Packing up your entire home and relocating can be extremely overwhelming. In order to make the move a smooth transition, there are a few things to check up on at your new home prior to moving in. Avoid any extra stresses by checking off these five tasks for your new home.

• Change the Locks

Changing the locks on all your doors is an important step to feeling safe in your new home. As kind as the previous owners may have been, it’s nice knowing there isn’t anyone out there but you that has a key to your home. It’s best to schedule this task before moving all your belongings in to avoid any time period of unsecured doors during the transition. 

• Deep Clean the House

 Hopefully, the previous owners took care of cleaning and preparing the house when they first moved out, but there are some areas to check on just to be sure the place is in pristine condition. It’s easiest to clean the hard-to-reach places before you move in and there aren’t any objects in the way. Some areas to deep clean might include inside cupboards, the washer and dryer, fridge, oven, stove, and dishwasher. Do not forget to check the curtains. Most window decoration is washable, but sometimes it needs to be replaced. Pax Raamdecoratie is a very good supplier of all kinds of blinds.

• Inspect for Mold

The last thing you need is to settle into your new home only to discover it has a mold issue. The minimum you should do is at least inspect for leaks, odors, or visible signs of mold throughout the house. However, now is the prime time to schedule a mold inspection and cleanup to detect the air quality of your home and find any hidden mold. 

• Check Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors

Speaking of air quality, make sure to check the carbon monoxide detector and smoke alarms throughout the house. It’s a relief knowing that your home is equipped with up-to-date and working monitors for you and your family’s safety. If the house doesn’t have a carbon monoxide detector yet, then now is the perfect time to purchase and install one before moving in.

• Inspect the Plumbing

Make sure that the plumbing is in mint condition before moving in rather than discovering it too late. Check for leaks and any signs of water damage, and make any appointments you need to fix leaks and issues. This will not only make things run smoother, but it will also save your water bill. While you’re at it, take a look at the water heater as well. Now is a good time to flush your water heater of sediment and check if it has a water softener as well.

There is already a long list of to-dos when it comes to moving out of your house, but many things go overlooked and forgotten when it comes to the new house. Give careful consideration to the different tasks listed to make your new major change a little easier. You will feel confident and relieved moving into your new home knowing you’ve changed the locks, deep cleaned the place, inspected for mold, checked the air and alarms, and inspected the plumbing.

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As 2019 comes to a close, new home decor trends are on the rise for 2020. Some of our favorite trends this year are making their way into the new year, while other trends are just starting anew. Keep your home trendy and classy with these five ongoing and new home decor trends.

• Bring Life to Your Home

Add some freshness to your home with tasteful houseplants. If you’re not much of a green thumb, then look for low-maintenance plants such as succulents, snake plants (don’t worry, this plant gets its name solely from its looks), aloe vera, and Dracaenas. 

Not only will these plants add beauty to your home, but they also provide other benefits. For example, the juice from an aloe vera plant contains antibacterial properties, improves skin, and lowers blood sugar. Dracaenas help rid the air of harmful chemicals, which will ultimately increase the freshness and purification of the air in your home.  

• Natural Wood Accents 

Cozy-up your home by adding some natural wood accents. Along with plants, wood seems to follow the trend of natural-elements that’s becoming more and more prevalent. Add wooden elements through picture frames, furniture, mirrors, and shelves. Complement your small succulent plants with custom floating shelves for your home.

• Painted Parquet

Speaking of wood, give your home a creative pop with painted parquet floors. This new trend challenges the recently revisited trends of wallpapered walls and patterned tiles. Try to follow the overall feel of the space before painting the floors. If it’s a busy room, consider a simple wood stain. If the room is clean and basic, you may try adding a painted pattern to the floor, such as large diamond shapes.

