When you move into a new home, you have an opportunity to create personal spaces that you’ll love. That process starts by making a prioritized list of the first chores to complete once you’ve got the keys.
The items on your priority list should include safety concerns, cleaning needs, and unpacking. Once you’ve finished those tasks, you’re ready to start thinking about the improvements you’d like to make in the next few months.
Here are some of the top projects to tackle.
1. Clean the Refrigerator
Most new homeowners know that cleaning the refrigerator’s interior is a priority. However, who knows how the previous owners treated this appliance? The coils are one part of this chore that doesn’t get addressed.
You can find the appliance’s coils at the back or across the bottom of the unit. When they get clogged with dust, the refrigerator cannot release heat as efficiently, reducing the lifespan of your compressor. Use a coil-cleaning brush with a vacuum to tackle this job.
2. Remove the Lint
Clogged dryer ducts and lint screens are a fire hazard. Even if they don’t ignite, less airflow to your appliance can increase your electric or gas costs. Try removing the materials from the screen after each load, and then plan to clean the pipes once per year.
After moving into your home, it helps to clean out the pipes before your first load. You won’t know the last time the previous owners tackled this chore.
3. Use a Detachable Toilet Seat
Most people don’t like to clean the toilet. But, even when sellers take the time to give everything a thorough cleaning, the hinges of the toilet seat still have materials you’d instead not want to touch. If you install a detachable product, you can solve this problem.
A detachable toilet seat installs the same way as any other, but the difference is that the top portion contains a hinge that lets you disconnect it from the rest of the unit. Clean in that area, and you might have a bathroom that smells a bit better.
4. Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
These warning devices must be working to protect your family from emergencies. If you don’t have one in each room, you’ll want to have them installed immediately.
Although building codes might not require one in each room, this small investment in your security makes sense. You can never be too careful!
5. Sump Pump Upgrades
If you own a home with a basement, you likely have a sump pump installed to remove water that comes into your bottom floor. Unfortunately, the most common time this asset fails is during the first heavy rainfall after no precipitation for several months.
Do you have a crawlspace or basement that doesn’t have flooding control? It’s a good idea to speak with an installation specialist about having a sump pump available to reduce damage risks. Also, it helps to have a backup system included if power outages occur.
6. Keyless Entry
Why risk having someone find a key you’ve hidden in your yard? Most hiding places are easily discoverable – or something that can be researched online. Now is the time to upgrade to keyless locks if you haven’t done so already.
While taking this step helps to evaluate your home’s security profile. For example, you might want to add door and window alarms to ensure an unauthorized entry is detected.
7. Surge Protectors
If your home doesn’t have one, consider installing a whole-home surge protector to protect your devices from a voltage surge. Your house doesn’t have to be hit by lightning to experience a damaging event.
When more than 10% surges occur, you’ll receive an increase above the recommended level for several cycles.
This asset can protect against voltage sags and brownouts, which could damage your electronics. In addition, this investment can reduce component wear and tear, maximizing the lifespan of your plugged-in items.
8. Washing Machine Hoses
Most older homes use rubber washing machine hoses. Some are even equipped with entry-level poly plumbing. You’ll want to upgrade these immediately to no-burst options to prevent a devastating flood. While making this installation change, don’t forget to flush the water heater to remove sediment.
When you take care of your home, it can take care of you! These installation and renovation ideas after you move in can help to maximize your investment while minimizing potential issues in the future. If you need assistance, you can trust the King Installation team to deliver your desired results!
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