With demand for houses up by almost half (45%) compared to this time last year and capital city house prices predicted to rise by 9% , the property market in Australia is booming despite all odds.
While Aussies might be making waves in the real estate pool this summer, there’s no denying that buying, selling and moving houses can be a stressful experience. And with houses in Australia currently selling within an average of 30 days, it’s no wonder that critical tasks often get forgotten.
Disconnecting and reconnecting phones, internet and electricity are often front of mind for families on the move, but with a global pandemic at play, what about the cleaning? Unfortunately, for the sale of a home there is no legal obligation for professional cleaning and everyone’sstandards of clean differ.
New research by Fantastic Services Group reveals that Aussies focus has recently shifted to maintaining cleaner living spaces, with almost three quarters (72%) of Aussies admitting to changing their cleaning habits since the pandemic started.
Real estate agents often have buyers in tears once all the furniture has been moved out of the way and neglected areas of the home have been thrown into grimy illumination.
So how can we get that extra peace of mind before moving day and make sure we’re keeping our families safe? Fantastic Services Group has compiled your ‘new home checklist’ to make sure important tasks get ticked off and everyone can sleep easy on your first night in your new home.
New home checklist
- Book the removalists for a day or two after handover.
We know you’re probably bursting with excitement to get into your new home and the urge to move boxes over the moment you receive the keys will be strong! However, if possible, leaving yourself a few days to get your new house ‘move in’ ready without furniture and boxes in the way will be life changing! You’ll be able to clean, measure and plan out spaces without anything in the way. Most importantly, any work getting done to the property will be able to go ahead without you worrying if your furniture or possessions are in the way.
- Change the locks
Even though you’re sure to get a handful of keys at handover, there’s no real knowing if there are still keys to your new place floating around. For total peace of mind, consider getting the locks changed or installing deadlocks onto doors to make sure the only people coming in are the ones you invite!
- Organise a deep clean
While the previous owners may have cleaned before they left, you’ll still want to give the house a good deep clean to make sure everything is up to your standards. Before moving everything in, bring in the professionals to really get into the grime and areas that often get ignored. Focus on high traffic touchpoints like light switches and door handles. Have them do a deep clean on the oven and the grout in the bathrooms.
- Get the carpets sorted
Once rugs have been lifted and beds have been moved, it’s hard to unsee the grimy outlines and indents in your carpets! Not to mention, if the previous owners were pet people, there’s no telling what kind of state the carpets are really in. Do yourself a favour and hire a professional carpet cleaning machine, or let the professionals take care of the whole clean for you. This is especially important for people with small children or allergies to dust!
- Say goodbye to unwanted pests
While your new house is empty, it is the ideal time to get a pest spray done, inside and out. Once furniture has been moved in and boxes are cluttering up what feels like every corner, it’s hard for pest control experts to get into every nook and cranny and may make the job less effective. Line up a pest control treatment for as close to handover as possible and keep the creepy crawlies at bay.
With the current hyper-focus on hygiene and clean spaces, hiring a reliable, professional cleaner for the move-out, move-in clean is the best way to guarantee buyers that their new home is squeaky clean before the removalists arrive.
Fantastic Services Group offers everything Aussies on the move might need from removalists, to carpet cleaning and even pest control. They’re encouraging Aussies moving homes this summer to enjoy a little peace of mind on moving day knowing their new home has been professionally cleaned.