Besides the trouble of finding the best place for you and your family, there is also the challenge of preparing the place and making sure it’s in order before the furniture arrives. I have moved three times in the last five years and this is not an experience I would describe as “fun.” The move from A to Z can be time-consuming from planning, repair works, cleaning, packing and moving.
You’re faced with even more challenges when you arrive at your new home. It may seem like an easy task to determine where to put your favorite sofa piece or the everyday dishes, but after all the work of moving out of the old home, the last thing you need is one more big decision or another major project.
However, doing some work to your new home will make moving in feel “super.” Below are some pre-move-in projects that can save you the time and trouble.
To start with, it is always best to tackle the projects that are demanding and require that the place be almost empty like carpeting, painting, and cleaning.
Flooring
You may not need to do anything at all if you’re moving into a new house. Yay! you’re in luck. But if you bought a new home or moving into a rented apartment with carpet you hate, you’re probably thinking “it has to go.” This is a job that can’t wait.
You may decide that it’s too much to think about right now, that you should leave the decision about a replacement for later when you’ve settled in. You may not have the budget or time to do anything but move. But be sure to weigh in the “cost” to you in both hassle and time if you wait to do a necessary project at a later date.
Replacing carpet is a major project, and if you have the means financially to make this decision at moving time then you would be doing yourself a lot of favor. If you put it off to a later date after you have moved in, you’ll be faced with the trouble of moving all your furniture out of the rooms. What a bother! Not just for you, but the flooring experts as well! There will be furniture all around the place and you will have to move it all back when they are done. If you can do it when you move, be sure to order the flooring well before your move. Imagine how refreshing it will be to know that when your furniture arrives you won’t have to move them ever again, but you can start watching your favorite TV show right away.
Painting
All my painting projects during my moves were DIY with the help of my very good friend Enoch. Whether you do the work yourself or hire a professional painter to do it for you, trust me when I say it’s a lot easier to paint an empty room. There will be no need to move furniture, take down draperies, clear out the closets or take-down every wall hanging. Allocate 3 to 4 days to repaint before the movers show up, especially if you’ll be painting yourself. This type of work always takes longer than you think. You could probably hire a crew of professional painters to get the job done in a day or two. If you can’t decide on colors, then just have everything painted a clean white, a pretty light beige, or another background color you love — depending on what works best with your furniture and color schemes. Once the major patching, priming, trim work, and base coats are in, adding another wall color at a later date can be a snap.
Locks And Keys
As a safety precaution, it is always advisable to change the locks and keys to your new home. You’ll never know how many keys are floating around for your new home unless you get new locks or re-key the existing locks. The previous owners may have given a key to neighbors, workmen, relatives, or cleaning services, and you’ll get some peace of mind if you get new ones. This is a project to do just before or soon after you move in. You can hire a carpenter to replace the locks in the house especially locks to rooms and the main door. He also needs to check if all the windows to the house lock properly.
Closet Systems
Having things organized, fitting into your new home, will make you feel great. You’ll love wonderful closet systems with double hanging poles, drawers, and shelves up to the ceiling. If you wait until later, you’ll have to take everything out, pile your clothes in stacks on your bed or floor (can you visualize your clothes wrinkling in giant stacks), and live out of suitcases for a day or two until the closet fittings can be installed. No matter when you choose to do it, professional installers can be in and out in a jiffy. Do-it-yourselfers may need a bit longer to figure out the instructions, but once the process is down for the first closet, each additional closet should be faster and easier. If you do some measuring in your new home before you move in, you can plan, choose and buy your closet components ahead of time.
Electrical Upgrades
If you’re moving into a new home, you may have all the electrical outlets you need. But older homes could be a challenge. You can do the upgrades anytime, but everything is easier to get to in an empty room. Remember, electricians are paid based on how much time they spend with you and they’ll be able to work faster if they have immediate access to outlets and room for ladders and equipment. Older homes may need GFIs in kitchens and baths, as well as additional outlets for TVs, phones, computers, or lamps. This would be a great time to add a ceiling fan, and an electrician can install a wall switch, brace the ceiling and install a specialized box for the fan. You might want better work light in your kitchen or reading spotlights over your bed. Lighten up a hallway with new track lighting or add lights in your new closets. How about a motion-activated ceiling light in a basement or laundry room? All of these projects can be easier to complete when your rooms are empty. The work can be completed without your having to move furniture or cover room accessories to protect them from drilling dust.
Garage Storage
Will you be able to park your car in the garage, or will it become the storage spot for everything from garden tools to holiday decorations? Yes, once you move in, it’s FULL of stuff. So, if you want to build storage shelves, finish the floor with an epoxy coating, or install a workbench, it can be much easier to do it before the garage is stacked to the ceiling. Another handy tip — if you have sturdy garage shelving from a previous home, arrange to have it loaded on the truck last, then unloaded first, so boxes marked “storage” can be placed easily and quickly onto waiting shelves.
Conclusion
Before you make the major move it is important to have a building contractor check the general health of your new home by checking the plumbing for leakages and proper installations, the roofs, and ceilings for leakages and mould, and other repair works that could cause you a lot of trouble to fix with all your furniture in the house. Following these tips and hints, you would realize that moving can be a pleasant experience for you. Happy Moving!
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credit: thespruce