Whether you’ve bought a new house or rented another apartment, changing homes usually comes with a lot of excitement.
Yet a new home comes with a lot of responsibilities. You’ll need to ensure that the place is secure, and things are laid in their proper positions. Knowing exactly what to do in your new home is crucial to a happy and peaceful stay in it. Below are a few tips to help and guide you.
Ask Questions. Before you settle in, you’ll want to know a little about your new place. If you’re staying in a multiple floor building, keep in mind that a lot of things can affect you. What happens if the elevator stops working? Are there enough workers available? What steps are to be taken in case of an emergency?
Do a Thorough Cleaning. If the house has been swept clean before your arrival, that’s great! Yet you may not know who was at the house last or when exactly they left. At the moment, we are unsure of how long COVID-19 can last on surfaces like kitchen counters, doorknobs and sinks. Therefore, it’s better you clean the house before settling in.
Get a bucket. Add a mixture of detergent and bleach and clean as much as you can, focusing on commonly touched places. When you are done, take out your usual air fresheners and spray. You will be surprised how the scent and delight would help you settle in more quickly.
Security First. Don’t think about it and don’t delay it at all. Get a new lock and key. The real estate company may have changed the locks, but you can’t be sure that no one else has an extra key. Putting the extra effort might seem like a lot but having new locks will give you peace if mind and put you in total control of your home.
You would also need to install your home security. If you have a contract with a home security provider, call them or go online to update your details. There are also various user-friendly security systems you can install by yourself. A quick tour around your local store and you’ll be able to select one that is suitable for you.
Get the Basics in Place. You should always have items in place for an emergency. Things like first aid kits, analog radios, torchlights, bandages should be kept in easily accessible places.
Have food and water stocked up in your kitchen? Enough for you to stay at home for about three weeks without going out to buy anything.
Remember hygiene too. Place hand sanitizers at strategic places. At the dining table and close to the front door where visitors can use immediately, they come in.
Set up Your Workspace. This could be in a corner of your room or the far end of your living room. Make sure the place is comfortable, well-lit, accessible to electricity, and devoid of distractions.
A good workspace is important if you’ve got a remote job or you work as a freelancer. You will need a place that enhances your focus and helps to keep your productivity at peak level.
Inspect Your HVAC system. Your furnace and A/C are necessary for your daily living. Imagine a summer with a dysfunctional A/C or a fireplace that only gives you misery. Check cooling and heating units, ducts, and insulation for anything that might seem off. This will give you plenty of time to schedule an appointment with a technician in case you need to.
Find Your Circuit Breaker. In case there is a fault in the electrical system, a circuit breaker will automatically stop the flow of electricity. You will thereafter need to reset it after the problem is gone. Knowing where your circuit breaker is located will help you easily reset it even in the dark.
Decorate. Not everyone will be lucky to meet their favorite paint colors in their new home. Except you are the type that doesn’t care too much, getting the house repainted should be top of the list. It may give you a bit of stress but the look, the smell of freshness can be would more than compensate.
While everyone has unique preferences, it is never a good idea to use one color for all the rooms. For example, if your favorite color is off white, you can decide to use it for your living room and go for lime green in your bedroom. Or you could do it the other way round.
You can also decide to try out other colors apart from your favorites. You can select among soft pink, electric blue, light cream fuchsia, bright yellow, lemon, or orange. Variety is the spice of life, they say.
Whichever you choose, always go for bright colors that would allow sunlight and energy to circulate.
Arrange Your Home with Style. Figuring out how best to set your up your living room and inner rooms can a weighty concern. You’ll want the rooms to be functional and comfortable at the same time. Whether you’re buying new furniture or using the one from your old home, here are a few tips you’ll find useful.
- Always keep a reasonable distance between the chairs and the TV. Having them too close to the screen is dangerous to the eyes, whereas keeping them too far will make viewing experience unpalatable.
- Think of traffic flow. You’ll spaces in between chairs and in between a chair and a wall so people can easily move around the living room.
- Make use of free online tools. These will help you arrange furniture in your new home.
- Place drawers and cabinets at larger spaces.
When setting up your new home, you’ll discover there’s a lot of things to do. However it’s important you prioritize what needs to be done immediately, with security in mind before moving on to other less pressing matters. After all, designing your home is something that never really stops. You can keep tweaking the shape of things till you get what really satisfies you.
