So, you’ve found a new home — now what? Prior to the big move, your to-do list was a mile long. You needed to update your address, look into movers, and turn on the utilities. However, before you started arranging furniture and décor, you needed to sell that house and clean your new place too.
The previous tenants cleaned prior to moving, but dust and dirt were stirred up and tracked in amid the moving chaos. Cleaning your new house before moving in ensures that when you take a deep sigh of relief after the packing and settling in is done, you can finally sit down and relax.
To help you know what to consider cleaning-wise, here are a few helpful tips:
How Cleaning and Repairs Can Help Your Old Home
Before you can enjoy your new home, you need to get your old one in great shape. If you’re leaving an apartment, this is a great way to help you receive your security deposit upon departure. If you’re selling a home, however, it means so much more. Giving the property a good cleaning, which also involves making necessary repairs to the interior and exterior of the home, can help give your appraisal value a boost, which is doubly important if the property has languished on the market for a while. While it’s great to get things ready for your new space, don’t neglect the old one before you’ve packed up and moved on.
Banish Allergens
If you’re an allergy sufferer, have pets, or the previous owners had pets, you know how miserable you feel when dust, pollen, and pet dander accumulate in your home and wreak havoc on the indoor air quality. To reduce allergens, start by cleaning and vacuuming all surfaces, especially carpets. Any bedding, curtains, rugs, and throw pillows should be cleaned to remove any dust or dirt that may have accumulated during the move. It can’t hurt to wipe down or vacuum furniture as well.
To make things easier now and going forward, consider a cordless vacuum for quick cleanings. They are lightweight, and most come with a HEPA filter to trap even the smallest particles and allergens. Another item worth investing in is an air purifier. This will really come in handy while using all those cleaning products, and will remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air should you be making any improvements such as painting, staining, and caulking.
Inspect Everything
From afar, your new place might look pretty clean, but once you get up close you might notice a few things. Walk through your new home and be on the lookout for any hidden cleaning projects such as a dirty filter or dingy shower grout. Get down low and look for scuff marks or scratches on floors and baseboards. Before you fret and jump to the worst-case scenario (replacing flooring), employ DIY scratch repair methods such as a wood stain pen or furniture polish. Any scuff marks can likely be buffed out with a cleaning cloth. Inspect the walls too for any dirt, grime, or marks that can be wiped away with a sponge eraser. And don’t forget to look over appliances like the refrigerator, microwave, washing machine, and dryer.
Have a Cleaning Strategy
Cleaning an entire home is a huge undertaking, so start by putting together a list of what you need to accomplish from room to room. Start by cleaning the rooms you’ll be using right off such as the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms. Areas like the dining room, study or laundry room need to be cleaned too, but they aren’t a priority. However, you should ultimately clean everything, so have a cleaning plan in place.
You’ll want to clean all surfaces you and your family frequently come in contact with such as appliance buttons, door handles, light switches, sinks, toilets, and showers. Go ahead and give those areas you’ll likely never clean again a once-over such as vents/fans, inside cabinets, behind appliances, as well as the basement and attic.
If you’re easily overwhelmed or have too much else to do, consider hiring a maid service. Having the professionals come in to give your new place a deep, thorough clean will help you sleep — and breathe — easier at night.
Cleaning your home, as well as handling any necessary repairs you may notice as a result, prior to moving in ensures that all those moving boxes don’t get in the way. While you clean, keep your focus on ridding your new apartment or home of dust and allergens. Tackle one cleaning project at a time, reward yourself with plenty of breaks, and your new place will be spick-and-span in no time.
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