Home Repairs to Do Before Moving In

Buying a new house means starting a whole new chapter in your life. Make it a good one by ensuring the following repairs and upgrades are your top priority before moving in:

Weatherization

Extreme temperatures can cause extreme problems for any house, new or old. Just because you’re not looking at real estate for sale in Whistler doesn’t mean winter won’t be a problem. Even mild snowfall can potentially cause flooding as it melts, and ice can seriously damage the foundations and roof. Sealing cracks with caulk, installing insulation, and adding snow guards are some of the ways you can protect your home.

Warmer seasons have their own hazards, of course, especially summer. Leaky ducts and gaps around the windows can let the cool air out and the hot air in, forcing your AC unit to work overtime. The result? Higher utility bills when you’re already dealing with the financial burden of a new mortgage.

Safety & Security

Among the most important home fixes and updates to make when you’re moving in are ones that protect not only the house itself but you and your loved ones as well. Don’t waste a minute changing the exterior locks; you never know who else might have copies of the old keys. Likewise, take time to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and test the alarms themselves to make sure they’re in working order. If need be, replace them as soon as possible.

Last but not least, if you have any little ones running around, securing cabinets and installing corner-bumpers are some of the ways you can childproof your property. Do a walk-through of the whole house and take notes of possible hazards that might pose a danger to the young ’uns.

Flooring

Few parts of a house suffer quite as much wear and tear as the floor. Flooring, however, can be difficult to repair and renovate, as any project a homeowner undertakes will often require them to remove any nearby furniture and décor, while also making sure that other people in the house avoid the area entirely until the project is complete. That’s why it’s a good idea to make any floor fixes before you move all your stuff inside, rather than after.

Another reason? Cost. Whether it’s hardwood, carpet, vinyl, or tile, flooring work can be expensive, which might make you hesitant to take on such a project. The longer you wait, though, the worse the damage will be, meaning that you could end up paying a lot more water than if you just do it now.

Plumbing & Electrical

The plumbing and electrical systems of a house are basically its internal organ. And just as any good doctor knows the importance of maintaining healthy organs, any good homeowner knows the importance of maintaining healthy pipes and wiring. A problem with either can do serious structural damage to your home, may cost an arm and a leg to fix, and can even pose a danger to you and your family.

To avoid the risk of an electrical fire or water damage, examine your new property’s plumbing and electrical systems thoroughly, keeping an eye out for frayed wires, corroded connections, rusty pipes, leaky faucets, and the like. As with flooring, putting off repairs will only cost you more in the long run.