Springtime brings warmer weather, more sunshine, and a start to the busiest home-selling months. Once you have found your dream home, many steps happen along the way before you get those keys in your hand – completing the home inspection, finalizing your home loan, and signing the endless paperwork. It may seem very stressful, but just think of the end result!
Here are a few important things to add to your move-in checklist:
- Turn on utilities – One of the first things you will require when you move into your new home is the use of the home’s utilities. With all the unpacking and moving things around, you will want to wash your hands, take a relaxing shower, and sit comfortably in your new home at the end of a long moving day. If you don’t call ahead of time to have your water, electricity, and gas turned on the day you move in, you could be very uncomfortable in your new home.
- Schedule move-in cleaning – While many home sellers have the house cleaned as a courtesy to the buyers before closing day, sometimes it isn’t always realistic. Plus, wouldn’t you feel better knowing your new home was cleaned to your standards? Having your new home deep cleaned, including tile and carpets, would be ideal, but any kind of cleaning that fits your budget will be a clean start in your new home!
- Replace smoke detector batteries – Many homeowners regularly change their smoke and carbon monoxide detector batteries, but since you won’t know when they were changed last it is important to take care of this right after you move in. The last thing you want to hear is the annoying sound at 2 a.m. telling you one of the batteries is low (not to mention the stress of finding it in your new home) after a long day of moving and unpacking!
- Schedule mail forwarding – Make sure to contact your local post office from your previous address to have your mail forwarded. With so many doctors, companies, and websites having our addresses saved, it is easy to forget to contact several on the list before moving to have the address changed. Having your mail forwarded to your new address will make things easier, and when you get a piece of mail from somewhere that still has your old address, it will remind you to contact the company to have your address changed in their system!
- Replace toilet seats – Homeowners don’t usually think about this one, but everybody has their own toilet seat preference. Some people like plastic, some like wood, and others like soft cushy ones. No matter what you choose, add this to your list on your next trip to the home improvement store.
- Clean window drapes – Any kind of linens that the previous owners left behind will have scents and dust left behind. In order to make the home feel more like yours, have the window linens cleaned at a dry cleaner to freshen them up and get rid of any odors.
- The process of moving is a stressful, yet exciting time for everyone. At Five Star, we are happy to help make the process easier for you. Contact us today for any of your plumbing, HVAC, electrical, insulation, and indoor air quality needs for your existing or new home! We have convenient locations in Greenville, Spartanburg, Oconee, and Charleston, South Carolina, as well as Henderson, North Carolina, and surrounding areas.