Moving into my very first (bought) house on Saturday....WWYD first?

[ICanSeeForMiles]

Hmm, so whilst I'm massively excited about finally getting into our own house (rented for the last 8 years, saved up for the deposit) I don'tquite know what to do when I get in there??
It's in perfectly liveable condition, so no immediate wrk needing done, while at the same time I want to be able to make it mine, IYSWIM?

What's the first think you would do??

Open the bubbly!
How exciting, really pleased for you.

Change the locks! Our house had been empty for ages (owners emigrated) and we knew a family member had a set of keys to collect post etc (which were given to us 2 months after we moved in) but not who else may have had a set. Dh is very security conscious and has always dine that when moving into a new place.

Ditto change the locks. Previous tenant let himself in, but I was in the house.

Think you'll get an idea for what you want to do first once your furniture is in and you've "unpacked". (Ours was hopeless for storage and we had stuff all over the floor for ages despite it being a bigger house.)

I'd start off by opening some fizz, obviously. I say that, but we were both so knackered by moving day that I think we just had a cup of tea instead

Then I'd give everything a good clean (and I don't have particulalrly high standards) and see if there is any paint that needs touched up, for example. We got goven a lovely scented candle by a friend who called in to see the new house, and having that burning and lighting the fire was really nice (we didn't have that much stuff with us on the first night as it was all in storage so we camped on the living room floor, have such happy memories of that).

Kitchen and bedroom would be the first two to get unpacked.

Good luck!

Make the beds up first. You'll be knackered by the end of the day and be grateful you don't have to face this before collapsing in bed. after drinking the bubbly

I always sent cleaners around first to give everything a deep clean, then changed the locks, then made up the beds. I would pack a bag like I was going away for a few nights (pjs, toothbrush, change of clothes, phone charger, soap etc) and then pack everything else into boxes. Then find the numbers of local takeaways and crack open bubbly. Unpacking happened slowly, and much later.

Enjoy, I still remember I wasn't very experienced with our first house move so you're already ahead!

Take gas and electricity meter readings

Take meter readings and ring the relevant companies. Confirm to old utility provider that the old people have left (and if it's n power repeat and repeat and repeat, they billed us for months after we moved in despite repeated requests not to.)
Make up your bed. Unpack kitchen essentials (make a little box for breakfast - tea/coffee, milk, sugar, brioche, eggs, bacon, pans, etc).
Then open the champagne (don't forget to pack the glasses) and enjoy your first night.

Shag in every room in the house. To mark it as your territory now

poledra

We know the vendors well, and they've been in that house for the last 15 years but will still get the locks changed. Thanks for the tip, I would never have thought of that.

I think I'll get a wee breakfast hamper ready and have the bubbly chilled.

I am so so bloody excited I might burst. Everything that can be packed for now, is, and the rest shall be finished on Friday.

Meter readings are also on the list. Dog sitter booked for during the day, ditto babysitter for the dc.

5 sleeps

Ooh how exciting! I like to give the kitchen and bathrooms a good clean before the unpacking begins - something about doing it ourselves, and then knowing that there isn't anyone else's grime there feels good. But it isn't very glamourous!

A friend of mine always paints her new front door which struck me as a nice idea - good way to put a stamp on your new house without it being too major a job.

Good luck!

Consider getting the carpets (If there are any) professionally cleaned. We did that - and it was something less for us to do.

Ditto the cleaning - kitchen is first priority. You may need to get a takeaway the evening when you're cleaning the kitchen.

Thinking back to what we did - curtains were a priority because the previous occupants had taken them all off!

Then we painted the kitchen, bathroom and living room.

Check if they have cats/pets, if so, then flea treat it before moving in any furniture

Huge congrats - and sorry to be the evil voice of doom, it was a horrible lesson learned.

If time permitted, I'd have the carpets cleaned as its a total sod once furniture goes in and you'll get a much better deal.

Remember to stick the bottle opener in your back pocket/ handbag !

How exciting! Once you've done the v sensible suggestions of meters, changing locks shagging then I would recommend:

• painting front door
• choosing nice 'numbers' for outside. Maybe putting window film with the number in a fan light, or getting a small slate sign saying 'no. 22' or whatever.

-buy some cheap window boxes and plant something in them. Is it too early for winter pansies? That way as previous poster said, you'll make a mark and whenever you come back to the house you'll be able to admire the changes you've made.

Oh, get your boiler serviced! That's a dull one, sorry.

After that if there were no other work required, and if I had the time and money, I would get going on some fun things:
-wallpaper

• get built in shelves everywhere
• plant stuff in the garden (my mum always says to do the garden first so it grows whilst you're doing the rest of the house)

Enjoy! I am genuinely excited for you :)

We moved in a few weeks ago. We went in. Cleaned up. Put the beds up and the sofas and decorating wise were currently doing the living room :-) good luck and enjoy x

Aw I'm so jealous we didn't get to do all this exciting stuff, we got our keys a few days earlier than planned so popped round in evenings after work to put up curtains and blinds etc, then DP took round the sofas and bed from storage place - the actual first day of 'living there' all our furniture was in and it already felt a bit lived in because we had been there so many times.

poledra 's idea sounds like fun too

Run around naked shouting mine mine mine all mine

Run around naked shouting mine mine mine all mine

But only if they've left the curtains Way to introduce yourself to the new neighbours

God - def get the boiler serviced asap. Ours died on our first night in the new flea ridden house. It was December 18th, there was snow on the ground and we had a toddler. We could see our old cozy house down the road....the new owner had lit the fire and was watching TV by 8pm...

We are doing this in 2 weeks, excited and terrified!

New toilet seat!