How to clean a new house before moving in

Updated: Oct 14

To feel like your new home is already yours, it's important to do a good cleaning before you move in. Find out good house cleaning strategies here!

When you move in, you want to feel like your new home is yours. Cleaning your home is the first step in applying the "new house, new life" philosophy. Before you move all your stuff in, check for odors, dirt, cobwebs and dust. This way, you will be sure to start this new stage in the best way. Some tips for cleaning the new house:

House cleaning: Always start cleaning from the top down. Dusting the walls and ceilings before cleaning the floors will be more useful, because you will prevent dirt from falling and you will avoid having to clean twice.

How to clean a new house before moving in

Although it is customary for the previous occupants to leave the house clean before moving out, it is not something that is strictly enforced. If your new house is not completely clean, do a thorough cleaning before moving your things, because once everything is in place, it will be much more complicated. Follow these steps and home cleaning tips:

1. Clean a house before moving out from top to bottom.

Imagine if, after refinishing the floor, you clean some shelves and dust falls on the freshly waxed floor. So as not to work twice as hard, clean the ceiling first and then everything below. Remove cobwebs and dust from ceiling seams, shelves and other high surfaces with a rag or broom. Once everything is clean, sweep the floor. Read this article to learn more useful tips for removing dust and odors.

2. New house cleaning: clean parts you probably won't clean again.

How many times have you cleaned the walls? Try to think of the places you won't be cleaning again soon and clean them before you move in. There is nothing better than a spotless house to create new memories. Some of the things that tend to get cleaned less often are:

• Walls

• Places behind appliances or large furniture.

• Inside cabinets.

• Baseboards and moldings.

• Vents and fans.

• Stoves

3. Cleaning the house before moving in: surfaces.

It is difficult to feel that moving is a new beginning if you feel that there is dirt all around! The surfaces with the most contact are usually the ones that have the most marks of use from the previous inhabitants. If you want to do a deep clean, focus on the following:

• Appliances (stove, oven, refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, washing machine).

• Toilet, bathtub, shower, sink and sink.

• Doorknobs

• Light keys and other buttons.

• Now that you have learned everything you need to know about cleaning a new house, you can bring your things and start enjoying it to the fullest! Here you can also read tips on how to move in without stress and how to disinfect the house.

How to organize a quick and easy move

Updated: Oct 07

Throughout my life, I've had to move house quite a few times (I hope I don't have to do it anymore!).

And as they say that practice makes perfect, as I've already done it several times, I have a tip or two to make your next move easier and more bearable.

Al empacar

1. First remember that it is better to do things little by little and with time, and not from one day to the next. So try to start packing with plenty of time.

2. Take this opportunity to get rid of everything you don't need! If you don't love something, if it doesn't make you happy, if you don't use it, DON'T PACK IT! Leave it behind, free yourself and start a life without junk in your new home.

3. Gather everything you will need:

- Trash bags: Get the heavy-duty kind, and buy two different colors. Reserve one of the colors exclusively for trash. Or better yet, buy some colored ones, and some clear ones, so you can put the garbage in the opaque bags, and use the clear ones for the things you need to take to your new house.

- Cardboard boxes: Try to pack everything you can in boxes, but if you don't get enough, use them for delicate things. Don't choose them too big, because they will become too heavy once they are full.

- Newsprint: Wrap enough newspaper around your junk, pyrex, knives, and other delicate things. Then put everything in boxes.

- Tape: Buy enough tape, and if you can, buy a tape dispenser too. If someone else will help you pack, buy another tape dispenser. Also buy paper masking tape to create a visible space for labeling boxes and bags.

- Scissors and thick markers: You can buy markers in several colors, and identify each room with a different color and the boxes/bags that go in each. Or you can buy one color, and label them "kitchen," "office," "master bath," etc.

4. Decide how you are going to code your boxes and bags. Apart from indicating whether they go in the "kitchen", "bathroom", etc. you can use the 1-2-3 code, in which:

1- indicates boxes and bags that need to be unpacked as soon as possible. Examples: school uniforms, basic kitchen equipment.

2- indicates that the contents can wait for a while. Examples: regular clothes and shoes.

3- indicates that those boxes and bags may be the last to be unpacked. Examples: photo albums, extra bedding and pillows.

