Moving into a new home is fun, but comes with a lot of work, especially when you are planning a move over the holidays. The following guest post should help you stay organized both before and after your move if you are in this situation.
Organizational Ideas Before and After Moving
People tend to get really excited when it is time for them to move to another house. And this is understandable. It’s a major step, no doubt about it. However, not everybody gives it much of a thought about all the details that surround a removal or move. A lot of things must be taken good care of not only prior to moving, but even after you have already moved to your new home. So, in order to be as carefree as possible, take notice of the following moving ideas.
Things that should be done before moving out
If the place you are leaving is a rented house/apartment, then you most probably have given your landlord a deposit. A certain sum you would probably like to receive back. In order to retrieve your money, you are expected to leave the dwelling in the good condition it used to be when you moved in. If, however, you are the owner of the place, you might want to make it sparkling clean so that you could easily sell the premises.
Whatever the case might be, consider the following:
1. Patch up the holes
When all artwork and paintings are already removed from the walls (as well as nails and screws), fill out all holes with spackle. Sanding the surface in order to achieve a smooth wall that will be easily painted over is optional.
2. Clean all kitchen appliances
If the oven and fridge were already there when you moved in, a good thing to do is to give them a thorough cleaning. Same goes for the situation where they belong to you, but you’d like to sell them along with the house.
3. A good overall cleaning
Clean your apartment/house all over. Don’t forget that cleanliness makes the first impression. However, if you don’t feel like cleaning, if the task seems too difficult or time-consuming for you, don’t forget that there are plenty of cleaning companies that are always at your service.
4. Empty the place
Leaving behind a couple of packets of flour or the old drying rack does not count as doing your landlord/future owner of the premises a favor. Whatever belongs to you and you think you will still be using, take with you. Throw away everything else.
5. Collect all keys
Including those, given to your neighbors/parents and all spare ones. You will no longer inhabit the place, so you won’t need any keys. They are to be given to the landlord/new owner of the premises.
6. Do a walk-through
Present the good looking clean house to the landlord/buyer. This will prove that you have been taking good care of the house/apartment.
What must be done before you move in
Once you have already left the old behind, there are some things you need to pay attention to before you move into your new home.
1. Get a new toilet seat
This has to do with the whole bathroom, rather than with the seat itself. After all, you are not familiar with the former owner’s hygiene habits, and how often s/he used the bathroom. Decrease the probability of contracting a nasty disease. And do change the seat.
2. Change all locks
You can never be sure whether the former owner has left a key to the house for himself, so don’t take the risk.
3. Call an exterminator
Calling an exterminator for a roundup check is a good idea, even if there are no visible signs of insects and rodents.
4. Disinfect all kitchen appliances
If, say, the apartment/house you buy comes with a fridge and an oven, don’t immediately start using them. Again, this has to do with the hygiene habits of the place’s former inhabitants. It might take you a bit more time to make these appliances clean, but it’s worth it. After all, these are the places where you store or cook your food.
5. Do not use left behind food products
It’s too much of a risk. The food could be out of date and make you sick.
Moving is exciting, but if you want the house to actually be turned into a home, matters have to be taken in your own hands. For additional moving tips, check out http://www.movingcompanies.co.uk/page-removals-uk.html.
There are cases when people leave behind things when moving out. They think that the thing they will leave will be of use to the next resident. However, this does not sit well with many landlords, they may even have grounds not to give back your deposit in full as you were not able to clean the whole place up.
Good and useful tips!
When me and my boyfriend moved out of our tiny house in Vancouver, I was so happy. But after moving it was so hard to unpack.
Unpacking can be a nightmare! After each move, my moving boxes hung around for awhile…LOL
Thanks for the great post! When I moved into my new apartment in Los Angeles, I used a
storage unit in west Los Angeles to add more space to my apartment and keep things safe. Storage units are also great for college students since dorms can be small. Also, you can easily find units at a reasonable price.
Packers and Movers will always help you to move your home with ease….
I agree with you, but moving is such a huge expense that sometimes the homeowners can’t afford to hire packers and movers to help them with their move.