How to Set Up Home Services in Your New House

For over 8 years Move.org experts have examined pricing, credentials, and real customer reviews to give you (human) recommendations you can trust. See how we review.

Joe Roberts
Mar 01, 2021
Icon Time To Read5 min read
pro
Why you can trust Move.org

26K+ customer reviews analyzed
156 moving companies evaluated  
24 moving grants awarded
80+ years of combined expert experience

At a glance

Settling into your new home means more than just arranging all your furniture and unpacking every box. It also means setting up your utilities, familiarizing yourself with your new neighborhood, and most importantly, installing all your home services. After all, is it really your home if you can’t safely watch Netflix?

To help you outfit your new home for entertainment and safety, we’ve broken down the setup process for these essential home services:

Keep reading to learn how to get your home ready to be lived in.

Pin
Need a checklist?

Your move may be over, but our moving checklist can still be of service. In it, we detail everything you should do immediately after you move. From making spare keys to throwing a housewarming party, our checklist will keep track of all the chores that will help you settle into your new home.


The whole picture

Setting up your internet

Access to the internet is an absolute necessity in today’s world. Whether you use the internet for work, streaming your favorite shows, or just checking the news, it’s safe to assume you use it multiple times every day.

That’s why you can’t really say you’ve properly settled into your home until your internet is up and running. Get access to the world wide web ASAP with these guides.

How to Set Up Internet at Your New Home

Setting up internet in your new home is relatively easy, and it can be broken down into four steps:

  1. Choosing an internet provider
  2. Installing routers and other equipment
  3. Setting up your wireless network
  4. Connecting all your devices

Best internet service providers

Use case
Brand
Learn more
Best for self-installationXfinity
Best for bundlingAT&T Plans and Pricing
Best contract buyoutsSpectrum
Best for moversCox Business

Our guide to setting up your internet after you move can give you a more detailed walkthrough that’ll have you surfing the web in no time.

How to Move Your Existing Internet Contract to a New Location

If you liked the internet service you had in your old home and you’d rather just transfer it instead of picking a new one, you can do so in three simple steps:

  1. Tell your internet service provider (ISP) you’re moving.
  2. Ask if your ISP services your new area.
  3. See if you can take your modem and router to your new home.

Check out our guide to transferring your internet service for more information and tips on what you should do if you can’t transfer your service.

What’s the Best Room for Your Router?

Where you place your router is just as important as which ISP you choose. Generally, a room in the center of your home is the best place for your router.

You also want to keep it clear of walls and thick furniture since these obstructions can dampen its signal.

Lastly, you shouldn’t park your router near microwaves, Bluetooth speakers, or other appliances that emit radio frequencies.

For more recommendations and tips, read our guide to router placement.

Other internet setup resources


Setting up your cable or satellite TV

If you pay for cable or satellite TV, then you clearly take all your shows, sports games, and news stations seriously. Get your TV ready to go so you don’t miss a single episode or day of coverage.

How to Install Cable at Your New Home

Unlike cable’s early days when you could just hook your TV up to a coaxial outlet in your wall, cable requires a slightly more complex apparatus now. You need to connect a digital cable box (from your cable provider) to the wall outlet, and from there, you need a separate cable to connect the cable box to your TV.

Here are the three types of cords that work and what they do best:

  1. HDMI cable—Best picture quality
  2. Coaxial cable—Quickest setup
  3. S-Video cable or composite-video cable—Best for older TVs

If you want a more detailed walkthrough of cable installation using any of these different cords, hop over to our guide about installing cable yourself.

How to Choose a Cable Provider

If you’ve never had cable but you’ve always wanted it, your move is the perfect time to start your cable subscription. There are a lot of cable providers to choose from, though, so it can be hard to determine which one is best.

To tell the difference between different providers and select the one that’s best for you, here’s what you should look for:

  • Providers that service your new area
  • Providers with good reviews
  • Providers that your new neighbors like
  • Providers that offer the channels you want
  • Providers that offer the best prices

If you take all of these factors into account, you’ll be able to determine which cable provider is best for you. For more tips and a few provider recommendations, read our guide to choosing a cable provider.

Best cable providers
Use case
Brand
Learn more
Best for self-installationXfinity
Best for bundlingDIRECTV
Best contract buyoutsYouTubeTV logo

Cable vs. Satellite TV Service

When choosing a TV service, it can be hard to decide if satellite or cable is better.

It ultimately comes down to which providers offer service in your area and carry the channels you want, but we consider cable to be the better service generally. It’s a bit more reliable than satellite (which can be affected by weather), and you can often bundle it with your internet or phone service, thereby saving you money.

That said, satellite TV can be a bit cheaper.

If you want a more detailed comparison before you make a decision, read our guide to the differences between cable and satellite TV.

Other cable and satellite TV resources

If the guides above leave you with some unanswered questions about cable and satellite TV, check out these other guides to find what you’re looking for:


Setting up your home security system

Moving to an unfamiliar area can be frightening, and nighttime bumps and creaks can keep you up at night in a new home. Get the peace of mind that only comes from knowing your family is safe by immediately setting up a home security system.

Ultimate Guide to Security Systems for Your New Home

If you’ve never had a home security system before, you might feel overwhelmed by all the available options. To help you quickly find the right home security plan for your new house, we’ve looked through all the options and chosen a few favorites:

Best home security systems
Use case
Brand
Learn more
Best valueFrontpoint
Most flexibleSimpliSafe
Best DIYRing
Best self-monitored optionAbode
Best customer serviceCove

If you want to know why we chose these systems and learn a little more about what makes them so good, read our guide to home security systems.

How to Install a DIY Home Security System

If you’re thinking about getting a DIY security system but the prospect of setting it up yourself is keeping you away––don’t worry! Setting up your own home security system is actually pretty easy.

Here are the basic steps for installing DIY home security:

  1. Familiarize yourself with your security system’s basic components (control panels, motion sensors, security cameras, etc.).
  2. Find the most important areas of your home to secure (doors, ground floor windows, etc.).
  3. Install your security equipment and start monitoring.
  4. Consider adding smart home devices to your home security arsenal.

To get a more detailed walkthrough for each of these steps, check out our guide to installing your home security system.

How to Secure Your New Home or Apartment

Home security is about more than just installing motion detectors and cameras. It also requires you to batten down the hatches and ensure your home is difficult to get into. A little disaster preparedness also goes a long way.

In addition to installing a home security system, here are a few quick and simple ways to make your home more secure:

  • Enhance your home’s lighting.
  • Change your locks.
  • Check your smoke alarms.
  • Get fire extinguishers.
  • Install carbon monoxide alarms.
  • Purchase homeowners insurance and/or warranties.

If you’re ready to beef up your home security, visit our guide about securing a home or apartment.

Other home security resources


Recommended resources

Now that you know all about setting up your home services, here are a few other guides that can help you finish settling into your new place:

Joe Roberts
Written by
Joe Roberts is a professional writer with a degree in writing studies and over four years of copywriting experience. He previously worked at Overstock.com, where he wrote about furniture, home decor, and moving. Joe has moved all over Utah, so he knows his way around a moving truck—and he spends his time (and money) expanding his personal library so it will be even heavier next time he moves.