The Home Work Journal · By Alyson Rice
Congratulations! You bought a home. Now about that move-in date…
You’ve found your place in the Okanagan. The offer is accepted, the plans are taking shape, and you’re already picturing mornings with coffee and a view.
There’s just one small detail.
You don’t actually live here yet.
Maybe you’re wrapping up life in Vancouver, Calgary, or somewhere farther away. Maybe the kids need to finish the school year, the moving truck isn’t coming for another two months, or you’re waiting for the right time to make the move.
Meanwhile, the house you can’t wait to call home is sitting here in the Okanagan. And you’re trying to organize the next chapter from a phone and a very impressive collection of open browser tabs.
Sound familiar?
There’s a lot that happens between possession and moving day.
Once you’ve taken possession, you may find yourself juggling practical questions: Who has authorized access? Has the right insurance been arranged? Do the utilities and services need attention? What happens if an appointment needs to take place before you arrive?
You might want a few design decisions sorted before the boxes show up. Maybe you’re thinking about paint colours, furniture layouts, window coverings, or which existing pieces will work in a new space.
And perhaps the biggest question of all: How do I make progress when I’m not even there?
Start with a conversation, not a fifty-page plan.
One thing I often say is that you have to start somewhere. Sometimes that somewhere is simply a conversation.
It’s a chance to gather information about your home, ask questions, and decide what really needs to happen before moving day. Knowledge helps you make the next decision, and one decision leads to the next.
You don’t have to tackle every possible project. You can decide to move forward with one thing, put another on hold, or wait until you’ve lived in the space for a while. Your home, your decisions.
Three ways a local contact can make the in-between easier.
Keeping an eye on your home before you move in.
If your home will sit empty for a period, think about a plan for agreed, scheduled visual checks and documented updates. We can customize the checklist to your home and your priorities, including relevant inspection conditions you’ve confirmed with your insurer.
It’s especially important to ask your insurer how it classifies the property before you move in. A newly purchased home with no occupant may be treated differently from an occupied home whose owners are away on holiday. Don’t assume the previous owner’s coverage or your usual home policy answers that question.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada’s glossary explains the distinction between vacant and unoccupied properties:
Helpful resourceInsurance Bureau of Canada: Insurance GlossaryView the glossary ↗
Your own insurance representative must confirm your coverage and requirements.
Coordinating the people and appointments.
Maybe a supplier needs to measure for window coverings. Perhaps a contractor needs access for an agreed appointment. Or there are several people who all need answers before anything can move forward.
And then there’s the all-important Wi-Fi appointment. We can survive a few days without the dining table, but no streaming, no group chats and no way to tell our friends we’ve arrived? Let’s not test our limits.
With the right permissions and a clear plan, I can help coordinate access and appointments, communicate with authorized service providers, track agreed next steps, and keep you informed.
It also helps to have someone local you trust with the keys or agreed entry codes. With your written authorization and a clear access plan, my role can include letting approved suppliers and trades into your home for scheduled appointments and keeping you up to date. No trying to coordinate a door code from three provinces away while the installer waits on the doorstep.
The qualified trades and service providers handle the actual work. My job is to coordinate access, people and communication, not to become the person installing everything.
Making design decisions without buying everything twice.
Before ordering a truckload of new furniture, it’s worth looking at what you already have and what the new space actually needs.
Could a different furniture layout make your favourite sofa work? Would a colour consultation help you feel more confident? Are there a few finish selections you could settle now so moving day doesn’t arrive with an entire second to-do list?
That’s where my Interior Design & Consultations experience comes in. We can look at possibilities, priorities, and a practical design direction that reflects your style and budget.
And no, you don’t have to have it all figured out.
I know a new home comes with excitement, logistics, and probably several moments of wondering where you packed the kettle.
You don’t need to solve every problem before you get the keys or immediately turn the property into a major project. It may be enough to decide what matters now, what can wait, and who needs to be involved.
Whether you need someone local to coordinate an appointment, provide agreed home checks, or help think through how a room could work, we can start by talking.
You’ve already made one big decision by choosing the Okanagan. Let’s make the next decisions a little easier.
