Celebrating National Moving Month: Tips for Buying, Moving, & Settling In

Blog posted On May 07, 2026

Seeing as May is National Moving Month, now is the perfect opportunity to share a helpful overview of the home buying process. A roadmap, if you will! First-time home buyers often find the entire experience daunting, especially if they’re qualifying with nontraditional income and may need to provide more paperwork than a W2 borrower. Regardless of the loans you’re using and the documentation needed, let’s set you up with a clear picture of the mortgage process and drop some tips for your big move.

What to Expect During the Buying Process

Below, we’ve included a quick snapshot of the home loan process. These should clearly mark the pillars of progress as you transition from each step of mortgage processing. These ten steps don’t include everything during the process, like setting up homeowners insurance, researching down payment assistance programs, or what the title company does. However, we find these steps distill the entire odyssey of home buying to an easy, actionable picture.

Tips for Moving & Settling Into Your New Home

Now that you’ve gotten a grasp on how a mortgage closes, let’s dive into the act of moving houses. Not only is May National Moving Month, but the first day of the month is celebrated as New Homeowners Day. We’ve gathered some tips that can help you after you’ve signed your closing documents.

• Turn on Utilities
  • Make sure gas, water, electrical, trash, and sewer are turned on and in your name before you start the move!
  • If you are moving locally, this could be an easy transfer from your previous residence
• Change the Locks
  • This is especially important if you’ve moving into a previously owned home since many people have a copy of their keys
  • A home visit from a locksmith generally costs around $100-$200
• Plug In Appliances
  • Is your refrigerator running? It should be!
  • When you start moving, it’s a good idea to plug in the refrigerator well before you buy groceries to make sure it has a chance to cool down
• Update Your Mailing Address
  • Look into updating your mailing address online for both checking and credit card accounts
  • Forward mail from your old address so you don’t miss important bills!
• Put Your Beds Together First
  • If you push off the bed building until later when you’re exhausted from moving, you might end up collapsing on a pile of blankets and pillows!
  • Don’t risk your back health by sleeping on the floor for the first night in your home
  • You’ll thank yourself later!
• Order In
  • Did anyone say pizza?
  • Plan ahead and pick a local takeout restaurant to treat yourself and any friends to once all the moving is done for the day

If you want a more comprehensive to-do list, check out our blog from March entitled: The Ultimate Spring Moving Checklist.

Home Sweet Home Awaits

You should now be well equipped to tackle the homeownership process. We know big changes like this can be hectic. But don’t forget, your agent and lender (us!) will always have your back, especially when it comes to closing big loans and lifting heavy boxes! If May is truly the month you become a homeowner, we wish you a happy closing and happy moving day. Reach out anytime.

Source: Zillow, Realtor.com