5 Helpful Considerations To Make When Moving Into A Renovated Home

Moving to a new home can evoke a whole slew of emotions – fear, uncertainty, and excitement, to name a few. But beyond experiencing this range of feelings associated with the move, it’s essential to stay composed and organised when planning it all out.

A move can be overwhelming as is, but when it’s cranked up by moving to a home that’s just recently been renovated and never previously lived in, this can spike the difficulty up a notch. This is because, beyond the usual preparations an individual has to make before moving to a new space, there are also renovation-related factors to take into account.

To avoid facing a challenging move, it’s a good idea for new homeowners to make some helpful considerations to ensure that their move goes through without a hitch. From coordinating with utility providers to mindfully inspecting your property, applying these considerations can make moving to a renovated home feel like a manageable and stress-free experience.

Without further ado, here are five key considerations new homeowners should consider to ensure that this transition to their new home and life is as seamless as possible. Let’s jump right into it.

1. Hire and vet removalists

Moving doesn’t only involve juggling multiple cognitive tasks; it’s also physically taxing, even for the most active and fit individuals.

If you’re moving to a large house, you’ll likely have to take multiple boxes’ worth of belongings with you. You’ll cover a lot of ground walking from room to room and room to your vehicle or yard to get these belongings in their proper place. And even then, you’ll still have to unload them in your new space – which can take hours of physical movement.

Naturally, this can be a very physically tiring ordeal. For some folks, doing this for all their belongings is downright impossible due to inherent health or mobility issues. The good news is that you don’t have to do this alone.

You can hire expert local removalists online to help do the physical job for you. These professionals offer licensed and insured services that make moving not just physically easier, but also mentally lighter.

This is because these removalists offer a full-scale moving service, from loading furniture from your old home to carefully placing it where you want it to be in your new place.

Furthermore, moving house with Muval gives individuals the opportunity to select removalists that best suit their budget, location, and availability. This makes the entire process all the more smoother for people moving into renovated homes.

2. Verify renovation work

Besides the loading and unloading aspects of moving, moving into a renovated house also requires you to stay informed about the quality of the renovation project.

If you’re responsible for the renovation project, it’s crucial to ensure that you’ve chosen the right tradies for home renovations and they’ve have carried out what’s expected of them dutifully. Conduct an ocular and functional inspection of the work that they’ve accomplished, and ensure that these builds are well-constructed or working as intended.

Furthermore, compare the agreed deliverables with the finished product. If there are discrepancies, like a misused tile or a wrong fixture dimension, raise them with the contractor and have them resolve the issue. It’s important to be proactive about this, as neglecting shoddily-built renovation works can bite you back in the future.

You should also consider preparing a checklist of the renovation projects so that you’ll know what’s being built and the timeline in which progress is being made. This way, you’ll have a rough outline of the renovation projects going on (as well as their functionalities) before formally settling into your new space.

3. Consider home safety and compliance

Another consideration to make before moving to a newly renovated home is the safety aspect of it.

A renovated home may be new, but the safety aspect of it isn’t always a guarantee. In some cases, a newly constructed home could have hidden dangers that have been missed during quality control measures. For instance, there could be structural integrity problems or electrical or plumbing issues that pose safety risks to the home’s future dwellers.

As such, it’s a good idea to install and test various functional structures in the house before moving in.

Ensure that your house is equipped with fire safety equipment like smoke detectors and fire extinguishers to keep fire risks at bay. Furthermore, ensure that the water lines are sealed and leak-free, and that the electrical lines and circuit breakers are well-maintained.

Ensure that fixture renovations are also safe for their dwellers. For instance, if you have seniors or kids, keep kitchen countertops rounded instead of sharp to prevent accidental injuries.

Ensure that stairs have railings with no gaps for things or little children to squeeze through. You should also add carpets and mats in wet areas like the bathroom to minimise the chances of accidental slips and falls.

On top of that, consider the safety aspect of your home’s lawn and backyard as well. Equip it with fencing and motion-sensor cameras to avoid potential burglaries or your indoor pets from escaping. If you’re building a shed as a renovation project, ensure that it complies with local building permit laws as well.

By evaluating your home’s safety and compliance features, you can gain the assurance that your new space will be a safe haven for you and the home’s future dwellers.

4. Get the appropriate insurance

While you’re unlikely to experience major structural problems with a newly renovated home, the truth is you’ll never know when problems may strike your home.

There are some unexpected risks of owning a new property, however minimal they may be. As this is the case, it’s crucial that you secure the right insurance policy before settling in to ensure that your finances won’t be completely drained in case of an emergency or accident.

In Australia, a home and contents insurance is what you should look for, and these two don’t overlap, so it’s essential that you have a policy that covers each. The home insurance covers the building structure, whereas the contents insurance covers the contents inside, such as the furniture.

When choosing your home and contents insurance, ensure that the policy reflects your property’s value and new renovations accurately. Standard home insurance doesn’t automatically cover renovation-related risks, so be sure to clarify that with your potential provider to set the record straight.

Furthermore, when picking an insurance policy, always read the fine print. Look at the coverage and compensation you’re assured. Feel free to customise the insurance policy or negotiate terms as you deem fit, especially if you have high-ticket items or certain inherent risks in your property beyond the expected risks. Review any fees and penalties too.

By being thorough with your insurance policy, you’ll have more peace of mind when moving to your renovated space.

5. Prepare a post-renovation budget

A surprise to no one, but moving costs money. Quite a lot of money, in fact.

From the initial downpayment for securing the house to the logistics of bringing your belongings to the new space, you’re likely to spend six digits in costs before you even start get to lie down in the bed of your new home.

That said, most people undergoing a future move are likely already aware of this and have likely allocated a budget long before for this upcoming move. If you haven’t yet done so, though, then it’s essential to not just make a budget for the move, but also the post-move process.

A good rule of thumb is to set aside 5 to 10% of your house’s costs for future contingency expenses. This amount will cover any potential costs that may arise in the future, from a construction material replenishment to sudden repair work for the renovation.

In any case, having a budget to account for emergency expenses ensures that you won’’ encounter any massive delays during the move-in process. This helps make the transition smooth and stress-free, as you won’t have to worry about scrambling for funds that you didn’t prepare for.

Final thoughts

Moving into a newly renovated home brings a unique mix of excitement and added responsibilities. By carefully planning your move, checking the quality of renovations, prioritising safety, securing the right insurance, and setting aside a realistic budget, you’ll be well-prepared for a smooth transition. Each of these steps helps you reduce stress, avoid surprises, and fully enjoy the fresh start that comes with your new home. With the right preparation, what could feel overwhelming quickly becomes an exciting and rewarding milestone in your life.

We hope these tips will serve you well as you move into your new home. All the best!