5 Ways to Make Your New Home Ready to Live In

This post has been compensated by Acorn Influence. All opinions are mine alone. 

When it comes to the moving process, the one thing I’ve found to be MORE stressful than selling and buying a house, is actually getting your new home move-in ready. It’s usually an overlooked part of the process.

And I get it.

After you’ve been given the keys to your new house, most people are just ecstatic that the process is done with (for the most part). So taking care of all those hanging pieces when you do move-in, is often an afterthought. At least that’s how it was for me.

We moved into our newest home about 10 months ago, and believe it or not, just recently started making it feel like a home.

So today I wanted to share 5 things you shouldn’t ignore when you move into a new house, for safety and privacy reasons, but also, things that will make you feel ready to relax, entertain and live in your new home.

1. Have a plan.

The first thing I’d recommend ANYONE moving into a new house do, is have a plan of action when it comes to organizing and distributing packing boxes. You want to be sure you don’t just pile everything in the garage and leave it for sorting through another time…because another time often turns into never.

When we moved into our home, we made sure that all boxes were piled into their designated rooms. So “toiletres” went straight into the bathrooms, “dinnerware” went right into the kitchen etc. We didn’t get everything sorted through right away, but at least having boxes in the appropriate room made things easier to eventually put away.

2. Change the locks.

This is one thing most people don’t give much thought to. Once you have 1 or 2 copies of your house key, you may think you’re done. Not so fast. There may be more than a few copies available…and not all in your possession. It’s not to say you shouldn’t trust your previous owners, BUT what if they gave a copy to another family member, friend or housekeeper?

Make it a point to change the locks on your front doors for safety reasons, especially if you have small children living in the home.

3. Add window treatments.

When we first visited our new home, it was staged beautifully. Open spaces, colorful furniture and little clutter. We didn’t really pay attention to the lack of curtains because of all the decor surrounding it.

So when we finally moved-in. We sort of forgot about that as well…for some time.

It was only week after week, when we started filling the house with different furniture and decor did we actually realize how much everyone could see into the home. The windows were so bare — they finally stood out when we realized we weren’t getting much privacy.

So if you’re looking to add privacy to your rooms, and simply dress up each room, make it a point to add window treatments within the first two months…or you may let it slide all together.

4. Hang photos.

This is the best way to really personalize your house and make it feel like a home. Gather an eclectic mix of frames and add some pictures of your family to give each room more life.

5. Clean

This one may seem like a given. No one wants to move in to a filthy house. But clean is a relative term. To really make your new home feel completely yours, you have to start fresh with a deep cleaning in every room!

Hiring a cleaning service is a great option if you can afford it, but most people need to do the job themselves.

So when going at it ourselves, a few go-to products come to mind. Quality brands like Bounty® , Swiffer® , Tide® , Unstopables™ and Charmin® are reliable household products to help get the job done.

Here are a few key areas in the house you can focus on with these products during a deep cleaning session:

• Refrigerator
  Use durable paper towels like Bounty + an antibacterial to wipe up sticky messes and grime
• Bathtub
  • Use bleach + a scrub brush to remove bacteria
  • Add a fresh aroma to your bathroom with a air freshner like Unstoppables
• Toilets
  Use bleach + a toilet scrub to remove bacteria and add sparkle
  Stock up on toilet paper like Charmin, to ensure each bathroom is ready for use by you and house guests
• Cabinets/Pantry
  Wipe down with paper towels + an antibacterial to ward off bugs and odors
• Floors
  Use a mop like Swiffer to pick up dirt and help your floors sparkle
• Laundry Room
  Wash your beddings, towels and other linens with a detergent like Tide so you’re ready for a good night’s sleep, hot shower and freshly clean outlook.

Head to Walmart when you’re ready to move AND learn more here about this wonderful array of household products to put the finishing touches on your brand new home!

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