Moving into a new home can be equal parts exciting and intimidating. You probably have lots of ideas for changes you want to make to the house after you’ve settled in, but why wait?
While many renovations can be done at any time, squeezing a few important ones in before the big move can take a lot of stress out of the process and make for an overall smoother transition.
Here are four that you should consider doing sooner rather than later:
Plumbing & electricity
Nothing can ruin your day quite like the smell of a house whose fridge can’t keep food fresh and whose toilet won’t flush. Even worse is having to tear holes in your walls, floors, and ceilings in order to fix a problematic leak or short circuit. And somehow worse still is not noticing that there’s a problem at all until your home suffers water damage or even a fire. Plumbing and electricity are the most essential systems in any building, but left unattended they can also be the most dangerous. Before moving in, make it a point to have a professional double-check every switch, valve, pipe, wire, and fixture in the house. Better safe than sorry.
Upgrade your window coverings
For those on a strict budget for your renovation project, you should try to purchase your blinds online and opt for a DIY measure and install. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to do and there are guides available online to help you with every step of the way, you can certainly save a small fortune in doing so.
Often, the goal of a renovation is to increase the value of your home while increasing the aesthetics of your interiors and exteriors. You can maximize this goal by looking into sourcing diy plantation shutters, they are considered the most luxurious and aesthetic window fixings, they’re great when viewed from the outside too, increasing curb side appeal.
Interior painting
This may seem like a minor renovation, and it certainly isn’t a pressing one. However, if you are planning on repainting any of the interior walls of your home, you might want to think about doing it now rather than later. Why? One word: furniture. Another word: people. Before you move in, your house isn’t going to have much in the way of either taking up space, so take advantage of that. Repainting a home when people have to live and work in it can cause chaos, and having to move around heavy pieces of furniture is a pain. Painting prior to the move can not only save you a big headache, but it can also keep your belongings from being turned into posthumous Jackson Pollack paintings.
Climate protection
All houses are not created equal. They can’t be, not when different environments require different renovations. If you’re looking at Burlington houses for sale, for example, keep in mind that Vermont’s cold temperatures and heavy snowfall will require additional winter-proofing and insulation. Alternatively, if you’re in the Tampa real estate market, you’ll need to invest in impact-resistant windows or shutters to protect against Florida’s frequent hurricanes. If you’ve purchased property in an area with extreme weather, chances are the previous owner already installed at least some of the necessary additions. But don’t take it for granted. Even if they did, double-check their work. Just because it was up to their standards doesn’t mean it’s up to yours.
Home security
Of all the items you’re bringing into your new house, none matter more than you and your loved ones. If you plan to install a home security system, don’t wait. Do it before the move and rest assured that, after a long day of lugging boxes back and forth from the U-Haul, no one and nothing is going to threaten your family’s safety. Likewise, make sure to install sturdy new locks on your doors and windows, and make sure all smoke alarms are fully functional. Your first night in your new home should allow you to rest easy.
