How to Survive and Celebrate the First Night in Your New Melbourne Home

The first night in your new Melbourne home can feel a little strange. While you’re excited to be there and most of the stress is behind you, everything still feels a little bit up in the air. Once you’ve recovered from the physical exhaustion and mental fatigue that accompany every moving experience, it’s time to get busy and do everything you can to make your new house feel like your new home.

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Check safety and services

Before you can settle into your new home, you should do a last-minute check for safety and services. It’s impossible to relax and enjoy your new space if you don’t have confidence in the basics. Check for poisons and toxic substances. See if there’s any way that the pets and kids can escape through the fence. Check the safety of pool or pond areas. Once your safety check is out of the way, you need to make sure that you have access to basic services. Along with electricity, hot water, and gas, it’s important to have phone service in case of an emergency.

Unpack your essentials box and ‘first-night’ bag

Once the safety check is out of the way, you can unpack your essentials box and start to enjoy your new home. The average move involves dozens of boxes, so it’s important to designate a single box to all of the essential items that you may need during the move. You shouldn’t have to rummage around for things like water bottles, toilet paper, and phone chargers. They should all be in one place that is easy to find. Similar to an essentials box, a ‘first-night’ bag contains all of the items that you will need on the first night.

Typical essential packing items include:

• batteries
• water bottles
• snacks
• toilet paper
• rubbish bags
• torches
• device chargers

Typical ‘first-night’ items include:

• toiletries
• medications
• toys
• books and devices
• clothing and pyjamas
• cleaning supplies
• light bulbs or lamps

Bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen

You can’t unpack all of your belongings at once; you need to have a plan. While the garden tools and family photo albums can probably wait a day or two, some things are a little more critical. Packing boxes marked bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen will normally be given more attention on the first night. While some people will rough it on their first night with camping beds or mattresses on the floor, most people love the familiar comfort of their own bed and linens.

Bathroom and personal hygiene products are just as essential, especially when you’re feeling a little worse for wear after a long and stressful move. Last but not least, kitchen items will be needed almost straight away to feed your hungry family. If you’re particularly organised, you’ll have a kitchen essentials box that is ready with everything you need to prepare your first meal. If you’re not that organised, don’t fret, the first night at a new residence is also a great time to order take-away food.

Make the kids and pets happy

It’s impossible to sit back and enjoy your new Melbourne home if the kids or pets aren’t happy. They may be little in size, but children and animals have a huge effect on the atmosphere of any home. If you have a baby or small child, they may be particularly sensitive to the new conditions. Remember to have their favourite items and food at hand and give them as much of your time as you can. Older kids are a little easier to keep happy, but once again, it’s important to have toys, devices, and snacks to make them feel at home. When it comes to pets, familiarity is key. Make sure you can access familiar bedding, food, and toys to keep them happy while they adjust.

Relax and celebrate

Last but certainly not least, it’s important to relax and enjoy your new home with the people you love. Whether you want to light a candle as a welcoming ritual or host an intimate housewarming gathering, do whatever it takes to make your home feel like yours. Maybe you want to pop some bubbly with your partner. Perhaps you’d rather play a game with your kids or relax in a corner with a new book. One of the best ways to feel at home in a new environment is to go outside and check out your new neighbourhood, maybe even meet the neighbours. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even offer to help you unpack!