5. Don't vaguely label any bags or boxes, for example using the word "miscellaneous" or something vague. Be clear about what the box or bag contains, e.g., "large pyrex and serving trays." And remember to label boxes on all 4 sides and the top.

Al ir acercándose el gran día…

1. Pack besides all the other things, a set of sheets and 1 blanket for each bed, 1 washcloth or towel for each family member, shampoo, soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, toothbrushes and other things you will need the morning immediately after moving day. Also pack a change of clothes for each member, two if you have small children or babies, diapers, and 1 pair of pajamas for each person.

2. Give your new casita a good cleaning, including windows, walls, bathrooms and toilets. This will be the only time you'll be able to get to every nook and cranny easily, so make the most of it! And while you're there, make sure all the lights are working, and the hot water is on and running.

3. Also, pack separately some disposable plates, glasses, forks and spoons, and what you will need for the next day's breakfast: coffee maker, coffee, filters, frying pan, etc.

4. Try to use up all the food you have frozen or refrigerated, so that it does not spoil during the move. Remember that the refrigerator should be left idle for 24 hours after moving it, so that the gas in the cooling system has time to stabilize and work properly.

5. Wash all the clothes that get dirty, and keep dirty clothes to a minimum.

6. Arrange for someone to come and clean your old house after you have moved out. After you move, you will have to concentrate your energies on organizing your new house, so it is best to leave the work of the old house to someone else.

7. Make a list of super-quick meals that you can make without thinking, without using a lot of utensils or a lot of pots and pans (hopefully things you can prepare in the slow cooker or electric skillet). Also list the ingredients you will need for each meal, even if they are very obvious, because when you are tired, we do not think well. For example, if one of the meals is "hamburgers", and you know that your husband and your oldest son eat 2 each, and you and your two younger daughters eat 1 hamburger each, then write in your list: 7 hamburger buns, 7 frozen cakes, 7 slices of cheese, 2 medium tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, mayonnaise, butter... etc. it depends on what you put on your hamburgers, you know what I mean.

8. Make arrangements with the cable, internet and phone company to coordinate the installation visit, obviously after you have moved into your new home. If necessary, make calls to your current companies to suspend services at your "old" house after they have moved in.

On the day of the move...

Keep on hand easy-to-eat crackers or fruit such as bananas or peaches, cans of tuna, square bread, cereal, and those things that fill hungry stomachs quickly and don't need refrigeration.

Make sure you have easy access to your cleaning supplies and equipment. Even if you've cleaned the house before the move, everyone's constant in-and-out is going to get it dirty, so it's best to have what you need on hand for a quick wipe down.

And super important: cell phone chargers. I don't even have to explain why.

When unpacking the moving truck...

1. Assemble the beds first and put the mattresses on them at once. Don't put stuff on them as you unload the truck. By the end of the day everyone will be tired, and the last thing you want to do is have to remove piles of bags and heavy stuff to get to sleep.

2. Install the washer and dryer as soon as possible.

3. Go through your super-quick grocery list, decide what you're going to cook that day (or the next day, depending on when you finish moving things), and go to the supermarket to buy what you need.

The day after the move

1. Get up early to make the most of the day. Take a shower, put on comfortable clothes (don't stay in your pajamas) and eat a simple but nutritious breakfast that will keep you full for several hours.

2. Start in the room that gets the most use, or is most urgent to unpack. This could be the kitchen, or if you work from home, perhaps the office is the room you need to set up first. Open all the boxes or bags marked with #1 (following the system we talked about before), or the ones you know contain the most necessary things.

3. Put everything in its place as you take out the boxes and bags, and take the empty boxes and bags out of the room as soon as you empty them.

4. As soon as you finish with the most urgent items in that room, resist the urge to move on to the other boxes. Rather, move to the other rooms, and do the same with the most urgent boxes and bags.

5. After you have unpacked the #1 boxes, move on to the #2, or less urgent boxes.

6. Most importantly, don't try to unpack everything in one day. Don't forget to eat at your own time, stop from time to time to drink water, rest your legs, etc.

Moving is always a strenuous job that can take several days or even weeks, but I hope that with these tips, at least it won't be too traumatic.

10 tips for a faster and easier move.

Updated: Sep 29

10 Tips For A Faster And Easier Move.

Facing a move is usually overwhelming and stressful. Often, when you have to move all your belongings from one house to another, they become a huge mountain and you don't know where to start.

