Six Things You Can’t Live Without When Moving Into Your New Home

Picture the scene: you arrive at your new home after six (or twenty-six) hours of driving. You’re exhausted. You have a full day of unpacking ahead of you. The one thing you can be sure of is that the place you’re moving into is completely empty. So what should you keep handy? Here are six essentials for moving-in day. In addition to your personal items (suitcase with clothes and toiletries), have these things within reach upon your arrival, and your moving day will be much, much easier.

1.    Disposable plates, cups, silverware and paper towels. You will get hungry and thirsty. Whether you order in pizza, get Chinese takeout, or grab cut veggies from your cooler, you’ll need something to eat on and a way to wipe your hands. If you don’t like the idea of adding to landfills with plastic, grab a set of biodegradable dishes.

2.    Bathroom items: toilet paper, shower curtain, clean towels. You’ll feel like the smartest mover on Earth with these items. Nothing is worse than entering a bathroom with no essential supplies. And at the end of a long, sweaty day of moving, nothing is as great as a hot shower. Taking a few minutes to pack these simple items will ensure you’ll be set and will avoid unnecessary emergencies.  
 
3.    Garbage can and bags. You’ll need them! Set aside empty boxes for recycling glass, paper, plastic and all that cardboard you’ll have left over.

4.    A caddy with cleaning supplies. This makes it easy to wipe down cupboards, clean sinks, scrub tile and dust shelves if you need to without having to run out to the store.

5.    Tool box. No house is perfect. Having a tool box on hand will save you time and energy when you need to tighten a loose hinge, remove a door to move in large furniture, or re-putty the hole in the wall that the table leg made on the way into the dining room.

6.    Your bed. You will love yourself and your new home just a little bit more if you can get a good first night’s sleep. Take the fifteen minutes to set up your bed. Put clean sheets on and your favorite blanket. Curl up with your pillow and settle into sweet dreams. You’ll awake refreshed and in a familiar, comfortable place. Imagine what that will do for the day ahead.

There are so many things to keep track of on a moving day. Take care of these basic essentials, and you’ll be well nourished, clean and rested for the task at hand.