What you will learn in this episode: 

• What three projects you should consider prior to moving in

• How to prepare for these projects

• What are the consequences of waiting to do these projects?

Today I wanted to cover a topic that has been coming up more and more, and that is the three big projects that new homeowners contemplate taking on and should be done BEFORE moving in.

When your home is empty is the time that you should be considering projects that you don’t want to live through or even in some cases, can’t live through!

The first project I want to talk about is the floors.

Why floors? If you buy a house with wood floors and want to refinish them, you cannot physically walk on them, so completing them before moving in should be highly considered. Or, if you have carpet, now is the time to replace it and start with a clean slate. 

Floors are something I always get pushback on, and clients say, “Oh, Renee, the floors look fine. I’ll do them in a couple of years.” Just know that in a couple of years, you’re going to have to remove all of your furniture, you’re going to have to cover anything that might get dusty, and you’re also going to have to find somewhere to stay! 

I want you to think about this because it can become disruptive and smelly on the days they’re coating the floor.  And I have NEVER had a client regret doing the floors before they moved in!

The second project most people think of is painting. 

You want to put your own personality in your new home and freshen up the walls, there could be a lot of holes from art, and color can also fade over time.

However, before committing to painting your new home this is the time to add things such as crown molding or electrical work. Maybe you want to add some ceiling lights in certain rooms or perhaps you want to change decorative lighting, in which case the backplates could be smaller than the existing ones. 

So these things will add to the budget but are small projects that should b taken on and considered before painting. 

The third thing new homeowners may want to take on is a renovation.

More often than not, a client buys a home that will suit their needs but perhaps is dated, either in the bathrooms, kitchen, or both. Often I have a client who will consider doing the kitchen and the master bathroom, and then want to come back and do another bathroom at a later time. 

Now, can you live through a kitchen renovation? Of course. I’ve talked about that in past episodes: Ep78 & Ep11

However, if you can plan appropriately, I would do a kitchen renovation before I move in.

The best way to prepare for all of these projects is to start budgeting for them. Floors and renovations can be expensive; however, they are an investment that can last for many years!

I would love to hear about your experiences when purchasing your homes and whether you did move forward with these projects or put them off! 

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #3: 5 Biggest Mistakes I’ve Seen in Renovations

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