• Chalk it Up

While the farmhouse trend has slowly started to die down, we haven’t quite let go of the fun chalkboard decor that came with it. You can incorporate the natural wood trend by lining a chalkboard with thick wooden strips. Practice your lettering and calligraphy with chalk markers–which will withstand smudging 10x more than regular chalk. 

These elegant chalkboards are great for weekly scheduling, inspiring quotes, holiday themes, and silly sayings. You can place them in front entry-ways or prop them on an easel on a shelf for all your guests to admire. 

• Lighten to brighten

Bright is the new black. For this trend, “bright” isn’t referring to throwing fluorescent colors all over your walls. Rather, the key is to brighten your home with the use of light. The more windows in a room, the better. However, not all rooms have the luxury of light access through windows. Even without windows, your home can feel bright through additional light fixtures and light tones. Brightening your home will create a more open and inviting space.

Keep up to date on the latest home decor trends by adding plants, wooden elements, painted floors, chalkboard art, and brighter themes to your home. Not only are these changes beautiful and trendy, but they will improve your living space through the use of air-purifying plants and brighter atmospheres.

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Moving into a new home or apartment is a very exciting time. Whether you’ve made a move across the country or just down the block, there’s a lot to do to get ready to move, actually move, and move-in. Here are a few ways to help your move-in day go as smooth as possible.

1) Prep the House

Homes are rarely ever empty. Especially bare-bones, nothing but the walls and floor empty. The perfect time to get a deep and crazy thorough cleaning of your house is right before you move in. Who doesn’t want to move into a perfectly clean house? Take a day before your actual move-in day to deep clean. While you are at it, be sure to be checking the basic features of the house. Check to make sure the hot water is working, the stove turns on, the freezer gets cold, and the heater or AC work. If it doesn’t work, call a company that does heating services near you and get it fixed ASAP. Moving is stressful; don’t add to the stress by having to deal with a broken furnace or water heater.

2) Label

Label, label, label. Label everything. Moving equals hundreds of cardboard boxes and storage containers. It is such a pain to try and locate things when nothing is labeled. Make life easier on yourself and as you pack up your stuff label the boxes. Write down the room the things belong to, and what items are inside. This way, after a long day of moving, you’ll know where the silverware is so you can eat that hard-earned Chinese takeout.

3) Start Early

Moving in takes a while. I promise it will take longer than you think it will. First, you have to unload the truck, get the boxes to the right room, and then unpack it all. Start early in the morning to give yourself an entire day to move in. There’s no way to make moving in a super fun process, so just realize that your entire day will be dedicated to moving. Trying to get it done as quickly as possible might make the process less painful though.

4) Have a System

Gameplan how moving-day is going to go before it actually arrives. Moving will go much more smoothly if you focus on doing one task at a time. The first task: unload boxes from the truck and put them in the room they belong to. Second up, or it could be first (depends on how you packed the moving truck), move in the heavy furniture. Third, unpack what you need for the night. You won’t have time to unpack everything the first night, and maybe not even the first few days, and that’s okay. Use your labeled boxes to find what you need for the first night like bathroom supplies, bedspreads, and pajamas, and don’t stress about the other boxes for the night.

5) Recruit Help

There’s a reason professional moving companies exist. Moving is not exactly a one-man job. So recruit some help! Ask friends or neighbors, or a local church leader if they know anyone who could help you move in. Be polite and don’t monopolize their day, but having an extra set of strong arms to move heavy furniture will be extremely useful. And you can always hire a reputable removalist or mover – they’re often much more affordable than you’d expect, and the peace of mind is worth it anyway!

6) Get Ready to Work

Moving in is kind of a mental game. It’s a bit mundane bringing box after box into the house, but there’s no way around that work. So mentally prepare yourself for the long day ahead of you and find the determination to get it done. Motivate yourself with a hearty breakfast, yummy lunch break, and reward yourself that night by eating out. I promise you won’t want to try and cook the night you move in, plus all your pans will probably still be in boxes.

partnered post • photo by Erda Estramera from Unsplash