7 Essential Things to Do After Moving Within NYC

Posted in: Living in NYC

Written by: Michael Vaughan

If you want to learn more about the most important things to do after moving to a new New York City neighborhood, you’ve come to the right place. No matter which of the five boroughs you’re planning to move to, these seven tasks will help you set up your future home properly while also providing ample opportunity to meet and explore the neighborhood and its surrounding.

Make a good checklist, and you won't have to worry about a thing

We understand that relocating can be very stressful, so we made sure all of the tips on this list can help you set up your home as quickly as possible. However, don’t get too comfortable, as there’s still plenty to do before you get to move in. If the thought of having to deal with more relocation-related tasks causes you some concern, feel free to book our NYC movers to assist you with the preparations.

1. What Is the First Thing to Do When Moving Into a New House or Apartment in NYC? Inspect Everything

Apartment hunting in NYC will take you through all sorts of places in various conditions, but once the search is complete, you’ll know exactly what to do after moving. Since you can never be entirely sure about the state of your home, the first thing out of the gate should be to inspect the premises. Checking everything from top to bottom is the only way you can discover potential issues with the property, allowing you to deal with them on the spot or plan repairs for a later date. If you’re not sure what to look into, your home inspection checklist should include:

  • Heating and air conditioning systems,
  • Interior plumbing system,
  • Electrical system and wiring,
  • Doors and windows,
  • Walls, ceilings, and floors,
  • Roof and the attic,
  • Foundation, basement, and other structural components.

It’s Best to Check All the Boxes for Signs of Damage Right Away

While you won’t have to unpack completely just yet, checking the boxes for signs of damage should be one of the first things to do after moving into a new house or apartment. If not adequately packed, most fragile items break fairly easily during transit. Unless you’ve booked one of the local New York City moving companies, be prepared that at least some of them will end up in pieces before arriving at your updated location.

If you do notice that some damage was done to the boxes, take a few pictures as evidence before opening up anything. Most New York City movers only offer basic coverage, so this will allow you to file an insurance claim and recover the lost value.

Make sure that all your belongings have arrived safely and in one piece

2. Set up All the Essential Utilities

While it’s better to update your utilities before relocating, those that have to move in a hurry often don’t have time to deal with all the paperwork. However, considering it usually takes at least a few days for a request to be processed, try to set up everything as soon as possible. You wouldn’t want to live in a place without running water and electricity, would you? Unlike your typical house, many apartments come equipped with essential utilities already set up, which cost usually included in the monthly rent. However, landlords are not required to provide other services like a landline phone, cable, and internet, so you’ll still have to get these on your own.

Which Companies in NYC Provide Essential Services?

Not having essential utilities right away might be a nuisance, but at least you won’t have to contact more than a few companies to set up everything. For starters, Con Edison is the best choice for electricity, as it covers all five boroughs. However, if you’re living in Queens‘s Rockaway Peninsula, you’ll have to get electricity from the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG).

Con Edison also provides gas services to Manhattan, the Bronx, and the Northern parts of Queens, while the National Grid covers Staten Island, Brooklyn, and the rest of Queens. Last but not least, the NYC Department of Environmental Protection supplies water to all five boroughs.

If you haven't already done it before relocating, contact some service providers and set up your utilities

3. Unpack Essential Items and Start Setting Up Your Home

Once utilities are taken care of, it’s time to start setting up your home. If you’ve listened to our relocation tips and prepared the essentials in advance, most of the unpacking can be left for a later date. However, considering some of these are also among the more commonly forgotten items to pack, there’s always a chance you’ve left something out. Fortunately, this essentials checklist should give you some tips on what to pack separately:

  • Phone chargers and crucial documents,
  • Toiletries, towels, and other bathroom essentials like toilet paper,
  • Bedroom essentials, including everything needed to set up a bed,
  • A change of clothes and some extra footwear options,
  • Kitchen supplies, including plates, utensils, and some pots and pans,
  • Some food and water (unless you’re fine with ordering takeout several times a day).

Baby Proof the Entire Home Right Away With This Checklist

While singles will be mostly set up after unpacking their essentials, families with children will have to go a bit further and childproof the entire apartment. An unprepared environment is no place for toddlers, as their hands-on approach could easily put them in all sorts of dangerous situations. Fortunately, there are several ways you can make the home safer for your children without having to confine them until they’ve grown up:

  • Place safety gates at stairs, room entrances, and other important points in the house,
  • Mount window guards,
  • Keep dangerous chemicals and smaller ingestible objects out of their reach and under locks at all times,
  • Put locks on most drawers and cabinets, particularly the ones that hold kitchen utensils or any other sharp objects,
  • Cover stove knobs and wall plugs,
  • Clean all the debris from the floor regularly,
  • Cover sharp edges on furniture and other large items with corner pads.

If you need more tips on how to babyproof your entire house, check out the video below.

