October 21, 2021 Posted in How-to
Eva Johnson

Digital nomad born in New York but currently living online, Eva knows everything there is to know about packing and moving.

How to Improve Your Future Home Before Moving In

When you become a homeowner, there is a long journey ahead of you to make that property feel like yours. That’s why you should improve your future home and give it a stamp that is uniquely yours. Remember that’s a journey you should thoroughly prepare for. To help you get through it faster, we made a guide that will ensure your house feels like home in the end.

Complete construction project overlay
Different improvements will give your residence a vibe that is uniquely yours.

Why Should You Improve Your Future Home

Finding a perfect property when relocating to a new city or a state is a lot harder than you might think. No matter how hard you look, sometimes even the best house-hunting tips can’t help you get a place that checks all the boxes. Good properties usually get bought even before they reach the market, even more so when the price is relatively affordable. Most of the remaining listings are either too expensive or attract very little interest from potential buyers.

Considering the housing market’s current state, it’s often much easier to buy a property that needs work and flip it than to buy a completely new piece of real estate. That’s exactly what many Americans are doing right now, as it allows them to move to Seattle, Los Angeles, and many other cities that would otherwise be too expensive to live in. After all, you only need some skills, patience, and a few good home improvement ideas to make the place look brand new.

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Figure Out How Much It Will Cost to Do All the Renovations

While flipping a place might cost less than buying a property, you’ll still need to set up a budget before you start doing any renovations. You might be thinking, “I have my future house design perfectly thought out,” but have you actually considered how much money it would take to carry out these changes? While removing a chandelier will only require you to pack tools, other improvements might not be so cheap. In fact, there’s a good chance you’ll need some professional assistance.

If you don’t have enough money to upgrade everything right away, focus on the most important things first and finish the rest at a later date. While you can still list out all the fine details in your to-do list, prioritizing tasks that are most urgent will allow you to move to the new home sooner rather than later. With that in mind, let’s go over some of the most crucial improvements you’ll want to finish before moving cross country.

Person calculating how much money they'll need for renovation and cross country movers overlay
When you hire cross country movers, you'll have enough time to plan large renovations

Plan Larger Construction Changes as Early as Possible

Let’s presume you are not relocating at the last minute and that you actually have the time to plan the move. With that in mind, you’ll also have enough time to plan and complete large construction changes on the building (if there are any).

However, it’s important not to wait and procrastinate. If there is something that needs to be built, start with the construction as soon as possible. Just imagine packing all of your clothes, books, electronics, even boxing up furniture, only to realize that the residence is still under construction. That type of waiting around with all things boxed up can cause a lot of anxiety about moving.

To avoid this type of relocation stress:

  • Ensure that you start planning large construction changes as soon as you sign all the ownership papers.
  • Hire a long-distance moving company to handle all the grunt work around your old place.
  • Use cross-country moving services, and while movers are providing you with top-notch packing assistance, you can deal with construction managers.

Also, if you are shipping the car across the country, ensure that the professionals safely transport your garage to a new residence and that there is a designated spot for it. On the other hand, if you don’t want to spend that much money on it, ask the construction company to build you one.

No matter what you want to be built on the property, just ensure you are clear with your wishes and set the deadline. You wouldn’t want to arrive at the destination, jump over cables, bricks, and construction material while trying to unpack after the move.

man on a ladder fixing up ceiling overlay
Large construction changes on the building should be done before you move.

Design Your Future Home to Be Eco-Friendly

Around 48% of US citizens changed their consumption habits in order to save the environment. That being said, going green is a thing to think about when renovating a property. Nowadays, one of the main goals is to shrink the carbon footprint. To achieve that, there are a few small changes you can make to your property. These small twitches will not only save the environment but will also be great for your household budget.

