Steps You Should Take Before Moving Into a New House Home Decoration Home Improvement by Diana Smith - January 22, 2016January 22, 2016 Steps You Should Take Before Moving Into a New House Buying a new house is one of the most joyful occasions in one’s life. However, with that joy come some important responsibilities. No matter how ideal it seemed during the purchase, a new house is never a finished good. That does not mean that you have to completely remodel it in order to move in. Some small updates which will allow you to start fresh in your new home will be enough. Most of them you can do it on your own (with a little help from your friends, of course), but some will require professionals to step into the game. If you are feeling lost already, here is a short list of what should be your priorities. Change the Locks First and foremost, you have to change the locks on the exterior doors. You never know who can have the keys of the unchanged locks: previous owners, their friends, realtors or maintenance workers. In this case good faith actually does hurt. It does not mean that these people have bad intentions, but for your piece of mind buy and install new set of locks or call a locksmith to switch them out. Pest-Proof Even if you do not see any bugs and pests and the previous owner assured you there are no such menaces in the house, taking precautionary measures is the wise thing to do. It is better to do that while the house is still empty, because, later on, it will be hard to maneuver with the furniture and people living inside. Image – creativecommons.org Deep Clean Even if the previous owners left the house clean, you still need to deep clean everything for your own comfort. Clean the floors, windows and the baseboards. Move on to wiping down all the shelves, countertops, drawers and all the other items people who lived there before, left behind. If there is any furniture or carpets left, steam cleaning would do the best job. Paint Job In most of the cases a new house requires new walls. If the walls have some cracks, holes or similar defects, the painting job will evolve into something much more complicated than a simple applying new coat of paint. In that case, you should call the professionals. Otherwise, you can try to paint the house by yourself. Image – creativecommons.org Get Rid of Some Things Inspect the house from all the previous homeowners’ leftovers. The unwanted items can vary from a plastic bucket to an old couch. Though you can take this “treasure hunt” upon yourself, when it comes to getting rid of the treasure, you will need some help. Do not worry, no matter whether you need rubbish removal in Sydney, Melbourne or any other city, you will find the offer more than satisfying. Install New Switch Plates and Other Devices This especially goes if the house is older, because it can have mismatched outlets, discolored cover plates and damaged air vent covers. Replacing them will not only make the house look newer and cleaner, but it will also contribute to overall life quality. While switching out a cover plate can be performed by amateur, for the rest of the electrical devices, you will need professional help. Image – creativecommons.org Install Window Treatments “Dressing” the windows is not only a matter of appearance, but also privacy and safety. Consider what kind of treatments you need before even moving in, so you can have those custom made or bought on time. You do not want to spend your first night in your new home while your belongings and your family are on display for everyone outside. If you have done all of the above, reward yourself with good night sleep. There is no need to unpack all of the boxes the first day. After all, you have a lifetime in your new home, take it one day at the time.