It has all come together at last. Seemingly endless months of planning, decision-making, loan documentation, design choices, and visits to the new home in progress, and it's finally finished. Once the builder's representative has conducted his walk through with you and your hear those magical words "on record", it's time to load it up all your earthly treasures and move in. Or is it? Are there things you haven't thought of doing to the house or the property before you get your belongings into place? You may or may not have left yourself time to do some house "prepping", but perhaps some thought should go into the degree of ease with which some things can be done in an empty house.

Of course, there's the usual "detail" clean many of us like to do even after the builder has done theirs, such as wiping out cabinets and re-mopping floors, etc. Lining kitchen and bathroom shelves is customarily the biggest project we consider when moving into a brand-spanking new house, since everything else looks so pristine and clean. There is so much more that can be done now, however, to save you time, money and hassles later on, if you can manage to put the emotion of the move aside for some no-nonsense type tasks.

Here are a few; perhaps with some more thought to your individual needs, you can add to this list.

Pest control: What better time to spray for termites, ants, and spiders inside and out than when the house is empty and virtually every nook and cranny is accessible? You may even get a more reasonable quote because of the increased simplicity of the application.

Grout sealing: If you have tile counter tops or floors in kitchens, or opted for tile in your bathroom areas, this is the time to sweat the small stuff. Applying some grout sealer has to be one of the timeliest tasks you can perform at this time. It will save you lots of scrubbing later on, and keep your tile surfaces looking new years longer with regular applications.

Run water everywhere!: Just because the builder's representative may have demonstrated how well the toilets flush or the sinks hold water during the new home orientation, it doesn't mean a problem may not exist in your new plumbing lines. One of the most common problems within the first month or so of new home occupancy is line blockage with chunks of concrete from construction. Turn on each faucet in bathrooms (showers, sinks, tubs), kitchen, and laundry room, and flush toilets repeatedly and let them run for a while. This may save you a flood in your laundry room when you start loading all those dirty clothes you began hoarding up during the move. Run the dishwasher empty a few times as well, just to be safe.

Custom paint or wall paper: Builders can charge an arm and a leg for custom or accent painting if ordered during construction. If you are considering adding more color than the standard builder-thin coat of "Navajo White" to the interior or your new home, this is the time to bite the bullet and do it. Independent paint contractors tend to be less expensive, and you can have it done in a fraction of the time it would take you if the house were full of furniture.

Installing air filters: If any of you are allergy prone, check into the vast array of air filtration systems available for your new home. Lots of dust and new grass pollen may be kicked up about now. Thinking of this now can save you many tears down the road. ( See: Indoor Air Pollution's Unusual Suspects )

Garage organizing and preparation Let's face it, this tends to be an area that doesn't tend to get much respect during the move. We use the garage as a "catch-all" for storage, figuring we'll get to all those unpacked boxes in due time. In the meantime, we may not have room to park both cars in the garage, and things get piled up, lining the walls, making for a less than pleasant view when the doors are open. Building shelves now, or opting for garage cabinetry while the garage is empty may be one of the best early expenses to incur in order to feel organized and in control of your move. Some buyers will finish an unfinished garage with drywall and tape at this point, and even paint the garage floor, making it easier to clean in the long run and giving it a perennially "new" look before that first box gets unloaded.

If you have time before the move, talk with your neighbors-to-be, and find out what they might have done differently before they moved all their worldly goods into their new homes. These veterans are usually a treasure trove of advice and stories (you may not be able to extract yourself easily from their diatribes!) and can make you feel welcome before your moving van even pulls up.

A touch of Felix Unger can't hurt when moving into a new home, and the delayed gratification in all this preparation may pay off big time. After all; you may have waited for many months for the house to be complete. A few days of elbow grease may not end up becoming so sacrificial, and you may thank yourself later on.

Published: June 23, 1999

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