When moving into a new place, there are too many things that you’ll have to do in order to make it match your lifestyle and rise up to your living standards. We’re talking about security, safety, hygiene, pragmatism and lifestyle. This is a process that can take weeks but not every single one of these tasks can be considered a priority. With that in mind and without further ado, here are five things you should do as soon as you move into a new house.

Changing locks

The first priority after moving into a new house needs to be safety. First of all, you need to keep in mind the fact that you don’t know who else has the key to your home. Even if a previous tenant did return their key, there’s no guarantee that they didn’t make a copy. Also, you don’t know how many of their friends, relatives and ex-partners have the key as well. The easiest way to make sure that you’re safe is to simply replace the front door lock. Also, try to inspect the perimeter in order to check if there are any security flaws in the area.

Update your contact info

The next thing you should do, which is also a thing that a lot of people forget doing is update your contact info. You need to officially alter your address, as well as let people know that you’re no longer in your previous household. Keep in mind that there are also some subscriptions that you might want to keep, so make sure to let them know to which address they should send their products/magazines/promotional materials next. All in all, updating your contact info doesn’t take long yet it does make a difference.

Get emergency contacts

Another thing you should keep an eye out for is the various emergency contacts that you need. You see, in your previous neighborhood, you probably knew exactly who to call when you notice a leak, a power outage and a car breakdown. You need to update on this as well. Previously, we’ve talked about changing the front door lock, so finding a reliable locksmith to help you out is the first step. Another thing you need is a reliable emergency electrician, one that can get there in no time. An emergency plumber is also a must-have while the rest is optional.

Clean the place

Even though the place may look clean, the truth is that you don’t really know the habits of the people previously living there. Therefore, it’s quite hazardous to just assume that they always behaved admirably and kept the place clean. It’s also a smart move to replace the toilet seat, which is a minor expense that could make a major difference in the overall health and safety within the household. It might even be a good idea to hire a cleaning agency to do some work on the place as soon as you’re about to move in.

Unpack

Finally, it goes without saying that the place won’t feel like it’s yours until you unpack all your boxes and enrich it with your personal belongings. Your personal items are what gives the place a character, so by unpacking, what you’ll really do is personalize the place to the best of your abilities. You can either plan everything out or know exactly where everything goes the minute you open the first box. Either way, the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll get over with it.

The very last thing you should keep in mind is the fact that moving into a new place isn’t something that you do every single day, which is why undergoing an extra bit of effort to ensure it’s done properly shouldn’t be that much of a problem. Moreover, the majority of these tasks are something that you only have to do once. The benefits of doing so properly are great while the downsides of ignoring them might end up being catastrophic.