Congratulations on securing a home in Hamilton, Newcastle! This suburb in Newcastle, NSW, Australia, is a great place to live. And you might be super excited about getting away from your old home and city. But new beginnings and fresh starts are always tricky.
Hopefully, you’ve already applied the minimalist principles to your physical possessions, packed thoughtfully, and found the best moving company. But it’s not over just yet. Setting up your new space before you get there is also an essential part of the move.
In this article, we’ve outlined a few basics of prepping your new home before you’ve moved in, or at least before you’ve unpacked.
1. Schedule basic home improvements
Unless your home is ‘brand-new,’ we are confident you will require some repairs. Whether it’s the cracking paint on the ceiling, the porch that looks like it has never been cleaned, or the kitchen that you feel like you just can’t work in. Everything needs to change according to your likeness and comfort. Start with the basics, like, the plumbing. Get any dripping faucets, leaky pipes, running toilets, slow or clogged drains, or corroded hot water systems fixed before you move in.
You can look for a trusted plumber Hamilton offers to get that first task off your checklist. No matter how big or small, you can trust The Plumbing Life Saver for all your needs. They are available 24/7 and offer affordable plumbing solutions in Newcastle and the surrounding areas.
2. Make a mental map of home decor
At this point, you may also want to create an interior design mind map — a visual summary of how you’d like to incorporate different interior design elements, such as lighting, texture, colors, lines, and forms, to ensure your space is balanced.
For example, when styling the lounge, you may set up a quiet reading space with a lamp, bookcase, couch, and console. Create a warm, rustic-inspired kitchen accent with all things wood. Bring out all your wooden utensils — spoons, spatulas, cheese boards — and put them on display. You can minimize visual bulk by using glass furnishings for a lamp base or a coffee table. Whether it’s your favorite photo or a statement piece of art you bought at an exhibition; unpacking will be a cakewalk for you once you know the aesthetic you want to go with.
3. Schedule a deep cleaning session
Assuming other people lived in this space before you, it’s worth scheduling a deep clean before move-in day. Imagine the frustration of having to arrange a sofa, chairs, coffee table, bookshelf, recliners, and ottomans in the living room only to discover you have to take it all out and remove mold from baseboards and walls first!
You can save money by cleaning the house yourself if you live nearby. If you’re moving from afar or need more time, hire a professional cleaning service. Whoever cleans doesn’t matter if your house is free of dirt, debris, and mold. While you’re at it, consider also hiring professional pest exterminators to remove any cockroaches, mice, ants, or other insects that might have taken up residence in the openings around the utility lines or in the gaps around your windows and doors.
4. Child/pet-proof your home
If you’ve young kids or pets, you’ll need to take extra precautions to keep everyone safe. Here are a few things you can do to child-or pet-proof your new home:
- Keep breakables, sharp objects, and alcohol in high kitchen cabinets.
- Put locks on the oven door and any lower cabinets or storage spaces you use to keep everyday household items that are highly flammable (disinfectant sprays, drain cleaners, aerosol cans, cooking oil)
- Create a separate zone for discarded packing material and mark it as a no-go area.
- Use tamper-resistant knob covers for your stove and doors.
- Put away appliances with electrical cords in upper cabinets or at the counter’s far end toward the wall.
- Baby-proof all electrical outlets.
- Check that the windows are securely closed.
- Any extension cords on the floor or running along a wall or across a room can cause a tripping hazard. Route them around door frames, hide them behind furniture, or pass them through the baseboard.
5. Set up utilities and connectivity
Make sure your utilities like electricity, heating and cooling, gas, water, cable, phone service, and Wi-fi are all transferred or set up for your move-in date.
Plan days in advance so that if someone needs to visit your new home for the installation and setup, you can schedule the appointment as soon as you need it. Depending on how far you’re moving, some businesses will let you transfer service from one place to another. Other times, you’ll need to cancel one location before starting over at another.
Wrapping Up
Finding a new home, and that too, in a new city, is no easy feat. Half the job is done, but the rest is a challenging ride. Use the above tips to prepare for the adventure of setting up a new home. When you arrive at the new house, identify what you want to have ready and in working order, and make arrangements in that priority order. And if you don’t immediately feel at “home,” don’t worry. Enjoy the transition to a new home while you can.