Top 10 Tips for Moving to a House from an Apartment

Are you making the transition from living in an apartment to living in a house?

Whether your family is growing or you simply require more space, the transition from an apartment to a house isn’t always an easy one. After all, general maintenance and upkeep that was once performed by property management will now fall into your hands at your new home.

If you’re moving to a house from an apartment, you’re going to want to read this. We’re uncovering ten of the best tips for any homeowner making the move from an apartment to a house.

It’s time to get moving!

1. Acquire Yard Maintenance Tools

First things first, if you’re making the transition to a house, you’re going to have to familiarize yourself with yard maintenance.

This can be anything from mowing the lawn and pulling weeds to trimming the hedges and snow removal. While these tasks may have once been completed by your property manager, these tasks now fall onto your lap.

Not only do you now require the skill and patience to complete these tasks on a regular basis, but you also need the tools to complete it.

2. Prepare for Higher Utility Bills

As you make the move toward a house, prepare your bank account for higher utility bills. Simply having more space and more levels within your new home is guaranteed to increase the size of your monthly utility bills.

You may also find that you are now responsible for further utility bills. For example, some rental apartments pay for gas and water and leave the tenant to pay for electricity. However, when you move into your own house, these utilities will fall solely onto the homeowner.

To help counteract this increase, try energy efficient light bulbs, eco-friendly appliances and ensuring that your windows and doors are properly insulated.

3. Reinvent Unused Furniture

As you prepare for upsizing, you’re more than likely going to come to the realization that your furniture inventory is falling short.

Unfortunately, the furniture that adequately furnished your apartment just isn’t going to fit the bill in the house. Do your wallet a favor and repurpose furniture that is currently not in use. Having extra furniture is surely going to help furnish such a large space.

4. Expand Your Toolbelt

Making the move to a house is the perfect excuse to expand your personal toolbelt.

When the pipes are leaking or the fridge stops working, it’s no longer up to property management to save the day. Instead, you’re going to want to ensure that you have everyday tools on hand for when these issues present themselves.

5. Set Aside Emergency Funds

On a similar note, home ownership means appliances and possessions are going to break along the way.

Oftentimes, these problems arise suddenly and require immediate fixing. That being said, it’s always in your best interest to have an emergency fund set aside for routine maintenance such as this.

This could be anything from the roof leaking to requiring a new washing and drying machine. While these costs may once have fallen on property management, they are now officially your responsibility.

6. Budget for Home Insurance

Most tenants are required to possess some form of renter’s insurance. However, when it comes to home ownership, a different type of insurance is offered to homeowners.

While this home insurance is not technically required by law, the majority of homeowners will possess some type of home insurance. Because there are many different levels of home insurance, it’s best to familiarize yourself with the different costs.

7. Test Safety Features

When it comes to apartments, safety features within the home are routinely checked according to an apartment-wide agenda.

This can include anything from testing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms to changing air filters and testing water systems.

However, upon moving into a house, these tests fall on the homeowner. That being said, it’s essential to test these features on a regular basis. Try setting calendar reminds to ensure that these tests are being routinely completed.

8. Make Multiple Sets of Keys

One of the first things new residents should do upon moving into their new house is to copy multiple sets of keys.

While tenants can rely on property management for an extra set of keys, homeowners must simply rely on themselves. To best prepare for future key mix-ups, have a few sets of keys set aside and allocated to close friends, family or a chosen neighbor.

9. Consider Home Monitoring

In most apartments, security features prevent those living outside of the apartment from gaining access inside of the apartment. For added measures, some apartments even have front desk security.

However, upon moving into a house, that added sense of security is no longer present. To calm your mind, consider installing a home monitoring system to add a sense of security and deter invaders.

Studies reveal that a home equipped with visible home monitoring is 300 percent less likely to be broken into than those without.

10. Meet Your Neighbors!

Last but not least, make an effort to properly meet your neighbors!

Having a friendly, dependable relationship with your neighbors not only makes homeownership more fun but will come in handy throughout your time living there.

Having a great relationship with neighbors means that you can provide them with a set of emergency keys to your home, share duties and have them watch your home whilst you’re on vacation.

The Transition of Moving to a House

Are you making the move from an apartment to a full-size house?

According to studies, Canadians will own an average of 4.5 to 5.5 homes in their lifetime. As families grow in size or begin to acquire more stuff, the move from an apartment to a house is a natural one.

But, regardless of how much preparation goes into the move, the process of upsizing to a house is never easy. Fortunately, we’ve put together ten upsizing tips that are sure to smooth the process and make the transition as simple as possible.

From collecting yard tools and expanding your toolbelt to preparing for higher utility bills and establishing an emergency cash fund, these tips are sure to prepare you for moving to a house.

For more articles on housing, real estate and everything to do with your upcoming move, be sure to visit our blog!