Moving entails more than just trying to fit all your belongings into the new house. It also means working to set up the new place in a way that will allow you and your family to settle in comfortably when the time comes.
Talk to professional interstate movers and they’ll tell you that having years of experience in assisting countless families with the removal and relocation process, have left them with memories of the various struggles their clients had to face. Removalists are sure to have witnessed all kinds of mistakes and curveballs, as well as helped their clients find the right solutions to ensure that the relocations still have a successful ending.
To help you avoid facing the same mishaps, here are six pre-move home improvement tips removal experts swear by:
1. Change the Door and Window Locks
Before moving in, it is highly recommended that you change the exterior locks of your new place for security reasons since you would have no way of knowing how many people the previous owner offered copies of the original keys to.
Home removal experts recommend replacing these altogether as some people provide their maintenance workers, selling agents, listing agents, and other professionals who helped put the house on the market with spare keys to the place for easy access. Of course, you should never forget to have spare keys of your own once your locksmith puts in the new locks.
2. Deep-clean the Carpets
Some people hire experts to clean their sold properties before moving out, but this isn’t always the case. Either way, you should remember to deep-clean the place before moving in, especially if the place is carpeted.
Carpets often gather up dust and mites, even if they have been cleaned in the past. As new owners of the house, you would have no way of knowing when or if the previous residents had it cleaned anyway. To be sure, have the carpet steam cleaned while the house is still empty.
3. Redo the Floor
Enhancing the existing interiors of a house to suit the new residents’ comfort can mean re-doing the old flooring system entirely. This is because this part of the house gets worn down the most and may even incur unpleasant odors if the previous owners had pets. Although it is a major investment, it will definitely be worth it as reflooring costs more (and can be more inconvenient to do) when the place is already settled in.
4. Plan Your Storage and Shelving
Planning is always a great way to avoid unnecessary hassles, while storage is an important factor when it comes to organizing your belongings. With that said, you should already have a picture in your mind as to where your things should go even before you move into the new place. This will also help you to see whether you need to have new storage spaces built or installed.
5. Find and Fix Leaks Immediately
When left unchecked, leaks can lead to major damage in different areas of the house. Because of this, it is strongly advised that you have your home inspected before you move in. This way, you can have a professional plumber take care of any faulty equipment or hiccups in the various home systems — no matter how small — to prevent untoward incidents and bigger expenses in the future.
6. Get Rid of Pests
If you purchased an older home to move into, there is a good chance that it could be infested with unseen critters that hide under the floor, beneath the carpets, or even within the tiny cracks in the walls. Shoo them away before you move in. It may even be advisable to have a pest control company inspect the house especially if you live in a remote or semi remote area.
Many homeowners may not be immediately aware of their co-habitants until after they move in; the previous owners of the house may not have had an idea that these creatures lived under the same roof as they did. Whatever the case may be, save yourself the shock and do something about it before you start your life anew in your new house.
Ready to Move In?
Relocating to a new home marks a fresh start for you and your family. Because of this, it is important that you plan and prepare your new place to achieve optimum comfort, starting with these pre-move home improvement tips.
