Pro Tips to Avoid Damaging Your Home on Move-In Day
Moving into a new house is both exciting and
overwhelming. There are so many steps involved, so much planning, that it can
be easy to forget about preparing your new home for the move. After all, the
last thing you want is to chip new paint, scratch or stain the floors, or gouge
a railing on move-in day. So, while you’re carefully packing, stacking, and
transporting all your belongings, take some time to strategically plan how
you’ll move it all in without destroying your home.
Strategically
Plan Your Move
Taking the time to plan your move
strategically is key in maintaining order and patience. There are some
precautions you can take to ensure you’re minimizing scratch, bump, and scrape
damage. These tips will also make the moving process so, so much easier:
When packing up your belongings, be sure to
pack up boxes by room. Clearly label these boxes and keep them together in your
moving truck. Not only will this keep the packing process organized - letting
you go from one room to the next - but it will also help when unpacking in your
new home.
To minimize traffic through your new home (and
potential bumps, scratches, and scrapes), plan to move from back to front.
Bring in furniture for areas farthest from the front door, like for upstairs
bedrooms. Your move will go faster, and you can reduce traffic in and out of
your new home.
Protect
Your Floors
When you move into your new home, you’ll
likely be re-arranging furniture all day. People will be coming in and out
bringing boxes and furniture to every room. With so much to do, you’re likely
not being as gentle or careful as you’d like. The last thing you want in your
new house is scratched floors or chipped paint from move-in day.
●
Use drop clothes, carpet
protectors, or even flattened cardboard boxes to protect both your floors and
walls
●
Place moving blankest or cardboard
boxes underneath furniture so you can slide them around with ease
●
Add felt pads to the bottom of
chair legs, tablets, and other hard furniture to avoid scratches or scuffs to
your floor
Protect
Your Walls and Railings
Like your floors, walls and railings can get
damaged during moves. This is especially true for tight corners or narrow
staircases. Luckily, you can use the same materials to protect these areas that
you used on your floors.
●
Wrap banisters or railings in
bubble wrap or flattened cardboard boxes
●
Secure protections to your walls
using painter’s tape to avoid peeling off the paint
●
Use corner guards or cardboard
boxes around easy-to-bump wall corners
Keep
Your Furniture Safe
As much as you want to avoid damaging your new
home, it’s also essential to protect your furniture. Wrapping your furniture
makes it easier to transport and keeps surfaces from getting scraped up.
●
Wrapping furniture in moving blankets
keeps it safe and helps prevent scratches or scrapes against your floor and
walls. Even better, you can stack bundled up furniture without worrying about
scratches.
●
Whenever possible, disassemble
furniture. Keep track of the pieces and make sure they’re moved together.
As you can see, a quick trip to the hardware
store can go a long way in easing tensions while moving furniture and
belongings into your new home. Taking the time to protect your walls, floor,
and furniture will ensure a smooth move and keep your home looking fresh and
new.