Moving into a new home is exciting, but might come with a lot of work. It’s important to visit the house a few times before you move in to take note of the home improvements you may need to make prior to moving day.
Floors
Floors can take a beating from previous owners and even owners before them. Whether they are hardwood floors, carpeting, or tile, you should check on the durability and cosmetic condition of them before moving in your stuff. If the floors are too damaged to deal with, hire someone or work on those before you move in. If the carpeting is old, stained, and wrinkled, rip them out and either put new carpet down or put in some nice new hardwood floors!
Interior Paint
Most of the time, a new home is going to need a new coat of paint. There could be smoke damage, humidity drips, or just a really bad shade of bright pink. Make a list of the rooms that need new paint, figure out what best suits you, and cover those walls! Paint is also a great way to express yourself and your own personal taste. It’s your new home, so make it your own!
Exterior Paint
It’s rarer to need a new coat of exterior paint than the interior, but if you see that it needs it – now is the time! Either keep it the same or change it up to what you would want your home to look like! This is also a great time to pick out new paint for shutters or accents on your house.
Closet Shelves
Do you need more shelves in your closets? How about transforming a closet into a pantry? Go through the home, check out all of the closets, and figure out which ones you want to add some shelves too! It’s a great idea to put some side shelves into your bedroom closets for shoes, hats, and extra storage.
Fencing
Especially if you have kids or dogs, you’ll want to make sure the fence around your backyard is sturdy and safe. If most of the fence is fine, you could easily fix up the areas that are not as durable. If the entire fence is on its way out, it’s smarter to just put in a new one before moving in and having to deal with it months after you move in. Protect your kids and dogs!
Locks
Changing out all of the exterior locks to your home is a smart and safe thing to do. Chances are, the previous owners probably still have a key lying around somewhere, so it’s much safer to change them out for your own protection. Change the front door, side doors, and even the door garage lock if you have one. You’ll sleep more soundly at night knowing that no one else can get into your home.
Smoke Detectors
Make sure all of the smoke detectors in the home are working properly. If they just require a simple battery change, perfect! If they’re pretty old, you should consider changing them out to new ones. Today, there are more advanced ones you can get that will really protect your home!
Heating/Cooling
You’ll want to make sure the heating and cooling systems work as they should before moving in. Hiring someone to check the filters and the system itself is a great idea before you get settled in and find out your air conditioning or heat doesn’t work! Stay ahead of that headache and fix anything like that asap!
Water Damage/Leaks
Check your faucets, gutters, and anything else that may leak or cause water damage. It’s also smart to look around for any signs of water damage from the past. This will save you a lot of time, money, and frustration if you catch any of these issues ahead of time!
Childproofing
Are you moving into a new home with young children? Childproofing before they run through the house is very important for their safety. If there is a large staircase, consider installing a baby gate. There are also child locks you can install on toilets, outlets, doorknobs, and more to make sure they stay safe in the new home!
If your checklist is all finished and you’re ready to move into the new home, we’re ready to help you! Grab a FREE QUOTE from our website and check out our storage facility, packing services, and more. We can’t wait to help you start this new journey!
