DO THESE 7 THINGS BEFORE MOVING TO A NEW HOUSE
My plan was to have the "After" images from my Exterior House Paint project. But there are still little pieces of blue tape everywhere for touch-ups and we still need to put everything back in place.
Instead I wanted to share tips on moving into a new house. These little and fairly inexpensive things will go a long way in making your new-to-you house feel like your home.
1. CHANGE THE LOCKS & REPLACE MIS-MATCHED DOOR HARDWARE.
Change the locks on all your doors, you never know how many spare keys are floating around. This is an excellent opportunity to put all the locks on a single key. Also if your hardware was like ours when we moved in, you have yellow shiny brass knobs next to polished nickel deadbolts and it'll all look better to choose a single finish and run it through your home. Can't afford new hardware? Check out this DIY from Young House Love.
2. CLEAN
Clean everything. Before a single box gets moved into your new home, you must have everything cleaned. The baseboards, the highest shelves in the closet, fan blades, light fixtures, under the kitchen sink, behind the stove & refrigerator, wipe down light switches, replace the toilet seats, the closet rod, everything. It is much easier to powerwash the garage floor without a thing in it. It is easier to have your wood floors waxed without furniture in the room.
3. PAINT
A fresh coat of paint in a color of your choosing will make your house feel more like yours. Check out my favorite interior paint colors if you're stumped.
4. REPLACE MIS-MATCHED ELECTRICAL PLATES & SWITCHES
If you have an older home, it is likely that over the years cover plates were moved, changed, and added. Meaning you could have three or four different outlet & switch covers. I even had a red outlet, until I realized someone had just painted over it. Hire an electrician to replace dated, yellowed, or painted electrical outlets and switches to a uniform color throughout your home. Unless your walls are creamy, I prefer white.
5. REPLACE DATED LIGHT FIXTURES
Designer secret shame time. "Replace hall fixture" has been on my to-do list for almost 2 years now. It even has a bulb that is burned out. There are so many great, stylish, & inexpensive fixtures available, that there is no excuse. Don't feel house shame, replace those ugly old fixtures immediately.
6. HIRE PROFESSIONALS TO CLEAN CHIMNEY, SERVICE HVAC & OTHER HOME SYSTEMS.
To keep your house in great working order you need to have your systems regularly serviced. You never know how good the previous owners were at upkeep.
7. SET UP THE SECURITY ALARM.
What things do you do before you move into a new home or apartment?