Designing a House – Tips to Make It Really Eco-Friendly

Going green can be overwhelming at first because there are so many things you can do to ensure your residence is eco-friendly. To avoid getting lost in the whole thing, check out some quick tips on how to bring your residence into the 22nd century:

  • Install smart meter – when you are looking for a way to transfer the utilities, you might realize just how much money you are spending on water and heating. This can change if you install a Smart Meter (it’s already used by 75% of US households), a device that is programmed to turn on only at certain times during the day. So you won’t have to leave the heating in the room longer than necessary. With the smart meter, you’ll save up on energy bills and lower your carbon footprint.
  • Put solar panels on the roof – these panels are a long-term investment, and in the long run, they’ll save you a lot of money on electricity.
  • Double glaze the windows – if you are relocating during the winter, it will be easy to tell if your residence is well isolated. The temperatures will be noticeably lower when you stand next to a snow-covered window. However, you can prevent heat loss by double glazing the windows.
  • Use eco-friendly appliances – when packing electronics for the move, check out if they can be classified as green and low-powered. For example, when packing computers, make sure you box up the ones that are low-powered and donate or sell others. You can do that with any other electronic device such as a TV or stove. In the long run, your bank account will thank you.
  • Buy an eco-kettle – if you stumble upon an eco-kettle while packing up kitchen items hold on to it. You’ll be able to make a delicious hot cup of tea or coffee without actually turning on an espresso machine.
Miniature residence and symbols of utilities overlay
With a few small changes in the residence, you will save a lot of money

Change the Locks and Install a Good Security System Before You Even Start Unpacking

Changing the locks is probably one of the more common things people forget to do when they move. That’s exactly why you should call a locksmith as soon as you get the keys to the place. You can never know who else had access to the property, so doing this before the long-distance movers deliver your boxes will allow you to unpack after relocating without having to worry about your safety.

This is particularly important for anyone relocating to a big city, as these often have a much higher rate of property crimes. If you forget to change the locks on the gate, storage shed, and garage, don’t be surprised if the things that were stored in them are simply not there one day. Thankfully, someone relocating from a house to an apartment will usually have a much less stressful move, as installing a good security system is enough to keep any intruders at bay.

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With a modern secure lock, you won't have to worry about the thing

Repainting the Walls Is Easy DIY Home Improvement

If the residence is a bit fixer-upper, sometimes you don’t have to go crazy with renovation to make it look good. Every so often, the simplest things can make all the difference. That being said, repainting the walls can bring the best out of all the rooms. So, as soon as you relocate, a cross-country moving company delivers all of your furniture, grab brushes and paint buckets, and start coloring.

It’s one of those DIY things that you can do without hiring professionals. Keep in mind that the color choice is really important, especially if you have smaller rooms that you want to make seem bigger. In that case, use lighter or pastel color, and if you have huge open spaces that you wish to make look smaller, opt for darker and warmer shades.

Refreshing the Floors With Paint Is One of the Quickest DIY House Improvements

Another thing you should do after the move is to freshen up old floors. This way, you’ll add a bit of personality to the residence and make it even more cozy and unique. Depending on your style and overall vibe, you can opt for warmer colors or more pastel ones. Just make sure the floor matches the furniture and walls in some way.

You can paint the floors in a blue and white plaid scheme for a more classic look, while for more earthy and calming vibes, you should use pale sage tones.  If you wish to learn more about painting the floors, check out the video below:

Ensure That the Furniture Fits the Space

The old adage in carpentry says, “Measure Thrice, Check Twice and Cut Once,” and even though you won’t be cutting but relocating furniture, the point still remains the same. When you get the keys to your property, measure every part of it. That way, you’ll know what items can fit and which ones are too bulky for the room.

It will be easy to decide what to donate, throw away or sell, and what to keep when you have the measurements. With that household inventory list, it will be easy to start sketching the interior design of your rooms.

Restoring Old Furniture Will Make Your House Feel Like Home

Furniture makes the house feel safe and comfy, so pick carefully what you’ll put in the rooms. And let’s face it, relocation is expensive, so you probably won’t have enough money in the budget to buy a bunch of furniture. However, if you have some old, well-used pieces, they can be restored and used once again. Sanding old chairs and repainting them will give them a new life, and the best part is – you can pick any color you like! Also, you can use fabric colors to paint over faded couches or sofas.

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Restoring the old furniture will give your rooms a cool, retro vibe.

Building a Dream Home Will Be Worth Moving Cross Country

You made it! You became a homeowner! Now all that’s left is to flip that residence and give it your signature stamp. After you book long-distance moving services, you’ll have enough time to deal with all the renovation ahead. Don’t rush. Follow our tips, and building a dream home will be a pleasant and trouble-free experience.

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