Make moving house easy

Moving from one home to another is never easy, but if you can find a few days to get your new home ready before you take occupation, the transition will be much less stressful. 

That's the advice of Gerhard Kotźé, CEO of the RealNet property group, who says there are many tasks that can be done ahead of time to ensure that your new living space is safe and comfortable. 

"And whether you are moving across town or across the country, the property professional who sold you the property should be able to recommend reliable service providers to help you get it ready to move into."

He recommends, for example, that buyers consider having the locks changed or at least rekeyed to prevent any unauthorized access to their new home. 

"At the same time, they should get safety equipment such as smoke detectors or fire extinguishers checked, and install any additional security measures they need, such as burglar guards, an alarm system, CCTV cameras and electric fencing. If they have young children, now would be the time to also install childproof locks and baby gates." 

The next step, says Kotzé, is to ensure that  all services such as water, electricity and internet are turned on and will be available as soon as you move in. 

"If the property has been vacant for any length of time, it might be a good idea to have it checked for rodents and other pests at this stage. And even if that is not necessary, it is certainly worthwhile attending to any minor repairs that may be needed ahead of your move, and finishing any repainting or other cosmetic updates. 

"Then once that is done, it will be time for a deep clean of the whole house, including floors, carpets, windows, appliances and bathrooms, and buyers should really consider hiring professional cleaners for this."

Next, he says, comes the "fun part" of the preparation, when you get to hang the curtains or blinds so the home really starts to look occupied, and you plan where to put your furniture and other belongings when the movers arrive.

Meanwhile, there are a few things you also need to do before you leave your old home, including:

- Updating your short-term insurance so your goods will remain covered in transit and in your new home;

- Notifying your bank and other service providers of your change of address. You may need to update your ID and voter registration location as well;

- Planning a stress-free move for your pets and updating their tags or the address information on their microchips; and

- Making sure your packing boxes and bins are correctly labelled by room and number so that they can be correctly placed when delivered. 

This may sound like a lot to do on top of finalising your purchase, packing up your existing home and saying goodbye to friends and family, notes Kotzé, "but you will realise how worthwhile it is when you actually have time to relax and chat with your new neighbours while you wait for the moving truck".