Moving in to a new house or condo takes a lot of preparation and can be very stressful especially if there’s no plan or guide to help you get things ready.
After signing on the dotted line and officially becoming new homeowners the clock begins ticking to the move in date. To help get a few things off your to-do-list here are a few important things to prepare for.
What Needs To Be Done To Prepare For Moving Day
Before moving into your new house or condo there is plenty that needs to get done to close things up in the current home you are living in. Begin to research moving companies in the Ottawa area. Get recommendations from friends and family who have recently used the services of professional movers. Get estimates from at least three local companies.
Start preparing your change of address notifications so that all mail will be delivered to the new address.
Begin the decluttering process in your current home. Selling or donating clothing, furniture and such before can reduce the amount of packing that will need to be done. It will also inevitably reduce the amount of unpacking to be done in the new space. If you haven’t used it in 5 years consider donating it.
If you are going to be doing some renovations or improvements to the new home, make a list of the contractors you want to hire. Updating the new space can include things like interior painting to give the new space a refresh and add the colours you choose to personalize your home decor. There are other contractors you may want to consider, such as electricians to upgrade any interior lighting, heat and air conditioning experts, and plumbers. Lining up these professionals ahead of the move in date can be helpful in knowing ahead of time what to budget for.
To Be Done Before Moving In
First things first, it is imperative that the locks on any of the exterior doors be changed. Changing the locks on the doors will ensure that no one else has access to your home. Over time as homeowners we all make several spare copies of keys to our front or back doors, changing them before moving in ensures that you have first and only access to your new home.
If your a handy kind of person that knows how to change a door lock than go for it. There are plenty of door locks sold in all the big box stores at decent prices. There are plenty of options to choose from these days with the modern key less entry locks to the old school lock and key. If you are not driven to install it yourself, hire a professional Ottawa locksmith.
Painting Walls and Ceilings
It is a good idea to hire a professional painter in Ottawa to take care of all the necessary painting of the interior and exterior of your new home. If the painting is done before moving in it will avoid your having to move furniture and boxes around.
It is easier for both the homeowner and painter to do the painting before moving in. Having an empty house is easier for the painters to work in and for the homeowners it avoids the stress of having to move furniture and boxes around.
Giving the interior a fresh coat of paint and adding new paint colours before moving in is a great way to refresh your new property.
Electrical
Make sure you get a professional to test all mechanical equipment is cleaned and serviced to ensure that the furnace and air conditioner in your new home or condo are in proper working condition.
You don’t want to get stuck at -40 degree weather in Ottawa and the furnace won’t come or with our hot humid summers have to suffer through the heat. You want to be able to just flip on the switch and have them both working. Avoid paying for an emergency service call in the middle of winter or summer and take preventive action to ensure that everything runs perfectly and safely by hiring a professional furnace and air conditioner specialist in Ottawa.
If it’s a new home you don’t really have to worry about the electrical as it should be all up to code since it’s a new build.
If you’re moving into an older Ottawa home then it’s advisable for you to ensure that all the electrical stuff is working properly, efficiently and safely.
You should hire the services of a professional electrician at Tri-Wave Electric Ltd in Ottawa to take care of servicing these issues.
Moving Day
Changing neighborhoods or sometimes even cities can be a huge stressor when moving into a new home. Planning and prioritizing what needs to be done can reduce some of that stress.
Organizing the move in several steps with a to-do checklist will help you feel that progress is being made gradually.
There is plenty that needs to be done before and after a move and we hope these tips can be useful. If you’re looking for a painting contractor give us a call or email.
This post was first published on February 11, 2017 and edited on May 20, 2021
