Things to do on your first day in your new home

Being handed the keys to a brand-new home is an exciting and unforgettable moment. However, once the sales team leave you to settle into these unfamiliar surroundings, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed, with numerous jobs competing for your attention. To ensure your first day doesn’t become unduly stressful, these are the key things to do once you’ve collected the keys and bid farewell to the sales staff…

Prepare for the removal men.

Unless you’re moving your own furniture, or running two properties together, the removal van won’t be far away. Print out A4 sheets with the names of each room (master bedroom, study, etc) and stick them to doors so the removal men know where each box is going. This is simplified if you’ve labelled each box in advance with its destination room. Wedge open the front door and put mats/newspaper/carpet offcuts in the hall to protect those pristine floors.

Dress bedrooms.

This is particularly important if you have children, who will probably be feeling insecure. Prioritise building and making beds, with essentials like toothbrushes, pills and pyjamas in the first-day box alongside other staples such as towels and soap, teabags and sugar. Temporary trim-to-fit paper blinds add privacy to any bedroom; if you’re hanging curtains, make this a first-day job since it’s often surprisingly difficult to sleep beside a bare window.

Check fixtures and fittings.

New homes are prepared to high standards, but living in a property provides the ultimate stress test for appliances and furnishings. Recommended snagging tests include ensuring basins and toilets are draining quickly, white goods are operating properly, and window vents all slide open. If you report issues on day one, you’ll have less time to wait before they’re rectified by on-site professionals. Any aesthetic imperfections can be fed back at a later date.

Set up internet connectivity.

Internet service providers often help to migrate home broadband from an old address to a new one, although they sometimes struggle with unfamiliar postcodes or brand-new cabling. This should be a top priority, since smart speakers, tablets and games consoles will offer limited functionality without internet access. If you’re having problems setting up home broadband, mobile dongles and MiFi routers provide high-speed data using 4G or 5G mobile networks.

Take delivery of a grocery order.

Unless you bring groceries in the removal van, your new home will lack essentials like cloths and cleaning products, or bread and butter. Schedule a supermarket home delivery towards the end of day one to stock up on store cupboard staples and long-life freezer foods. A property feels more homely with a full fridge, and it’ll reduce your reliance on junk food and local takeaways – whose drivers may struggle to find you if you’ve only just moved in!

Take regular breaks.

It’s easy to overdo it on day one, but pushing through the pain or tiredness barrier could be detrimental on day two, when there will be still be loads to do. Take a few minutes every hour to catch your breath, reprioritise your to-do list, and make a cup of tea. Focus on how much you’ve already achieved, rather than dwelling on what’s still to be done – the list of urgent jobs will be considerably smaller once you’ve successfully ticked off the items above.…

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