Things You Need to do Before Moving Into a New House
Spring and summer are the most popular times to buy a new house. Did you recently buy a new house? Maybe you are still in the middle of the closing process but making your move-in plans now. That is great! Congratulations!
Whether you chose to buy a new house in the warmer seasons or maybe you bought a house during fall or winter, there are plenty of things you need to do before you move into your new house. Here is a list of some of the things you need to do before moving into a new house in order to make it feel more like home!
Check Out Our First Time Home Buyer’s Guide
10 Things You Need to do Before Moving Into a New House
1. Replace the Locks
No matter how much you trust the previous owners of your new house, replacing the locks is always the safest option. It is unlikely that they will come back to the house, but who knows how many copies of the key are out there.
Maybe an ex-boyfriend of the previous occupants has a spare key and decides to come by looking for their old flame. (This actually happened when I was working as a property manager). Your new neighbors might be great people, but until you get to know them better you probably don’t want them to have access to your new place either.
2. Transfer Utilities
Some people forget to transfer the utilities over before moving into a new house. This is very important so that you don’t accidentally miss any due dates on the utility bills. That would not be a great way to start out in your new house!
Transferring your utilities should be fairly simple, especially if you are moving within the same city. If you are moving to a new state, some research may be needed to figure out what utility companies service the area.
3. Paint
Painting is one way you can make your new house feel more like your humble abode. Maybe the colors that are currently there are just not your style, don’t match your furniture, or could use a new coat.
Whatever it is, painting is much easier to get done before you actually move in. Why? Simply because nothing is in the way, and there is nothing in the house to drip on yet!
Whether you choose to DIY your new wall colors or hire professionals, painting becomes way more difficult and time-consuming when you need to move furniture away from the walls and make sure it is all covered properly!
4. Update or Replace Flooring
Another thing you need to do before moving into a new house is to refinish the hardwood floors, fix broken tiles, and clean or replace the carpets.
Depending on how you choose to refinish your hardwood floors, they can take several days to settle and be ready for real foot traffic. Be sure to plan ahead to get your hardwoods refinished because it will be increasingly more difficult to do once the furniture is in the house!
Make sure to have the carpets professionally cleaned or possibly even replaced. This is especially important if someone in your family has allergies.
Carpets collect dust mites, bacteria, and other allergens. By having them cleaned regularly, you will help your family breathe easier and reduce the risk of colds and other health problems.
5. Clean the Air Ducts
Air ducts, similar to carpets, collect the nasty things in the air. This is a commonly forgotten home maintenance item by many homeowners simply because we don’t physically see them get dirty. So it’s safe to assume that your new house has some dirty ducts!
When air ducts are dirty, they continue to circulate pollen, dust, and dander throughout the house. By having them cleaned out, your air quality will greatly increase!
6. Label Electrical Panel & Find Water Shutoff
A new house means getting to know new systems. Electrical panels may all look fairly similar, but the way they are set up can be different in every home.
Before moving into a new house, take the time to test out the electrical panel and label it with the corresponding rooms or appliances within the house. That way, when you experience your first blown fuse, there is no guessing game.
Make sure you also know where the water shutoff valve is before your first water emergency!
7. Set Up Security System
Set up a security system before you get settled into your new house. That way you can sleep soundly the first night you move in.
Taking the time to do this before you move in is important because you want to make sure to have all the kinks straightened out before you start hauling in all of your nice furniture.
We recommend SimpliSafe because it is wireless, easy to set up, compatible with Alexa and Google Assistant, and can easily be taken with you when you move in the future!
8. Do a Deep Clean
You could hire someone to do a deep clean of the house or do it yourself, but either way make sure to scrub the place down. Clean things like the inside of your cabinets, the tops of ceiling fans, and the shower.
Getting all the dust and grime out of the house is a sure way to make your new house feel more like home.
Check out my favorite eco-friendly cleaning supplies here!
9. Get Our Preventative Home Care Checklist
All new homeowners approach homeownership with the intention to keep their house running smoothly like a well-oiled machine. Well, that is not possible without setting up a preventative home maintenance plan.
Lucky for you, we have one already made for you to download for FREE today! Our preventative home maintenance checklist is categorized by season. That way you can plan ahead for what preventative home care you need to do all year round.
10. Pray Over It
As followers of Christ, we understand the necessity of prayer in all areas of life. That is why prayer is added to this list! Before moving into a new house, walk around it and cover it with prayer.
Ask God to bless you and your family and all those who walk through the door. Pray that love will flow through the walls of the house and infect those you invite in.
Related: How to Pray for Your Finances
Here is your completed list of things you need to do before moving into a new house. Congrats again on finding your new home. I hope that it is everything you and your family dreamed it would be!
What other things would you add to this list?
Ready To Move??
Now that you’ve prepared your house for your big move, it’s time to fill it up and make it your home!
Here are some tips on how to keep moving costs down as well as how to hire the right professional movers to help with this transition.
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This list is an excellent reminder. I especially love # 10.
Prayer is so important!
My favorite one is #10!
That is my favorite one as well, Jess =]