Preparations for moving into a new home can be overwhelming. You’re excited to relocate, but at the same time, you feel nervous and worn out. If you have a family, inform them earlier of the location and why you want to move. At times children feel bad to leave their nearby friends, and thus, it’s necessary to prepare them psychologically.
The journey to a new home requires earlier preparations. Even if you are moving for the second, third, or fourth time, you will find something amiss without proper preparedness. Avoid moving out in a rush as that will be the primary cause of inconveniences. There are many things to do before moving in a new house, as stated below.
Major Things to Do Before Moving To a New Home
1. Get Your Roof Checked and Fixed
It’s surprising how people check other essentials in a new home, such as safe wiring, firm foundation, and internet access, and forget to check the roof. A roof protects the family from rain, cold, and thieves. A leaking roof can be very traumatizing, and thus, studying it should be among the first things to do before moving in. You can go and check the roof first and point out its faults. If you are capable of incurring the cost, then you can proceed and have a home inspection.
However, a home inspection is better, but engaging a certified roof inspector will be best since they can have a thorough roof check. They will advise you and warn you of the high costs that you may incur. A roof inspector will also ascertain if the roof is well maintained, its life span, determine if the roof will require repair, and check if the existing manufacturer’s warranty is transferrable to the new owner.
In most cases, unless you are moving to a new house, old homes will have a degree of roof tear. So, it is necessary to seek roof repair services from a certified roofer. He/she will give you an estimate of the cost, both labor and material costs. However, if your roof doesn’t require any repairs, you will get a roof certificate. Lastly, roof cleaning is essential before moving into a new home. You won’t like to enter a house full of dirt marks and cobwebs.
2. Get Necessary Inspections
Before moving into a new home, one of the things to do before moving in is making sure you get a septic tank inspection. Septic tanks are used to store waste products and water from showers, washers, and sinks. A septic inspection is a standard process when one is selling or buying a house. The examination involves assessing the operation and the state of the septic system. It is advisable to have your septic system inspected yearly to avoid the chance of health hazards in case of system leaks.
You can decide to use either of the following types of inspection:
- Full inspection: This type of assessment involves the experts who undertake detailed work using the right equipment. For instance, they check the water levels and check whether the water is draining correctly.
- Visual inspection: This type of assessment is carried out by home inspectors when selling or buying homes. They inquire when the last review was done, test the water pumps, and flush the toilets to see if the pump is working correctly.
On the other hand, one of the things to do before moving in a new house is to undertake an asbestos inspection. Asbestos is fibrous materials that are used for various purposes. Asbestos was commonly used in the late 1900s to strengthen materials such as gas pipes, ceilings, concrete, asphalt, and electrical wires. They are also fire and heat resistant, and that’s why many building materials contained them. However, research done around 1980 found that asbestos could cause health risks and it was then eliminated from building materials.
Asbestos’s health risks include lung cancer, mesothelioma, asbestosis, and pleural thickening. To avoid the dangers of asbestos, look for a property surveyor to check their presence. If found, those experts will remove them carefully and ensure they aren’t releasing fiber in the air. Most people are ignorant of that practice, but it is one of the good things to do before moving in a new home.
3. Check the Plumbing and Water Quality
No home is 100% perfect, so you are likely to find some faults with the plumbing work. Most home sellers aim at profits; thus, they can mislead the seller on the home’s plumbing quality. So, you can do the inspection alone or get assistance from a certified plumber.
The plumbing checklist includes:
- Ask the neighbors: In most cases, plumbing in the same apartments is similar. Therefore, you can enquire from the neighbors on what to expect. Also, they will be in a position to tell you about the quality of water.
- Check for mold: Molds are brought by dampness. Therefore, if you notice them, your plumbing system may be leaking.
- Look around: You can inspect if the boiler and sinks are working without consulting an expert. However, some complicated issues require a certified plumber.
Additionally, other things to do before moving in a new home is quality water checks. How does it look like? Is it smelly or tastes awful?
Fetch from hot water pumps and see the color and smell. Put some in a clear glass and see whether they are floating particles. However, all those practices cannot ascertain if the water is safe for drinking. Therefore, it needs to undergo a water test. If found unhealthy for drinking, conduct a water treatment procedure.
4. Get the Exterior Cleaned Up
Over time, the house exterior gets dirt from all sorts of debris carried by the wind, bird droppings, and grime. Just as people feel nice driving a freshly washed car, a cleaned house exterior will give you a warm welcome. However, cleaning the house from top to bottom, the concrete driveway, and the garage floor can be overwhelming. Therefore, it’s time to hire an expert who uses power washing services.
