So you’ve purchased a new home and it needs a little work. Should you go ahead and move in and take care of improvements later or tackle them before you move in? You might be surprised by the answer, but if possible absolutely take care of your upgrades now before the movers arrive. Otherwise, you’ll end up moving your furniture and other items from room to room just to replace that old tile and then have to moving it back in again. People have gone weeks with bedroom furniture in the living room as they’ve made changes to their home. You can save yourself a lot of headaches by doing it before you move in.

So which projects should you tackle first? Here’s a list of great projects to take on before moving into your new home:

  • Re-Keying – You know you’re going to change the locks after you move in. Why not call the locksmith before you move in so you don’t forget?
  • Electrical Upgrades – Older homes generally have few outlets. If you need to upgrade your electrical outlets, or add a few, it’s easier to do before you move all your furniture in.
  • Garage Storage – A lot of people store things in their garages. If you’re one of them, you might want to build shelves along the walls, install a workbench, or make other upgrades to facilitate your storage needs. Do it before you move in or you’ll be fighting all the stuff you own afterward.
  • Flooring – If you plan on refinishing the floors or installing new flooring, save yourself the hassle of having to move everything several times. Make flooring selections ahead of time and have them installed. Remember to have new surfaces covered before the movers start bringing everything through the door.
  • Painting – Walls need to be painted. Rather than covering your furniture with plastic and removing curtains from the windows, take care of any painting needed before you move in.
  • Crown Molding – Want to get rid of that plain molding in your rooms and replace it with crown molding? Crown molding and other decorative molding can enhance your home and improve its value. Do it before you move in. It will be easier. You can do this when you paint.
  • Closet System Installations – Installing closet systems can get you more organized right off the bat. This is an easy thing to do before you move all of your stuff in. If you wait, you’ll have to empty out the closets and walk around it while you make the upgrades. Save yourself the trouble.