Are you going to be moving out soon? Between packing up everything, preparing your new home, contacting movers, and handling everything else – it is easy to overlook important things.
To ensure your move goes smoothly, here’s a checklist of things you need to do on the day you move out:
- Protect your floors – Moving heavy things can easily damage your floors (or carpeting) – so you should take steps to protect them. Cover the floors up and be sure to lift (not drag) heavy furniture when you move.
- Thoroughly check each room – Go through each room in your house and check the cupboards, closets, drawers, and so on to make sure everything is packed. Be sure to also check the attic, garage, and basement so that absolutely nothing is left behind.
- Clean up – Before you leave you should clean the house – especially areas that may have been affected by the move. If you’ve been renting the house, it is more likely you’ll get your deposit back if you clean up and make sure it is in good condition.
It may be a good idea to look at post moving or post renovation cleaning services that will be very thorough.
- Take out the trash – After cleaning, be sure to take out all the trash. It is particularly important to remove any perishables from your fridge or other areas so that they don’t end up going bad before the new owners take possession.
- Secure the house – Make sure all the windows and doors are closed and locked. Remember to include garage doors or basement ventilation windows.
- Take care of the thermostat and water – Contact your real estate agent and ask them if the water needs to be turned off or the thermostat turned down. In winter it may be better to leave the thermostat on to avoid it being freezing cold when the new owners arrive, but the water may need to be turned off to avoid frozen pipes. In any case your agent will advise you on what to do.
- Collect and leave the keys behind – One of the last things you need to do is to collect the house keys (as well as the electric gate remote or garage door opener) from every resident and leave them behind before you go. Be sure to leave them somewhere obvious, such as the kitchen counter.
- Leave the new owners a helpful note – While this is not compulsory, it is a nice thing to do. Leave behind a short message welcoming the new owners and noting down anything they need to know, such as the garbage days, how to jiggle temperamental door locks, or anything else like that.
As long as you don’t overlook any of these things, you should be able to move out without any concerns. That way you can focus on your new home, unpacking, and getting settled in without having to rush back to take care of something at the last minute.
