Moving into a new home can be an exhausting experience. After so much hassle transporting cartons and boxes, painting, organizing renovations, and so much more, all you’ll want to do when you arrive is relax and enjoy your new space! But can you? Being organized will help you in the long run.
But, there are a few must-dos, often overlooked by new homeowners, that should be taken care of before getting comfortable. Use this checklist to make sure you’ve covered the most important steps to tackle as you move in.
Change Your Address
From magazine subscriptions to bills to wedding invitations, you need to get your address changed so you don’t have your mail sent to your former address. It’s better to do this at least a few days before you move.
Change the Locks
How will you sleep easy not knowing who else may have the keys to your new home? Even when you’re sure that the previous owners handed over all the keys, don’t take chances and call a locksmith.
It’s important not just to change the locks but also to replace the entire hardware. Here are some of the safest locks for your home. It generally doesn’t cost more than $20 to $30 to hire a locksmith.
Scrub the House Down
Before you move your furniture into the new place, be sure to clean the house from top to bottom. This could be the only chance you get to do any thorough cleaning without furniture getting in the way, so make it count. Get a professional carpet cleaning service to steam clean the carpets. While a professional service will cost you about $50 per room, you can rent a steam cleaner for around $30 a day and do the job yourself.
In addition to cleaning those carpets, make sure to scrub and wipe the drawers, shelves, and countertops as well as the oven, refrigerator, and freezer. Again, you may hire a professional cleaning service to handle it all, especially if you’ve already unloaded the moving van.
Replace Your Mattresses with a Non-toxic One
If your mattress is older than eight years old, then it might be time to get a new one. This time a non-toxic one. Many of the older mattresses we have in our homes were made of harsh chemicals that can pose danger when inhaled. They are capable of causing allergies, especially for those with sensitive skin.
Non-toxic mattresses have been designed by companies, like Brentwood Home to take care of this problem and should be one of the first considerations when you want to move into a new place and keep it as toxin-free as possible.
Extermination and Pest Control
Whether you see them or not, it’s likely there are some bugs in and around your new home. Now is the time before moving into a new home, to tackle these problems. If you don’t want to DIY, call a local exterminator to find out how much it costs to treat bed bugs professionally.
If you have issues with bed bugs, the bed bug exterminator process is fairly quick and painless. For every pest problem, there’s a professional to handle it.
This way you won’t get worried about the kids or pets being exposed to harmful chemicals from the spraying. Delaying until your furniture arrives will only provide places for the critters to hide, making them harder to find later.
Check To Be Sure There Are No Plumbing Leaks
While it’s expected that your home inspector will have checked out the plumbing before you close the deal, you should always make sure to check yourself. Look out for running toilets, dripping faucets, and broken sink sprayers. You might also want to inspect your water heater to ensure there is no leakage.
Get the Filters Replaced
You should change all the filters when you move into a new house including the air filter in the heating and cooling unit, the vent filter above the stove, bathroom spigots, and aeration filters. You will also want to check the dryer vent to ensure it’s not clogged. When you are moving into a new home, you want it to feel new inside and out!
