We just entered moving season (32 million people will be moving from now to Labor Day!) so we wanted to share this story with you. It lists the 5 most important things to do when moving and at the end we inserted a point about Xfinity Home’s security system (which is a pretty cool system, actually, check out this video).
THE 5 MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO DO WHEN MOVING
Now through the beginning of September is when Americans get ready to move. An estimated 40 million will change residence annually with 80 percent of them doing so from now through Labor Day. We have all moved, and there are a lot of checklists with reminders of what things to do 60, 30 or even 10 days beforehand. Here is a list focusing on five key areas that are usually overlooked during the craziness of a move. These tips will provide peace of mind and help make your new home safer and more enjoyable:
You never know if the previous resident at your new place might have given a copy of the key to anyone else. To ensure a stranger doesn’t open your front door at 2 a.m., change the locks. First check with your landlord to make sure that it’s okay to do so, and then head over to your local hardware store to get brand new deadbolt locks. For techies, there are also many new smart locks that can remotely open and close your door using an app on your phone (more information under tip #5).
Moving is stressful enough. Do yourself a favor, and conduct a thorough walk through inspection of your new home right before you move in, so you can inspect the place while it’s empty. Check for any signs of pests or anything that needs to be repaired in your new house or apartment so that your rental manager takes care of it immediately. If you wait too long, whatever was broken might get attributed to you and things like a plumbing leak or a broken gas pipe might do some real damage and even cause you physical harm.
If your new place has used carpeting, it’s always a good idea to have it cleaned one more time so you can step on it with your bare feet without worries. If there is hardwood flooring under the carpeting, you might be able to ask the landlord to remove the carpeting. Or they might even be willing to install hardwood floors or tile since these surfaces are easier to maintain and last for a long time. However, if the landlord or the previous owners won’t do any extra cleaning or upgrades, just do it yourself. You will feel better when you move in.
To continue to receive your mail, you need to alert the U.S. Postal Service of your new address. This update can be done easily on their website so that any mail gets forwarded to your new place. Also notify your bank, DMV, insurance and credit card companies of your new address so that important materials are not delayed getting to you. Lastly, make sure to transfer or contract new utilities before moving in. It could take a few business days for the gas and power companies to start servicing your new place, so if you wait too long, you might not have electricity the day you move in.
Installing a home security system is typically not top-of-mind for every household, but many home security systems offered today are more than just an alarm to alert you of intruders. Today, services such as the next generation system provided by Comcast’s Xfinity Home, allow you to check on your family 24/7 through live feeds that you can access on your phone (computer or tablet with Internet access). This capability provides peace of mind when you can see your family is safe – a simple tap allows you to view where your children or elderly parents are within your home at any time. Placing cameras in the right areas will also allow you to see if a package was delivered and if someone is checking out your car or coming too close to your property. Additionally, it’s easy to remotely turn on/off lights, lock/unlock doors or get text messages when your front door opens or any motion is detected. Lastly, as we use technology more and more to simplify our lives, with Xfinity Home it’s easy to set rules or automated commands and make your smart home works for you.
Follow these simple steps and your new place will become safer and more enjoyable in no time. Good luck with your move!
