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What steps make moving into your new home a great experience?
Whether you just bought your first home or signed the lease for a new apartment, making a short list of must do items can ease the transition. We all make assumptions about what to expect when a big move looms large in our future. Here a few ideas to consider while the ink is drying on that mortgage or lease agreement.
1. Consider working with a professional organizer.
Moving can be stressful enough without worrying about where certain essential items are hidden in the pile of moving boxes marked only by the name of the room – kitchen, master bedroom, bath. A professional organizer can pack and mark your boxes, so you’ll know what is in them. When you unpack you won’t have to search each box marked “Kitchen” to find the coffee filters. If you like, they can even help you sort through and recycle those items that you’d rather not move into your new home. In addition, they can safely dispose of any hazardous materials, like old batteries, or cleaners and detergents that contain hidden contaminants.
2. Find a locksmith and change your locks.
When you are handed the keys to your new home, don’t assume that they are the only set in circulation. This is especially true with rentals but could be equally true with a house. If it is a rental, coordinate with your landlord. Changing all the locks does not always mean new hardware, unless the locks are old, worn and easily jimmied. There are so many new lock choices on the market; a good locksmith can provide you with an array of choices that will keep your family and your home safe.
3. Deep clean your new digs.
A deep cleaning will get you off to the right start in your new home. Even if your new place looks clean, when the rooms are empty, you have the perfect opportunity to do a thorough cleaning, getting into all the corners, cupboards, closets, and hard to reach places. A deep green cleaning, utilizing eco friendly cleaning products and steam can disinfect surfaces without using toxins. Non toxic cleaning products are no long considered a luxury, but a necessity to protect us and the environment. You may want to consider getting your windows cleaned, too, inside and out. This is a great time to mark your calendar for a weekly, monthly, quarterly or twice-yearly green cleaning schedule.
4. Paint before you move in.
If your new home needs interior painting, this is a chance to tackle that. As with deep cleaning, an empty house is much easier to paint. Many homes, when readied for sale are painted some shade of white. Your palette choice with today’s paint selection, covers a broad spectrum from deep vibrant colors to subtle pastels. If you are entering into a rental agreement, you’ll need to confer with management to see if a fresh coat of paint can be negotiated. If they’ve just painted it white after the last tenant, you may want to offer to paint an accent wall or two, at your expense to seal the deal.
5. Find out when the heating/cooling system was serviced last.
When buying a home, the inspection should include a review of things like the age and condition of the water heater and the heating/cooling system. That they are in working order is one thing. You will also want to ask if they have received regular maintenance. If not, you’ll want to set up a schedule. Many thermostats automatically notify you when filters need to be changed, but if they don’t – mark your filter with the date it is installed and mark your calendar to remind you when to change it, based on manufacturer specifications. Due to hard water conditions in some areas (high mineral content), older water heaters may need to be drained on a periodic basis, to remove mineral residue from the bottom of the tank.
Getting off on the right foot can make a big difference.
Before your move, if you are in search of resources or advice, give us a call. Our green cleaning team in San Rafael, Marin County specializes in “Move-In” deep cleaning, using steam and non toxic cleaning products. Our work brings us into contact with a number of professionals whom we refer to with confidence. If you need help finding a local professional organizer, a locksmith, a painter or a handyman, call us today at (415) 519-7404.
