Are you getting prepared for a house move soon?
If you’re looking at moving home, it’s highly likely you have a massive to-do list on your hands. You are already knee-deep in chores that can threaten to derail your schedule and life complexly as you prepare for the next stage of your life.
But preparing your home for your departure and the arrival of a new family and new adventure can be bittersweet. The last thing you want to do is to leave the house in a poor state for the new owners. But at the same time, cleaning away memories until all traces of you have left can be challenging.
This post looks at some of the more overlooked and often forgotten aspects of a house move. There are some sneaky tips to help you get packed up easier and prepare your new house. Then you can ensure you’re leaving your home in the very best condition for its new owners.
So without further ado and in no particular order, make sure to pop the following on your house move checklist.
Deep Clean
Both homes will likely need a deep clean. Especially if you aren’t getting any renovation work done and are moving right in. However, deep cleaning two homes while packing and preparing for the move-in day can be pretty challenging.
It can be worthwhile to put together a checklist to ensure everything is spick and span before moving in. From cleaning down walls and ceilings to looking under kickboards, scrubbing down the bathroom, and wiping over cupboards before filling them, every aspect of your new home should be cleaned.
In turn, you need to leave your home in good clean condition, ready for the new owners. It can be worth hiring a cleaning company to take care of this for you. It will ensure everything is sparkling clean and ready for you.
Pest Control
You will likely know if your current home has a pest issue. You have taken steps to eradicate any signs of pests, but your new home might have a few surprises.
This may be true If it has been empty for a while or you are moving to an area known for higher levels of bugs and pests. Whether you need rodent elimination, Removal of Spiders, or even wasp nests taken care of, call in the professionals to give your home a good check. Carry out pest removal services so you can move in knowing no one else is living there with you too.
Get Pet or Child Sitters
Moving can be busy and stressful and take more than one day in some cases. Especially if you are moving out of state or relocating to a completely different area.
If you have children and pets, take a moment to think about how the process will go with them around. Consider the increased stress the move might be causing. Especially pets and how easily realistically it will be to move with them around. Pets especially can be highly sensitive when there is a lot of activity going on.
Ask family members or friends to help you out with some child or pet sitting for the day or overnight. This allows you to take care of the move without worrying if they’re ok. It may eliminate distractions. The less you have to worry about, the easier it will be for everyone.
Move Valuables and Sensitive Information Separately
This means anything you keep in a safe at home, any documents or paperwork, and high-value items. Many people forget to locate these items and they end up thrown in with other boxes and lost.
When you move, make a point of keeping them all together and ensuring you know how they are. It can be worthwhile leaving them with someone you trust or even in a locked storage unit. Then you know where they are when you need them. Once the move is completed, you can retrieve them and put them in a safe place in your new home.
Round Up Spare Keys
How many spare keys do you have for your home? It’s highly likely the new owners won’t appreciate your friends and family being able to access the property post-house move. Now is the ideal time to round up all those keys you have left with others for a reason. Have them to hand ready for use by the new owners.
However, on the flip side, the previous occupiers of your new place might not have thought ahead on this point. The last thing you want is for people to access your new home without your knowledge.
If you aren’t confident you have all of the keys, get new locks installed on main entrances and doorways. It can help you to feel more secure and eliminate the worry of space key issues.
Labels
Label everything everywhere. Especially if you are hiring movers and won’t be there to direct them to the new home when they arrive. Have a label for each box and ensure it is marked with the right room too. Your movers won’t be psychic. And you probably won’t remember what is in each box either, so this can be helpful.
Why not put a main packing list together for each box and number them? Use a spreadsheet if you wish to number the box, list its contents, the room it needs to go in, and if any items are fragile. This way, when you do come to unpack, you can locate the things you need easier and faster. And be sure they are placed in the right rooms without you having to move them around.
Moving home is one of the most stressful things you can go through. Packing up one home and preparing a house to become your home can be overwhelming. These tips are designed to hope you remember the things many people tend to forget to do. It can help make the process easier and smoother all around.