Moving can be a long and challenging process, but the first night you spend in your new home is a very special one. It’s the first night of a brand new journey. If you don’t have some things prepared ahead of time, you’re probably not going to be able to enjoy it as much as you’d like to.
To make the first night in a new home comfortable, we have a few easy moving tips we can recommend. Following these tips will give you the opportunity to finally relax after a long day. If you take a little bit of time to prepare ahead of moving day and then set a few things up once you’re there, you’ll be much happier for it.
Pack Essentials Boxes
Each family member should have their own box of essentials that includes things like toiletries, prescriptions, and anything else they will need the first few nights in the new home. You should also pack one box of general necessities like first aid, soap, toilet paper, paper towels, paper plates, cutlery, and other items the entire family will share those first few nights. Be sure to label the boxes very clearly as “ESSENTIALS” and keep them separated from the rest.
Having these items separated before you move in will make things easier when you’re ready to relax because you won’t need to sift through a bunch of boxes to find what you need.
Make Plans for Dinner
Think about what you will eat that first night in the new place and make preparations for it, whether it’s putting aside the ingredients and supplies you’ll need to cook or deciding as a family whether you’ll be ordering in or eating out (and what you’ll be eating). If you’re moving to a new area, find out what restaurants are nearby. Get the phone numbers and menus for takeout places so you that don’t have to waste time searching when you’re ready to eat.
Prepare Entertainment
Chances are, you’ll want to relax as soon as the movers leave and everything is inside your new home. If you have kids, it will be especially important to make sure they have something to do so they won’t get bored or restless. It could be as simple as making sure the TV is hooked up in the living room with the cable turned on or the DVD player hooked up with a few movies set aside to choose from. Having some entertainment at hand will give you a chance to wind down and get your mind off the move for a while.
Check out even more tips for moving with kids »
Keep Your Pets Comfortable
If you have pets, one of the first things you’ll need to do is put out their water and food and set up their bedding with a toy or two so they can start settling in, too. A new home will be full of strange smells, not to mention the day will have been filled with a lot of frantic energy and changes. Putting their things out right away will help them adjust to the new surroundings and understand that they are somewhere safe.
Moving with pets? Here are 5 tips to help you »
Set up the Bedrooms and Bathrooms
After a long day of moving, the best part will be taking a hot shower and getting into a nice, warm bed. Take a few minutes to put toilet paper, soap, and towels in the bathrooms (along with any personal toiletries you have) and set up the beds. If for some reason, you don’t have your bed frames yet or you are unable to put them together before the night is through, invest in a pillow-top air mattress or foldable mattress so that you can at least get a good night’s sleep before you start unpacking and settling in the next day.
Hire Megan’s Moving
Megan’s Moving provides white-glove moving services to make your move as stress-free as possible. Our full-service moves include packing, moving, and unpacking. Our special “settling in” services even include picture and TV hanging.