You’ve just bought a house and are excited to move in, but there’s a long list of things to do before you step inside. Don’t move into your new home if you haven’t done each of these four things first:
Give it the deepest clean possible
It’s really unwise to move into a new home without giving it the deepest clean possible. Who knows how thorough the old residents were, or what germs are lurking on walls and surfaces?! It feels grubby if you move in without cleaning the place yourself, or by hiring a company like Karen’s Green Cleaning to do it for you.
A deep clean gives you peace of mind as you can relax knowing that everything has been sanitized and cleaned. You won’t discover any suspicious marks or stains, and you can start moving your furniture in.
Change all of the locks
Security will always be one of your biggest concerns when moving into a new house. Even if it’s a completely new build, other people could have access to keys for your home. You shouldn’t like the thought of someone out there with a key that could unlock your front or back door.
Call it paranoia, but changing the locks is the best approach. You might be able to do this yourself – or you could call a locksmith to speed the procedure up. It depends on how much of a DIY-head you are!
Deal with the utilities
You must handle the following when moving house:
- Electricity
- Gas
- Water
- Internet
Deal with each of these to ensure they’re a) set up, and b) actually working properly. Regardless of how recently the previous owners serviced things, it’s worth booking one yourself. Again, it’s a peace of mind thing as you don’t have to worry about a boiler blowing up or dodgy electrics causing an accident.
When it comes to the internet, do your research and find the most reliable broadband provider in your area, then set everything up. Modern life is way easier when you move into a home with a working internet connection from the first day.
Swap out the toilet seats
Some people may question the point of this (especially after deep cleaning your new house), but there’s something strange about sitting on the same toilet seat as someone outside of your family. It gives public toilet vibes, so go to the effort of swapping out the seats.
It doesn’t take long, but it makes your home feel more like your own and less like the previous owner’s. If you buy a newly built home, then you obviously don’t have to deal with this, as your toilet seats will be brand-new. It’s not the biggest benefit of buying a new build, though it’s certainly a nice bonus.
Try your absolute best to give yourself some time before moving into your new home so you can do these four tasks. Some take longer than others (mainly the utilities), yet the moving process is much smoother when you complete them. You’ll be able to transition into a house that feels clean, has all the key elements set up, and is ready for you to make your own.