A new home would need to be thoroughly cleaned and inspected to ensure the peace of mind of its occupants and to reduce the hassle of moving in. Homeowners must also take steps to ensure that the transition to their new address would be smooth. So you’ve had your new house built.
Everything from tiles to the paint and wallpaper has been placed. The light fixtures and appliances are ready for work. All it needs now, it seems, is for the family to move in and you can finally host that housewarming party for your new and old friends. Before making moving plans, however, there are a few things that you ought to do at your new home while it’s still empty. Familiarizing yourself with what needs to be done can help you find and resolve potential problems and make other last-minute changes without disruption, all while getting your home ready for yourself and your family.
Clean out the house
The house may be finished from tip to toe, but what you and your family have on hand still has the telltale markings of a construction site. It will be dusty and have construction waste left behind in some areas long after the crew has already left. The surrounding landscape may be littered with construction residue, while nooks and crannies may still be filled with dust.
There’s often a no better time to thoroughly clean out the house than shortly before it is occupied. There are places within the home—such as between fixtures and within cabinets and closets—that are at an optimal state for cleaning because they are not currently in use.
Post-construction cleaning is a stressful affair, especially when also preparing to move. Homeowners moving to Ogden from elsewhere across the state of Utah, for instance, may be overwhelmed by the logistics of moving and leave thorough cleaning jobs to the professionals.
Inspect the utilities
When a new house is handed over to the owners, everything should already be in full working order. Murphy’s law being what it is, however, it pays to run by the house and see if everything is working one more time before finalizing the move. Everything—from smoke detectors to pipework—should be inspected thoroughly before you move in.
Repairs and adjustments are easier to do while the home is still empty, and even an inspection that finds everything in good working order can give you and your family with ample peace of mind knowing that things will go smoothly from then on.
Familiarize yourself with the position of key utilities controls like the shutoff valves and breaker boxes. Access to these will come in handy in the event of emergencies down the line.
Change your address
Long before the big day arrives, you should inform the post office and other organizations like credit card companies and magazines of your new mailing address. This will allow most of your important packages and mail to reach your new home. The first of these should be the post office, which provides an easy and inexpensive way to record a change in mailing address.
As the closing date for your old home approaches, you should also take the opportunity to inform utility companies of a service switch to transfer utilities to your new address. This maintenance call will help re-establish utility services quickly without causing undue inconvenience for you or your family.
Prepare for a new beginning
Leaving an old home may be an emotional time for your new family, especially for your kids. Ease your parting by saying a proper goodbye (and leaving contact numbers) to your neighborhood friends. Collect mementos to help you and your loved ones remember the good memories you’ve had in the home over the years.
Besides reminiscing the times gone by, you and your family can look toward the future and the possibilities it offers. Get the excitement going by starting a Pinterest board for the ways you’d want to decorate your spaces or look for places to see and explore after moving. You and your family have an exciting new opportunity to make new memories in your new home, and there shouldn’t be any hang-ups when you finally settle in.