Take a deep breath. If you follow these simple organizational steps, it will be easier to undertake this adventure, and you will know everything from how to load the moving truck to how to deal with the inevitable moments of crisis.

Before Leaving the Old House.

Moving, especially long distance moves, is not exactly economical. So before you start packing, it's a good idea to make sure you're going to make the most of the space in the moving truck. Here are the three essential steps when it comes to packing your entire household in boxes:

1. Before packing, clean out. Get rid of everything you no longer like or don't want. It makes no sense to take unnecessary things, the space they take up in the truck is money!

2. Do not empty certain drawers. Leave all clothes or non-heavy items in the drawers and just protect the furniture. This does indeed make them heavier, but as long as the drawers are full of light items (don't fill them with books), there will be no problem. However, if they are too heavy, you can always transport the drawers separately. What is clear is that this decision has a double advantage: you will need far fewer boxes and, once you are in your new home, everything inside them will be easier to locate.

3. Store soft items in garbage bags. Unglamorous? No doubt about it. But it's one of the best ideas during a move. Fill sturdy garbage bags with soft items such as comforters, pillows, stuffed animals, etc. and use them to fill empty spaces in the truck. This saves space and, in turn, protects other items and furniture. To also protect the contents of the bags, use duct tape to seal them. Finally, record the contents of each bag with adhesive labels and a permanent marker.

Before Entering the New House.

4. Paint before you move in. If you've decided to give your new space a coat of paint, don't hesitate: do it before you move in. The most obvious reason is that it's much easier to paint an empty house than one full of furniture. Another important reason to do it is the satisfaction of getting this task off the agenda as soon as possible. Also, if there are other such tasks on your list (changing floors, for example), try to get them done before you move in. You'll save time, inconvenience and effort once you've moved in.

5. Inform yourself before contracting services for your new home. Depending on where your future home is located, there will be more or less options of service providers, such as telephone line or internet. If you have several options, take the time you need to ask and inform yourself well before committing to one of them, since it is possible that the company that offered you such a good service in your old residence does not have the best infrastructure in your new area. It may also happen that the area where you are going to live has a worse cell phone coverage and you may find yourself in the situation of having to contract a landline, although in your old home you were perfectly fine with just a cell phone.

Once Inside.

6. Put 'buy plants' at the top of your to-do list. It may seem silly, but when you've filled a home with plants that you've lovingly cared for over the years, the idea of starting from scratch in this regard is a bit depressing. If you can't take them with you, give them away, but keep your favorite pots, something that will make choosing plants for your new space much simpler, cheaper and more enjoyable.

Once in your new home, it might seem logical to put off buying new plants with the mess you're in, but it's wise to make it a priority. Why? For starters, because houseplants clean the air, which is ideal if you've used paints or installed flooring with volatile compounds. But above all, most importantly, plants will make you feel right at home.

7. Expect to have to make new acquisitions. Every home has its own peculiarities, and as a result, you're bound to need some new things. For example, maybe your old kitchen had a huge island with plenty of space for food prep and even stools to enjoy breakfast, but your new one has a big empty space right in the middle that's crying out for a portable island or an office table and chairs. Setting aside a little money for these types of needs can help you set a realistic budget and stick to it.

8. Throw a few more things away even after you move out. It doesn't matter how thorough a cleaning you did before packing everything up. Sometimes, some of the things you have decided to bring to the new house with the utmost conviction turn out not to fit in the new space as you had hoped. Try not to let that frustrate you too much and take it as a fact of life. Sell them, give them to a friend or, if you are really fond of them, keep them. But only if you have space to store them.

9. Face it: crises in times of moving are normal. Moving is not exactly a bed of roses and, many times, it is not done for fun. It means leaving behind friends, family, schools and jobs to start an unknown adventure. Even if the new home looks amazing, emotional crises and moments of overwhelm and stress are a completely natural reaction to such a big change in our lives. When the time comes that you or one of your loved ones needs to vent, offer a shoulder to cry on. Afterwards, find something fun to do or explore your new city - it will keep you going!

10. Finally, give yourself time to get used to the new situation. Freeing up your schedule a bit and dedicating some time to this adjustment period can be very necessary, especially for families with children. Give yourself at least a week or two to catch your breath.

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