Housekeeping Checklist for Your New Home Before Your Move
You’ve got a big move coming up. Your many checklists poureth over. There’s the matter of packing and unpacking, organizing and reorganizing and dealing with the move itself. Perhaps a housekeeping checklist for your new home before your move could help you to keep it all in perspective. Let’s break it down room by room.
Kitchen
The first room on your moving checklist should be the kitchen. This is often one of the smaller but busier rooms in a household. Before you start unpacking all of your cooking wares, plates, bowls and glasses you might want to consider a deep clean for all cabinets and drawers, inside and out.
While you’re at it, sanitize all countertops and the backsplash itself. If the seller left behind any appliances such as an oven, dishwasher or microwave then put a focus on those items as well. Lastly, carefully inspect and then clean the garbage disposal, which can be a source for unwanted odors.
Bathroom
Next up on the checklist for your new home are the bathrooms. You will want these rooms to shine before first use. Therefore, consider a solid scrub on all toilets, tubs and showers. This may include cleaning or even replacing any shower curtains and liners.
Mirrors and glass surfaces will also need to be tended to at this time. Spray down and wipe any cabinets, drawers and countertops and then let the mop take care of the rest. For both your kitchen and bathrooms, disinfectants should be your ally.
Living Areas/Bedrooms
These larger spaces will require a little more attention. To top your moving checklist here, start with closets before you begin to unpack your closet-related items. This should include a quick but thorough cleaning of all shelves, walls and floors. Once you move out of these smaller spaces it’s then time to get busy with these larger rooms. Give your attention to baseboards, doors and doorknobs. Dust and clean the ceiling fans before a proper sweep and mop and be sure to test any smoke detectors that were left behind.
Laundry Room/Garage/Porch or Patio
Did a previous owner leave a washer and/or dryer behind? If so, you will want to clean in and around both appliances. Also, be sure to check and clean the dryer vent. A clean dryer vent is critical to the safe operation of the appliance. A general inspection of all appliances is also recommended if this wasn’t covered in your home inspection.
Your moving checklist should then take you to your garage or parking space and then outdoors. Before parking, be sure to sweep the parking surface. Afterwards you might want to power wash or use a blower to get hard to reach surfaces. Also, use a broom to remove any high-hanging cobwebs. You might also wish to power wash your outdoor spaces such as a porch or patio and secure any outdoor wood flooring or framing with a fresh stain or sealant, if applicable.
These are just a few suggestions when it comes to narrowing your many checklists for your next big move. If you still have questions or need to schedule a mover then please reach out to IMS and ask for your free quote. Our vetted and insured residential moving specialists are always standing by.