Moving Into a Newly Built Home

A great deal of St. George is new. Desert Color, Little Valley, Washington Fields and the developments around them mean many local moves are into a house that nobody has lived in before.

That is a different job from moving into an existing home, and the differences are worth knowing in advance.

Just-In-Time Moving works throughout St. George and Washington County.

The closing date is not a moving date

The most important thing to understand. New construction dates move, sometimes by weeks, and they move late rather than early.

Do not give notice on your current home based on a builder's projected completion. Do not book a non-refundable truck against it either. Wait for a firm closing, and build slack into whatever follows.

If you are caught between the two, a short period of storage is cheaper than the alternatives.

Walk the house before the truck arrives

Do your final walkthrough and note every defect before your belongings are inside. Once furniture is in place, marks become disputed, and the builder's position on what was pre-existing hardens considerably.

Photograph every room empty: floors, walls, worktops, doorframes, appliances. This is the same discipline as a rental deposit and it matters just as much with a builder's warranty.

Protect finishes that have never been used

Everything is unmarked, and it will not be after a moving day unless somebody plans for it.

Floors are the main risk. New hardwood in particular may still be curing, so ask the builder how long before heavy furniture and rugs go on it. Cover the whole route rather than the rooms.

Doorframes and corners take more damage than floors on a typical move and are the least protected surface in a house. Say if the house is new when you book and we will bring appropriate protection.

Check what is actually finished

Are the utilities connected and in your name, or still on the builder's temporary supply? Is the cooling working, which matters enormously here? Are window coverings fitted, or is every window bare?

Is the driveway usable, and can a truck get to it? On active sites, access is frequently the practical problem: unfinished roads, contractor vehicles, and no kerb.

Plan placement in advance

An empty new house is disorienting and rooms read smaller once furnished. Decide where the large pieces go before the day, and tell the crew as they carry, so nothing is set down twice on a new floor.

Call (435) 862-3080 or email office@movingjustintime.com.