MOVING TIPS: 8 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU UNPACK

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There are some essential things to do before the movers show up at your new home and the unpacking begins. I know you're excited and ready to start your new life in your dream home, but trust me, you'll be glad you knocked these items off your moving checklist. That way, the rest of the moving process will be a lot less stressful.

Follow These Tips, and You’ll be Sitting Pretty For Years to Come

Panoramic view of the ocean and the Channel Islands behind a home perched on a hill.

Let's say you bought my Stunning Ocean View Santa Barbara Rivera Contemporary listing pictured above. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy a breathtaking 270-degree vista of the Pacific Ocean, Channel Islands, Santa Ynez Mountains, Santa Barbara, and its harbor every day? But before you can enjoy life in the spacious 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath nod to minimalism, check out this list of things to do right after moving into this showcase of awe and inspiration. It’ll set you up to be sitting pretty for years to come.

1. Take photos

Photos of bare and unadorned rooms? Yep. Images are important when you buy a new home since a fair amount of time may have passed between the inspection and when the previous owner moved out. If any damage occurred in the interim, or their movers scratched a previously pristine floor, document it. A gallery of pictures taken before your furniture makes it inside will be worth a thousand words—and maybe more than a couple of bucks—should you need to point out damage.

2. Check your belongings for breakage

Before you hire a moving company, review their contract to determine liability coverage if you discover a problem. Most allow clients a limited amount of time to report any suspected damage or missing items. This is especially important when moving major appliances such as refrigerators, washers, or dryers. So, ensure they still function as they should right away.

3. Find out when and where to leave your trash

As you unpack, you'll be eager to get rid of any garbage packed by mistake, so finding out when and where you can do that is vital. You definitely don’t want to miss pickup day when you've got piles of cardboard lying around.

4. Change the locks

It's your home now, which makes swapping out locks as soon as possible one of the most important things homeowners can do when settling into a new property.

Several white luxury cars in a high-end garage — Peter Broomfield peterbroomfield, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Register your car(s)

This is especially important if you moved from out of state, but even if you moved within Santa Barbara County, you'll need to register your vehicle within about 60 days. Each state's requirements are slightly different, but penalties range from fines to impounding your car if you fail to comply in a timely manner. You'll also need to get a new driver’s license, usually within 30 days of your move.

3 open paint cans with a paint brush dipped in blue paint. — Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic

6. Break out the drop cloth

Most people don't have the luxury of painting before moving in, but with some planning, you can. Besides, the longer you wait, the more challenging it is to paint. Moving heavy furniture or working around furniture can be difficult. However, painting is a breeze with no obstructions besides neat, stackable boxes.

7. Check your credit reports

Your credit reports are usually accessed during a move. That's why requesting a copy of your credit report within six months of your relocation is essential. Besides ensuring that your address change was recorded accurately, watch for inconsistencies that might indicate you've been a victim of fraud. Some personal financial information is exchanged when buying a new house so take the time to ensure your personal information isn't compromised.

8. Update your voting address

If you are already registered to vote, you'll need to re-register when you move. And the process of registering and re-registering is the same. From the California Secretary of State: "In California, the deadline to register to vote for any election is 15 days. You can apply to register to vote right now by filling in the online application."

Want more moving advice? There's an app to help you inventory your home before moving day and keep you organized from start to finish. So, download it free for iPhone or Android.

You can count on me to find you the perfect home in Montecito, Hope Ranch, or any of Santa Barbara's upscale communities. Call me at (805) 886-9378 or at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. By following my move-in strategy, the transition doesn’t have to be so stressful.

Other Resources:

What Makes a “Luxury Home”?
Maximizing Profit When Selling a Home
Moving Tips: A Top Realtor’s Moving Checklist

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Client Reviews

“It was an emotional experience selling our mother’s home in Montecito that we all loved so much but Cristal made the process easier on our whole family by guiding us through the transaction every step of the way. She knows the market so well and everything she recommended was on point including the asking price, painting, and staging the home, which looked beautiful and helped the buyer envision her new home. We sold it the first day it hit the market with an offer above asking! Cristal did an incredible job communicating with us and the buyer to ensure that the transaction would run smoothly. We highly recommend using Cristal, she was a pleasure to work with! ”

- J & A

“Cristal is a pleasure to work with! Her knowledge of the local real estate market coupled with her amazing listening skills resulted in her showing us an array of homes that were all excellent choices. Her low-pressure patient attitude made us feel extremely comfortable with the whole process. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

- M.F.

“Cristal Clarke is #1 in her field - and you don't become #1 by luck. Cristal works harder, and longer, and with more charm and patience than any real estate agent I have ever worked with in the past; her calendar has no weekend, her days have no clocks, her only concern is selling your property as soon as possible and for the best price on the market. Am I a fan? You bet!”

- P.B.

“We have used Cristal now several times and cannot express how grateful we are for her expertise, dedication, and unwavering support throughout the entire home-buying process. Cristal is knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Her attention to detail is remarkable, and she consistently went above and beyond to provide us with all the information and resources we needed to make informed decisions. Cristal is a skillful negotiator and advocate. She can navigate complex negotiations with professionalism and grace and felt like a true partner to us in the home-buying process. Cristal has a genuine passion for real estate and a deep commitment to her clients' satisfaction. I cannot speak highly enough of Cristal and her exceptional service. She is a true expert in her field and her dedication to excellence, combined with unwavering support is the reason we choose to work with her for all our real estate buying needs.”

- T.C.

“Cristal is a top-notch realtor who sold my home before it ever went on the market. I had two competing offers that enabled me to get top dollar for my home. Not only is Cristal superb but her team is extraordinary. I cannot say enough about Cristal and her team. They are simply phenomenal, the consummate professionals, who took care of every possible detail, making the sale and transition period, smooth from our end. They are also lovely, caring people, who knew all the right professionals, to get the job done. Thank you, everyone!”

- D.R.

“I could list lots of cool adjectives to describe Cristal. All good by the way. But, that is not why I or anyone should hire Cristal. My reason for hiring her, which proved to be correct, is very simple. She got the job done. And, she does it time and time again and with zero issues. And, that is why she is one of the top agents in the country. End of subject. ”

- M.A.

“Working with Cristal was a complete pleasure. Cristal was extremely patient with us as we evaluated nearly 2 dozen homes over a span of 2 years. Her knowledge of the market is unmatched. Cristal provided us with exceptional counsel as we evaluated opportunities and negotiated pricing. The closing process was handled thoroughly and efficiently. We could not be happier with our purchase and even more happy to now call Cristal our friend.”

- D.K.

“Cristal Clarke has conducted numerous real estate transactions for me beginning 13 years ago with the purchase of a Lemon Ranch. She has handled both large and small purchases and sales with equal dedication. As a negotiator, you can’t find anyone better. Her transactions are always conducted in the most appropriate and professional manner. Cristal has considerable knowledge of the Santa Barbara market.”

- S.N. Decker Ph.D.

“Living in Europe, we were to say the least, unaccustomed to the nuances of Real Estate acquisition in California and Cristal steered us through the process with absolute professionalism and personal attention to detail at every turn. Her in-depth knowledge of the market place combined with enthusiasm and drive was the only reason we secured the property of our dreams and will be forever grateful. If you are looking for personal discrete and private representation of the highest quality we suggest you look no further than Cristal Clarke.”

- Johan and Paula van den Berg

“Cristal is very straightforward, cheerful, helpful, professional and trustworthy….we felt very lucky to work with her.”

- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

- Rob & Judi Kelch