Hosing down your house’s exterior may cause damage if the high powered water is set high. It can smash brick, scatter stones, and strip wood, among other injuries. Professional cleaners will know the amount of pressure to apply and use the right tools and products that will not cause any harm to your house.
How to clean your exterior
- Cleaning siding: Done by scrubbing with a long brush and soapy water, then rinse nicely using a power washing machine. To remove algae and mildew, use a garden pump to spray oxygen bleach. Take caution not to use chlorine bleach as it kills surrounding plants. Rinse using a hose water wash and leave it to dry.
- Concrete driveway and garage floor: Concrete holds oil stains and grease. So, use oil stain remover for effective cleaning.
- Asphalt driveway: Take caution since the use of cleaners with petroleum solvents are harmful to asphalt. It is necessary to use driveway sealing to avoid future stains. You can do it on your own or hire a professional sealer.
- Roof cleaning: This exercise is among the crucial things to do before moving in a new home. Use any available solution to kill mold and mildew and rinse well with water.
5. Get a Security System
You may lock your door well, close the windows, and have a family dog, but that security is not enough. You need a security camera system. It is a network of video recording devices that takes videos of all the happenings in the house. You can view the footage through your smartphone or computer.
You can install wired or wireless cameras. Wireless cameras use the internet to transmit the recordings to the cloud server. Some of them use batteries or AC power. On the other hand, wired cameras are connected to an on-site video device (DVR or NVR). They transmit the footage through a cable. However, these cameras don’t use the internet.
Everyone needs peace of mind while away from home, and thus securing our homes is among the right things to do before moving in. The common areas where cameras are installed are driveways, front, side, back doors, stairways, living room, and off-street windows.
6. Install New Appliances and Lighting
Moving to a new house is a nice feeling, but it can be stressful due to packing and moving. You may leave your old appliances if the transport cost is too high. Some machines may be old and faulty and thus the need to replace them. Regardless of the situation, you will buy a few devices. Check the house’s size, mostly the kitchen, so that you can know the size of a fridge, microwave, and gas cooker to purchase.
Installing appliances in a new home is not an easy task for people without electrical knowledge. You need to know the number of electrical circuits to use for every machine. The new home may have electric wiring, but it may not support your devices. So, the best thing is to hire electricians for a professional appliance installation.
Having a home lighting system checked is among the best things to do before moving in a new home. The idea of constant blackouts from faulty lighting is a nightmare to many homeowners. Home wiring can be fatal if done incorrectly. There are many cases of death caused by a shock from faulty wires and electric fires.
7. Have Pests Removed
Having cockroaches, bedbugs, lice, rats, and others in your home is the worst experience ever. They can occupy any corner of your house, including your bed! What a nuisance. The worst part is that a small kids can try to catch and even try to kill them. You have more than enough reasons to make sure that your new house is pest free.
The most effective pest control method is the use of pesticides. These are chemicals used to kill pests and can be purchased in supermarkets or stores near you. There are other natural pest control methods, but they can’t be useful in a non –occupied house. So, pesticides use is the best option. However, pesticides are toxic and should be handled with care.
Before settling on a pesticide, you should consider the following tips.
- Identify the pests in the house to purchase the right pesticide
- Settle for less toxic pesticides
- Use the correct amount of pesticide
- Purchase pesticides from the right people to get the proper guidance on the use
Observing pesticide safety is among the best things to do before moving into a new home. You must ensure the house is cleaned well after pesticide use. Also, dispose of all the containers and any remaining chemicals.
8. Make Sure Everything Will Be Done on Time for Move In
You have prepared everything, and it’s time to move to your new home. But do you know which means of transportation to use? There are so many options out there, but the best is the use of truck rentals. They offer the best services that suit your needs.
The benefits of using truck rentals includes
- Vehicle transportation: You don’t need an extra cost to move your vehicle to your new home. Rental trucks have ball sockets to help you tow your vehicle up to your destination.
- Best for short and long distances: Regardless of the distance, truck rentals will ensure you get to your new home with ease.
- National coverage: Most truck rental companies have to pick up and drop –off places within the major cities in most countries.
- Saves you money: Truck rentals are affordable. Also, since you hire the right truck for your household goods, you will pay only once.
- Several truck sizes: If you have a few home items to transport, you can use a small-sized truck and save some coins. Most companies have many truck sizes, so it is easy to choose the right one for your luggage and manage to move in only one trip.
Choosing a rental truck service is also among the best things to do before moving in your new home. With the above benefits and availability of moving accessories, you will understand you’ve made the best choice. With the above guidelines, moving into a new home will be an easy walk. The critical factor is prior preparations and readiness. Strive to have a better home than the current one by making all your dream changes before relocating.
