Moving into a brand-new home is exciting. Everything from the flooring and appliances to the walls, cabinets, and fixtures may be completely new. However, moving into a new construction home can also present a few challenges that you may not encounter when moving into an existing house.
Construction schedules can change, contractors may still be finishing projects, and new driveways or landscaping could affect how easily a moving truck can access the property. Taking a little extra time to prepare can help make moving day go much more smoothly.
If you are preparing to move into a new construction home in Michigan, here are some important things to check before the moving truck arrives.
One of the biggest differences with a new construction move is that your timeline may depend on the builder.
Before scheduling everything around a particular date, confirm that your home will actually be ready for occupancy. Construction delays can happen because of weather, materials, inspections, contractor schedules, or last-minute work that needs to be completed.
Stay in communication with your builder as moving day approaches. Confirm when you will receive your keys and when you can begin bringing furniture and household belongings into the home.
If your closing or possession date changes, contact your moving company as soon as possible to discuss scheduling options.
Your final walkthrough is especially important when moving into a newly built home.
Take the opportunity to inspect each room before couches, beds, tables, boxes, and other belongings begin filling the space. Look at walls, flooring, cabinets, doors, windows, countertops, fixtures, and other finished surfaces.
If something requires attention from your builder, it is usually easier to identify and document it while the house is still empty.
Once your belongings are inside, it can become more difficult to determine whether a mark, scratch, or other issue existed before moving day.
A brand-new house still needs all the same utilities as any other home.
Before moving day, make sure your electricity, water, heating or cooling, and other essential services are active. You may also want to arrange internet and other services ahead of time, especially if technicians will need access to the house.
Michigan weather can make working utilities particularly important. Depending on the time of year, you may need the heat or air conditioning operating immediately.
You don’t want to finish a long moving day only to discover that an important utility has not been activated.
New construction neighborhoods can be busy places. Your street may still have contractors, construction equipment, landscaping crews, delivery vehicles, or other new homes being built nearby.
Before moving day, check the route to your house and make sure a moving truck will have adequate access.
Pay attention to:
If you expect an access issue, notify your moving company ahead of time. Knowing about the situation in advance can make it easier to prepare for moving day.
If your driveway was recently installed, ask your builder or contractor whether there are any restrictions on heavy vehicles using it.
A loaded moving truck is considerably heavier than a passenger vehicle. Depending on the driveway material and when it was completed, your builder may recommend that moving trucks avoid parking directly on it for a period of time.
Don’t guess about whether a new driveway is ready. Check with the professionals responsible for installing it and let your movers know if the truck needs to remain on the street.
Make sure movers have a clear route from the truck to your doors and throughout the house.
New construction properties may still have leftover materials, contractor tools, packaging, landscaping supplies, or other objects around the property. These can create unnecessary obstacles when movers are carrying heavy furniture.
Walk the route that will be used to bring your belongings into the home. Clear entrances, porches, sidewalks, stairways, hallways, and other heavily traveled areas.
The easier it is to move safely through the property, the more efficiently your belongings can be unloaded.
One of the best parts of a newly built home is that everything looks new. Naturally, you want to keep it that way.
Before moving begins, think about areas that could receive the most traffic. Entryways, hallways, stairs, door frames, and flooring near exterior doors often receive the most activity.
Professional movers know how to carefully handle furniture and household belongings, but homeowners can also help by keeping pathways open and removing unnecessary obstacles.
You may also want to identify furniture that will need to travel through particularly narrow doorways or stairways before moving day.
Just because your furniture fit inside your previous home does not automatically mean it will easily fit inside your new one.
Measure large pieces such as:
Then check the measurements of your new home’s doors, hallways, stairways, and any tight turns. Determining where large furniture will go ahead of time can save a lot of unnecessary movement on moving day.
For difficult moves, experienced local movers can help handle large furniture and other household belongings safely.
Before your movers arrive at the new house, decide where the major pieces of furniture should go.
Label boxes according to their destination, such as:
Clear labeling makes it easier for movers to place boxes in the correct rooms instead of stacking everything together in one area.
For an entirely new house, you may even want to keep a simple floor plan nearby. Knowing where furniture belongs can reduce confusion and prevent you from having to move heavy pieces again later.
If packing an entire household is becoming overwhelming, Men on the Move also offers professional packing services for Michigan moves.
A new home often comes with a list of additional appointments. You may have internet installers, appliance deliveries, furniture deliveries, landscapers, window-treatment installers, or contractors scheduled to visit.
Whenever possible, avoid scheduling all of them at the same time as your movers.
Having multiple trucks, contractors, and delivery crews competing for the same driveway and doorway can quickly complicate your move.
Giving your moving team room to work can help keep the process organized and efficient.
Moving into a newly built home should be an exciting experience. Taking care of a few important details before moving day can help you spend more time enjoying your new house and less time dealing with unexpected problems.
Confirm your possession date, inspect the property, check utilities and truck access, measure large furniture, clear moving pathways, and decide where your belongings should go before the movers arrive.
Men on the Move helps homeowners throughout Southeast Michigan with local and long-distance residential moves. Whether you’re relocating to a newly constructed home across town or making a bigger move within Michigan, our team can help handle the heavy lifting.
Ready to start planning your move? Contact Men on the Move today to discuss your upcoming moving date and request a moving quote.
Posted In: Moving Tips
Tags: moving into a new house, new construction, new home