What To Do Before and After Moving to a New Home

Before Moving: Get Pre-Approved for a Mortgage

Before you can start diving into home listings on the web or talking with a real estate agent, you need to know what you can afford. Getting pre-approved will give you budget range so you won’t be wasting time looking at homes outside of your price range. Many factors can go into the amount you are pre-approved for, but they typically include your credit score, income, and assets. Going through the pre-approval process can take time, but is an important step to moving.

Before Moving: Budget for Monthly Expenses

Budgeting for monthly expenses can seem overwhelming, but typically can help you avoid surprises down the road. In addition to a mortgage payment, you will need to calculate for taxes, insurance, and utility payments. Also keep in mind any appliances and furniture you will need to have for your new home. It’s always good to set aside an emergency fund for unexpected costs as well, such as plumbing issues.

Before Moving: Connect with a Local Insurance Agent

Typically, you will need to show proof at closing that you have paid the first year of premiums on your homeowners insurance. Connecting with a local agent early on is a smart move. At Cross Insurance, we are an independent insurance broker working with trusted insurance companies, giving you coverage options for home insurance. With offices in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York, a local office may be closer than you think.

Before Moving: Have a Plan

If you plan on hiring a company to handle the bulk of the work, get recommendations from friends, family, and neighbors on trusted companies. Reach out early to get quotes. If you plan on moving everything yourself, collect boxes, totes, and packing material early on so you are not scrambling last minute. Make a plan for large pieces of furniture, including measuring doorways in your new home to see if it can be maneuvered to the place you are planning to place it.

After Moving: Deep Clean Your New Home

Pulling out a mop bucket and vacuum hardly seems like a celebration for starting the next chapter of your life, but it’s a good idea for many reasons. First, cleaning will be easier before bulky, hard to move furniture is placed in rooms. Second, if you plan on painting any of the rooms, you’ll need a clean, dry surface to start with. Third, deep cleaning will give you an up-close look at all the nooks and crannies of your house, and you may discover areas that need to be repaired.

After Moving: Change Your Locks

Now that you have the keys, call a locksmith or buy a kit to get different keys. It’s a good security practice since you never know how many copies the previous owners had, or who they might have given copies to. While you are at it, make a plan for what you will do if you are locked out of your new home.

After Moving: Change Your Address

Notify the post office, utility companies, and tax agencies of your new address. You will also need to inform your employer, in case they need to send pay stubs and tax forms to the correct place. Be sure to log in to your favorite online shopping sites that have your address saved and update that as well.

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This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be relied upon or used for any particular purpose. Cross Insurance shall not be held responsible in any way for, and specifically disclaims any liability arising out of or in any way connected to, reliance on or use of any of the information contained in this article. The information contained or referenced in this article is not intended to constitute and should not be considered legal, insurance, accounting or other professional advice, nor shall it serve as a substitute for the recipient obtaining such advice. The views expressed in this article are that of its author and do not necessarily represent the views of Cross Financial Corp. and its subsidiaries and affiliates (“Cross Insurance”) or Cross Insurance’s management or shareholders.