Moving Into a New House? 7 Things to Do Before the Boxes Arrive (2026)

Updated October 2026. Seven things to do in a new house while it’s still empty, with furniture anchoring steps from the CPSC’s Anchor It campaign and smoke alarm advice from the U.S. Fire Administration, read October 29, 2026.

The best time to work on a new house is the few days between getting the keys and the truck arriving. As of October 2026, the U.S. Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms every month and replace them every 10 years, and the CPSC says to anchor furniture with drawers, doors or shelves to the wall. Both are far easier in empty rooms.

Jump to: 🪜 Room plan · 🏠 Fixes before boxes · ⏱️ Anchoring · 📸 Unpacking order · 🤝 Final checks · ❓ FAQ

1. Why should you plan each room before you pack?

Because the movers will ask “where does this go?” about 200 times. Have the answer on paper.

Visit the new house with a tape measure before closing or right after. Measure each room, each doorway and the stairs. Note where the outlets, vents and windows are. Then sketch a simple floor plan, by hand or in a free app, and place your sofa, beds, dining table and desks.

Check the tight spots. A king box spring that won’t make the turn on the stairs is a moving-day problem you can solve now. So is a sectional that blocks the only vent. Think about the arrangement of each room as you’ll actually live in it, not how the last owner did.

Take photos of each empty room while you’re there. They record the condition you got the house in, help with any insurance claim later, and make a handy reference when you’re shopping for a rug or a couch across town.

Last, give each room a number or a color. Write it on your plan and tape it on the doorframe. Label every box with the same code, and the crew can drop things in the right place without asking.

2. Which fixes should you make before the boxes arrive?

Anything that’s messy, dusty or needs open floor space. Our list of renovations to do before moving in goes room by room. Once the furniture’s in, every job gets harder.

• Paint. No furniture to move, no drop cloths around beds. Even one room makes a difference.
• Patch holes the last owner left from shelves and picture hooks.
• Deep clean cabinets, closets, floors and the inside of the fridge and oven.
• Hang shelves and racks. Drilling a few holes for a kitchen rack or a closet system is a 20-minute job in an empty room.
• Swap light fixtures and bulbs while you can reach every ceiling with a ladder.
• Change the locks or rekey them. You don’t know how many keys are out there.

Pick the right tools for the walls you have. Drywall, plaster and tile each need a different bit and anchor. For drilling equipment and advice, drillingadvisor.org has drill reviews and how-tos that come in handy for small jobs like these.

Don’t try to do it all. Pick the two or three jobs that would be hardest with furniture in place, and leave the rest for later.

3. How do you anchor furniture and TVs safely?

Tip-overs happen fast, especially with small kids in the house. The CPSC’s Anchor It campaign says anchoring furniture with drawers, doors and shelves to the wall prevents tip-over injuries and deaths. A federal rule on furniture tip-over took effect September 1, 2023.

Per the CPSC, you’ll need a furniture or TV anchoring kit, a drill and drill bit, a screwdriver and a stud finder. The steps:

1. Attach a bracket to the wall, into a stud if you can.
2. Move the furniture close to the wall.
3. Attach the other bracket or plate to the furniture or TV.
4. Connect the strap to both brackets.
5. Tighten the strap, then tug on it to make sure it holds.

Do this as each heavy piece lands in its spot. It’s a two-person job that takes minutes. And when you move out someday, the holes are easy to fill.

4. What’s the smartest order to unpack?

Put things in their place as you unpack, room by room, using your plan. Don’t open 40 boxes in the living room and sort later. You’ll lose a week.

A simple order that works for most families:

1. Your first-night box: sheets, towels, toilet paper, chargers, meds, a shower curtain and snacks.
2. Beds, so everyone can sleep.
3. Bathrooms, so everyone can get ready.
4. The kitchen basics: a pot, a pan, plates, cups, the coffee maker.
5. Kids’ rooms, so their routine comes back fast.
6. Everything else, one room at a time.

Keep one small toolbox out of the boxes the whole time: box cutter, screwdriver, hex keys, tape, a hammer and the bag of screws from every piece you took apart.

Break down boxes as you empty them, and flatten them in one spot. Then clean as you go. Wiping a shelf before you fill it is quicker than doing it later. For a full packing timeline from the old place, see our guide to organizing and storing your stuff before moving.

5 to 7. What should you double-check in both houses?

5. The new house’s safety basics. Test every smoke alarm and press the button on each one. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test alarms every month, replace 9-volt batteries at least once a year, and replace the alarms themselves every 10 years. Find the main water shutoff and the electric panel, and label the breakers if they aren’t.

6. Your address on everything. Forward your mail with USPS. Then update your address on personal documents and accounts: driver’s license, voter registration, banks, insurance, employer, doctors and subscriptions.

7. The old place, one last time. Walk through every room, closet, cabinet, the attic and the garage. Check behind doors and under sinks. Leave keys, garage remotes and manuals as agreed, and take meter photos for your records. If you were renting, confirm the move-out date with your landlord in writing and take photos for the deposit.

Want the full first-week checklist after you move in? Read 7 things to do as soon as you move into a new home. Bought an older home? Start with what to do first in an old house. And before closing, our buyer’s checklist of things to check before moving in covers pests, wiring and leaks.

Still selling the old house? Beycome lists it on the major home search sites and the MLS from $99 (Basic, as of October 2026), with $0 due to Beycome at closing, and you stay in control of every decision. See how a flat fee listing works. Buying next? The Beycome buyer program is open to every buyer on homes listed by other agents, with no upfront fee. Beycome keeps 1% of the price (minimum $1,499) and credits the rest of the buyer-agent commission at closing, with lender approval. The credit can’t apply where no buyer-agent commission is offered, like most FSBO homes, or on homes listed by Beycome sellers.

Moving into a new house: questions