Once the house hunting, contract negotiations and closing process is complete, decorating a home may be the last thing you want to consider on your new home to-do list. However, some strategic, advanced planning can make moving in and unpacking easier and help your design goals in the long run. Read on for a list of design updates every homeowner should do before moving in.
Update the Floors
Refinishing the wood floors or replacing any existing flooring, such as carpet, tile or wood, should be done before you move in. After your furniture has been moved in and assembled, replacing or refinishing the flooring can be labor-intensive, time-consuming and an all-around hassle. Timeless selections, such as mid-tone wood floors in a walnut hue, checkerboard tile or a neutral sisal-look carpet, are ways to make this important update while being confident they will work with the rest of your home.
Paint the Living Areas and Bedrooms
Painting is one of the most common home updates for new buyers before moving in. If you feel overwhelmed by paint choices, start with the bedrooms. Painting the bedrooms can help you feel settled, and that space is complete. If the communal living spaces have paint colors that you can’t live with but don’t know the room’s design direction yet, paint these rooms a warm, creamy white so you can create a neutral backdrop. Once you make a design scheme for the room, you can repaint these rooms.
Determine the Purpose of Each Room
Creating a focus for each room will make it easier to direct the movers when they’re moving the furniture. This will save you from having to move heavy pieces after the moving day is over. It may be tempting to unload all the boxes and undecided furniture pieces into one area. However, if you can determine the function of each room before moving in, the movers can place the boxes and furniture pieces in the appropriate space.
Measure the Rooms
Measuring the rooms before you move in means you can order furniture, window treatments, rugs and any other items you’ll need. By ordering these items before moving in, you can plan to have them delivered around the time you move in.
Deep Clean
Depending on the terms of your contract, you should invest in additional deep cleaning before you move in. This may include deep cleaning the carpet and upholstered pieces, such as window treatments, that will be staying in the home, as well as areas like the inside of the appliances, the interior windows, light fixtures, baseboards and any other areas that could use some deeper cleaning.
Change the Locks, Code and Camera Log-In Details
While this isn’t a design update, making these critical updates will help to keep your home safe and secure. If you have time between the closing date and the move-in date, keeping your home secure is essential since you won’t be living in the house yet and may appear vacant.
