Moving house can be a stressful time.
Not only do you need to move all your stuff to your new house. You also need to make sure your current property is left in the right way to make sure there are no repercussions if selling. Or, if you rent, to ensure you get your deposit back. If you’re selling your house and you leave the place in a bad way, you’re going to struggle to get any interest in your property. This will lead to delays in the selling of the property.
When you rent a property, you are required to pay a security deposit before moving in. Then, if the place is left in poor condition, they can use the deposit to fix it up and give you back what is left after repairs and cleaning is done. This could leave you out of pocket on the deposit needed for the next house. And potentially without a home to move into. This is why it is imperative that you leave your old property in good order. Here are a few tips to help you do that.
Clean the carpets/flooring
Depending on what flooring you have it is best to get it cleaned before moving out. If you have hard flooring then it is just a case of hoovering and mopping the floor to take off any marks and get up any dirt. If you have carpets then it can be a little more difficult to get the carpet looking fresh and like new.
Carpets can get dirt trodden into them and become marked or scuffed in places. In some cases you will have to have the carpet replaced if it has gotten too bad. This is usually the case if you have pets that may have had accidents on the carpets which can be hard to get out.
If you do need your carpet cleaned, you can clean it yourself. There are a number of household products available to clean the carpets, like powders you hoover up after application to get the dirt out. Or sprays for tough stains on the carpet.
If this is to difficult for you to do or you do not have time then there are carpet cleaning businesses that will do it for you. In some cases, it can save time and money to just have it done professionally. They can get a carpet looking new with the machinery they have available to them.
Repaint and repair the walls
If you have had any children at the property that have marked or scuffed the walls or if you may have marked them moving furniture or putting up pictures and shelves, then it is best to repair and repaint the walls that have been damaged.
It may seem trivial, but if the walls are not well kept it can mean that the landlord will have to get it repainted. Repainting is cheap and easy if you do it yourself. If you are looking to sell, it can throw some potential buyers off if they think they have to work on the house when purchased.
Repair the walls with some filler where holes have been made. Then paint over any scratches and filled holes. You’ll have the wall looking as good as new and no one will be any the wiser.
Get rid of any potential pests
Pests are rodents and bugs like mice and fleas. And you don’t always know you have either of these or pests in general. But if you have pets then it is best to have the house fumigated, or at least treat the house with sprays to kill any fleas and bed bugs that may be in the house.
If you think you have rodents, lay traps and poisons to try and eradicate them. Otherwise the landlord will have it done professionally, which can cost a lot of money. If you are selling the house and the viewers see rodents or bug infestation, it will deter them from buying.
Moving house doesn’t need to be made too stressful. Making sure you get all your deposit back is relatively easy if you follow the tips above. Following these tips will also help you prepare your house to be sold. Viewers will see the house and if anything is wrong it will put them off from potentially buying the property.
