We know you’re excited to move into your new house; we get it! Before you do, be sure to tackle these three things first.
Service Your HVAC System and Clean the Ducts
Have your furnace and air conditioner serviced to avoid unexpected repairs in the near future. We’ve had clients take ownership of a house, only to be confronted with a failed furnace weeks later. It’s a costly repair and one that most people haven’t budgeted for.
A professional inspection and cleaning will extend the life of these important components because you don’t want to bear the costs of replacing the furnace or air conditioner when you’ve already spent so much on a new house.
You should also have the ductwork of the HVAC system cleaned before you move in. You never know what’s lurking in the vents; dander, cigarette butts, dust, the previous owner’s long-lost cat; you name it, we’ve seen it.
Rekey Locks and Reset Codes
This one we cannot stress enough. You must rekey all exterior locks, reprogram all keypads, and do a hard reset on the garage door opener(s).
There’s no knowing how many copies of your house keys are out there. The previous owners’ friends and family could have keys, as could service workers who were given one when they were doing work on the home.
If there’s a garage door opener, you also want to reset it and delete any existing remote codes that exist. Most garage door openers are easy to reset. If you’re unsure, check the manufacturer’s website for instructions, but it’s often as simple as pressing and holding the “LEARN” button for an extended period of time.
You never know who can access your new home. We discussed a crazy story about a woman who had a break-in during her first month in her new home, and you have to listen to it.
Professionally Clean the Carpet
If there’s carpeting in the home you’re moving into, getting them professionally cleaned is a must.
You might be surprised at how many germs, hair, bacteria, skin cells, fungal spores, and who-knows-what-else is lurking in the carpet.
According to this HomeAdvisor study, the average carpet has over 30 times more germs than a refrigerator door handle and over 5 times more than a toilet seat. Yikes!
If this isn’t enough to move carpet cleaning to the top of your moving to-do list, carpets also tend to trap odours and allergens, especially if the previous owners were smokers or had pets.
Have your carpets professionally cleaned before you move in. It’s much easier than moving all of your furniture around after you’ve gone through the trouble of moving it in and arranging it how you want.
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