire movers NJ, there are plenty of smaller details that fall between the cracks.

Don’t let your essentials box/suitcase/ bag/whatever be one of them! While this should be the last thing you pack, it’s a good idea to create a list of items you know you will want to use immediately after moving in. That can help guide your packing and make the process of unpacking much easier.

FAQ

Should I keep my essentials box/bag with me or put it on the moving truck?

If you’re driving to your new home, it’s better to pack your essentials with you so you have immediate access to them. Otherwise, let the movers handle it and just let them know where you’d like the box to be placed. In general, you’ll want the box in your bedroom or, at the very least, separated from the other boxes so you know which one has all our essentials.

How many boxes should I pack?

You don’t want to have too many essential boxes. In general, it should be 1 box per person and maybe a separate box for kitchen and cleaning items.

Is there anything else I should pack separately?

Yes! You’ll want to have a separate file for your important documents like the bill of lading from the movers, medical records, vet records, school transfer information, etc.