4. Organize All the Necessary Repairs and Upgrades

If you’ve discovered several problems with the property when you moved in, remember to add them to your to-do list. Some repairs require immediate action, while extensive upgrades will need additional resources and careful planning, meaning it’s better to leave them for a later date.

If you’re not sure how to fix something, don’t hesitate to contact a professional handyman. While you might have to spend a bit more to get the work done, it’s better to be safe than sorry, just like when hiring New York moving companies. We also highly recommend you install a good security system and change the locks even if you’re living in one of NYC’s safest neighborhoods, as you never know who else has the keys to your apartment.

What Should I Do After Moving if Everything Is Working Properly? Clean the Place Spotless

While you shouldn’t wait for the house to become infested with vermin to clean it, it’s best to postpone most of the cleaning until you’ve finished with repairs and renovations. Additionally, starting to clean only after you’ve unpacked all of the boxes will save you from having to redo everything right away. If you want to avoid cleaning altogether, hiring a professional housekeeper might be the best option for you. They typically charge $22-$28 per hour and use top-of-the-line equipment, saving you from having to spend hundreds of dollars on expensive vacuums and other electronics.

Set up first and worry about the cleaning later

5. Help Your Pet Adjust to a Different Environment

If you’re relocating with pets, pay attention to how your furry friends behave after the move. Animals are very susceptible to relocation stress, meaning they’ll often need more time to adjust to different surroundings. Cats and dogs who experience separation anxiety often refuse to eat and exhibit all sorts of unusual behavior, which is why you should try and make the adjustment process easier for them.

Confining your feline friend to a single room for a few days while also leaving some familiar items should do the trick. Once the cat feels safe, slowly introduce them to the rest of the home, room by room, until they’ve completely adjusted. Dogs are slightly easier to handle, as they’ll mainly require attention and lots of activity throughout the day. Fortunately, you can find plenty of dog parks all across NYC, whether you’re living in Staten Island or Manhattan.

Some pets will require more time to adjust than others

6. Deal With All the Bureaucracy – Update Your Address and Register to Vote

While it’s much better to change your address and deal with important paperwork before relocating, many prefer to leave these tasks for their after-moving checklist. This is particularly common among those who haven’t booked New York movers, as packing electronics and furniture would keep anyone busy for a very long time. Fortunately, filing a Change of Address request online is relatively simple, meaning you won’t even have to stop by the local post office. Consider doing this no later than a month after relocating, as the USPS allows you to forward mail for up 30 days before the submission date.

Organizing important documents doesn’t stop there, as you’re required to notify the DMV about the address change. The USPS doesn’t update this information, so you’ll have to do it on your own. Unlike most requests, replacing a driver’s license can also be done online or by mail. You only have to submit acceptable proof of identity and pay a $17.50 fee. Once that information is updated, you’ll have everything you need to register to vote.

Don’t Forget to Look for Healthcare Providers

Although you might not need any medical assistance at this moment, finding healthcare providers close to your current residence should still be one of your top priorities. If you’re living in Brooklyn and relocating to a different neighborhood within the same borough, your previous physicians might give you some recommendations on who to visit next. However, if you were to move to Staten Island, they likely won’t have anyone to recommend. In that case, you can find one by:

  • Enlist your health insurance company in the search,
  • Asking around at work,
  • Reading reviews and top doctors lists,
  • Checking education and credentials,
  • Calling the doctor’s office directly.
Finding a good medical professional is a lot harder than it seems

7. Go Out and Explore the Neighborhood

If you didn’t manage to explore much of the neighborhood before relocating, there are plenty of opportunities to do it once you move in. Going on a long walk will get you acquainted with the area pretty quickly while meeting your next-door neighbors should tell you more about the community at large. Be aware that your experience is going to differ depending on the borough you reside in. While everyone knows what living in Manhattan is like, you’ll still find plenty of things to do whether you’re in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, or Staten Island.

Don't be afraid to explore the neighborhood on foot

Save Your Energy for Things to Do After You Move and Hire Our New York Moving Company to Handle Your Relocation

We’re sure this relatively short list of things to do when you move within NYC will help you set up quickly after your very next relocation. Although most of these tasks won’t cause you much trouble, they represent the second act of the entire relocation process. You’ll still have to pack every single item you have, and that’s no small feat. To truly move efficiently, you’ll need to hire our local movers in New York to assist you with the preparations.

What makes Twins Brothers Movers one of the best moving companies in New York today? Firstly, we operate in a large 30-mile area, allowing you to move anywhere in the five boroughs within a day. You can do this by getting our residential move, which is perfect for houses and apartments or commercial relocation, better suited for businesses and offices. Last but not least, those who get our packing service won’t have to pack books, plates, fragile items, or anything else for that matter. To learn more about everything we just mentioned, contact our customer support and request a free quote from one of our representatives.

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