The average American moves 11.7 times in their lifetime, and 2019 census data showed that about 31 million people moved within the United States. That’s approximately 9.8% of the total American population. Moving is, therefore, a normal thing in life, and you might, sooner or later, find yourself moving into a new home.
Some people move to have better access to social amenities, such as schools and entertainment parks. Others move to be closer to their families and friends. Regardless of your reason for moving, note that relocating from one property to another can turn out to be an anxiety-inducing and complicated process if you don’t have a proper plan.
So, when planning to move into your new house, you should take your time to plan. You need to prepare your new house so your stay there will be comfortable. Here are some tips and advice to organize your new home before moving:
1. Do the flooring
You can buy a house with a carpet that you don’t like, maybe because of the color or texture. For this reason, you may want to get rid of it and replace it with your preferred one. At times, you might be tempted to reason out that it’s too early and that there’s no harm in waiting until you’ve settled in for you to replace it. This, however, may not be the best decision because you may not have adequate time afterward, especially if you have a busy working schedule.
Therefore, if you have the financial resources, it’d be best to hire professionals to replace the carpets for you beforehand. Replacing the carpet after moving in means moving your furniture out of the rooms and then moving them back once the flooring is done, which is tiresome and time-consuming. That’s why the flooring must be included in your moving checklist.
Once the new carpet is installed, you’d want to cover it with tarps, area rugs, or mats so the movers don’t track in the dirt as they bring your packed belongings into the house. Many professional moving companies supply their own tarps and moving blankets as well, so no need to worry.
2. Clean up the house
If you’re moving into a previously occupied home, there’s a high chance that the previous occupants didn’t clean the house thoroughly as they moved out. So, you’d want to do a thorough cleaning to ensure you start your new life in a space free of germs and dirt.
Hiring a cleaning service is highly recommended at this time because they won’t only clean your new house, but they’ll sanitize and disinfect it for you. Having professionals do the cleaning for you also helps lower your stress levels when moving. The cleaners will help you save valuable time, and you’ll be able to take care of other critical things.
However, if you prefer doing it yourself, ensure you have all the necessary cleaning equipment and supplies, such as hand gloves, brooms, buckets, detergents, mops, vacuum cleaners, and window cleaners. Ensure you wash down the counters, plumbing fixtures, cabinets, windows, walls, and clean the ceiling. These are some of the critical areas that make your home feel either clean or dirty.
3. Paint the walls and ceiling
It’s easier to paint an empty room than one full of furniture and other possessions. There’s no need to wait until you move in and then start taking down draperies, clearing out closets, or shifting the furniture to paint the house. These are time-consuming and energy-draining tasks you can entirely avoid by repainting your new home in advance.
While you can do it yourself, it’d be best to hire professional painters to do the work for you. Remember that you need to expertly seal the holes, cracks, or other defects on the walls and ceilings before painting them. Preparing these surfaces can be a great hassle. But painting contractors have the necessary expertise to perfect the surfaces, allowing your walls to be ready for painting.
Moreover, painters can also help you choose the right colors for your interiors. Do keep in mind that certain colors provide a more homely feeling than others. For instance, neutral colors, like beige and brown, have a calming effect when used for the interior walls. Bolder colors, like pink, green, and yellow, are more energizing and show creativity. To stretch your creativity even further, you may want to add designer wallpapers on some of the walls.
4. Change the locks on exterior doors
If you’re not the first one to live in your new home, change the locks on all your exterior doors. The previous owner might have handed over the keys, but you can’t tell how many copies are out there, even with the maintenance persons. You wouldn’t want to live in a home where other unknown people have access. They can get in anytime you step out and steal your prized possessions.
So, make a point of calling a locksmith to install new locks. This is an excellent way of ensuring you’ll be safe in your new home.
5. Have the mechanical equipment cleaned and serviced
It’s good to do this as soon as you purchase your house. Getting the cooling and heating systems cleaned is very important. It’ll help you avoid future expenses of getting a technician to come to your home for repairs should the systems stop working.
If you don’t have an idea of which company you should hire, you can ask your neighbors as they may direct you to good companies in the neighborhood that clean and service mechanical equipment. This may also serve as a great opportunity of meeting and familiarize yourself with your neighbors. They may give you more insight into the safety of the neighborhood and other things you need to know before moving in, too.
Many professional moving companies "like those found on Muval", supply their own tarps.
Conclusion
To successfully move into your new home, you need to have a proper plan. Some of the things you must include in your moving checklist are: painting the walls and ceiling, installing new flooring, changing the locks on exterior doors, servicing and cleaning mechanical equipment, as well as thoroughly cleaning the house. Doing all these things will give you the requisite peace of mind and comfort as you move into your new house.
