After a new house is renovated, many people will let it air out for a while before moving in.

In the time leading up to moving to a new home, I wanted to improve the indoor air quality and make the necessary preparations for the move.

However, there are a few things you must do before moving to your new home.

(I) - Do not blindly open windows for ventilation

The first thing to do before moving into a new home is not to blindly open windows for ventilation.

Opening windows for ventilation is something many people believe is something that needs to be done after a new house is renovated.

Indeed, opening windows for ventilation is a very effective way to remove indoor pollutants. For example, it is an effective measure against formaldehyde.

However, we need to learn how to properly ventilate by opening windows to remove formaldehyde, rather than blindly keeping windows open indefinitely.

Improper ventilation by opening windows may cause the following problems:

① Do not open windows for ventilation within 7 days after painting with latex paint. This is because many people may be preparing to move furniture after painting with latex paint. Opening windows for ventilation at this time will cause the latex paint to wrinkle, peel, and crack.

② Continuous and indiscriminate ventilation by opening windows may also cause wooden furniture to crack. This is because if the moisture content of the wood is not up to standard, opening windows will cause the wood to lose moisture too quickly and crack.

③ If the weather is bad, such as a dusty day, opening windows for ventilation will cause pollution in various parts of the room. For example, there will be a layer of dust on the floor, and even dust on the walls.

④ Costs. If any of the above-mentioned issues occur with the furniture or walls, the repair costs could amount to several thousand yuan, or even more.

Therefore, when ventilating a new home before moving, it's important to learn to control the ventilation properly, rather than blindly keeping the windows open all the time.

Suggested approach:

① It is important to check the weather forecast and choose sunny, calm days to open windows for ventilation. Avoid opening windows during dusty or windy weather.

② It is important to know when to open windows. For example, the most common method is to open all windows for ventilation during the day and close some windows at night to prevent cross-ventilation.

③ The timing of starting to open windows for ventilation is important. For example, it should be at least 7 days after the latex paint is applied, or after all the renovations in the house are completed, before starting to open windows for ventilation.

(II) Protect yourself from direct sunlight

The second thing to do before moving into a new house is to protect it from direct sunlight.

Many people actually overlook the importance of avoiding direct sunlight.

Many people believe that once a new house is renovated, the curtains should be opened and the sun should be let in.

In fact, this approach is incorrect.

Because most families choose wood materials for decoration, such as wooden furniture and wooden flooring.

These building materials will develop many problems after being exposed to direct sunlight.

For example, furniture or wooden floors in the home may experience the following problems when exposed to direct sunlight:

① Furniture deformation. This is the most common situation. Cabinet doors in areas exposed to direct sunlight may become difficult to open, or even impossible to open, which indicates deformation.

② Furniture coming unglued. This is also the most common problem under direct sunlight, because modern boards are mostly engineered wood, and the edges of the boards are sealed. After being exposed to direct sunlight, these sealing edges are very easy to come unglued.

③ Cracking of wooden floors. If the wooden floors in our home are newly installed, and the humidity was high during installation, they are prone to cracking when exposed to direct sunlight.

④ Losses incurred. If furniture comes apart or wooden floors crack, repairs will cost at least several hundred to several thousand yuan.

Therefore, after the new house is renovated, do not blindly expose it to sunlight before moving in, as this can cause problems for many wooden furniture pieces.

Recommended approach:

① When the sun is particularly strong, try to draw the sheer curtains. This prevents the sunlight from shining directly onto the furniture or wooden floor, allowing the sunlight to diffuse through the curtains onto the furniture instead.

② For cabinets near the balcony that will be exposed to direct sunlight, it is recommended to cover them with a protective cover. For example, cover them with a protective film or a blanket to prevent cracking.

③ For walls in rooms that receive direct sunlight, special attention should be paid to their treatment. A common method is to draw the curtains to prevent cracking.

(III) — Dust prevention

The third thing to do before moving into a new home is to prevent dust accumulation.

Before moving into a newly renovated house, many of our friends will do one thing: perform a post-construction cleaning.

The so-called initial cleaning is to clean the interior walls, sweep the floor, clean the inside of all furniture, and wipe the surface clean.

In short, every part of the room needs to be thoroughly cleaned.

After the initial cleaning, most families will let the house air out for a while before moving in.

At this point, everyone should pay attention to taking effective measures to prevent dust in certain areas.

If we don't do a good job of dust prevention, the following problems may occur:

① A layer of dust on the top of the sofa. Over time, this dust may get inside the sofa. After moving in, you'll find the sofa is particularly dirty and needs cleaning. Cleaning a new sofa is quite inconvenient.

② Dust can get into the gaps in the floor. Especially in bedrooms with wooden floors, if you're not careful, you'll find a lot of dust getting into the gaps, requiring you to clean again when you move in.

③ Furniture and beds will accumulate a layer of dust. For example, a common occurrence is that open storage compartments will be covered in dust after a few days. This will add a lot of housework to our living arrangements.

④ Costs incurred. If we have to clean again and hire more people, it will cost another two or three hundred yuan a day.

Therefore, before moving into a new home, it's important to take precautions to prevent dust accumulation in certain areas to avoid a lot of dust in a newly cleaned home.

Recommended approach:

① For the sofa in the living room, it is recommended that you do not remove the protective cover. If you do remove it, it is recommended that you put a new protective cover on it to ensure that the sofa is free of dust.

② Appropriately determine when to open windows. It's crucial to consider the weather conditions. If there's strong wind and dust, do not open windows for ventilation.

(iv) Don't blindly remove formaldehyde.

The fourth thing to do before moving into a new home is to avoid blindly removing formaldehyde.

Many people are particularly concerned about formaldehyde removal.

Besides paying someone to remove formaldehyde, many people also learn about formaldehyde removal from various sources.

For example, a popular method for removing formaldehyde is to use water vapor.

The specific methods include placing basins filled with water on the indoor floor, or placing materials containing water, or placing many humidifiers indoors.

All these methods ultimately aim to increase indoor humidity, allowing water vapor to carry away formaldehyde.

While this method can reduce formaldehyde levels, it also brings more problems:

① The walls are peeling and flaking. Especially in hot and humid seasons, when the indoor humidity is too high, and you turn on a humidifier and an electric fan, you may find that the walls are peeling.

② Furniture glue separation and cracking. This is because excessive indoor humidity causes the boards to become damp. After becoming damp, the first thing that happens is that the edge banding glue cracks, followed by the deformation and cracking of the boards.

③ Warping of wooden floors. This is also due to the expansion of wooden floors after absorbing a large amount of moisture, which may cause them to warp if the damage is severe.

④ Cost Losses. The cost losses from failing to address this aspect can be substantial. For example, a single wooden floor could cost several thousand yuan; if the furniture is also damaged, the losses could easily exceed ten thousand yuan.

Recommended approach:

① For indoor formaldehyde removal, try to choose reputable and qualified formaldehyde removal companies. They use specialized formaldehyde removal materials that will not have a significant impact on the indoor environment.

② My personal advice is not to blindly try to remove formaldehyde. Instead, I suggest you measure whether the indoor formaldehyde levels are excessive. Many types of wood-based panels may emit a smell, but that doesn't necessarily mean there are excessive pollutants.

(V) Water Cut-off

The fifth thing to do before moving to a new house is to turn off the water.

Many people take great care of their new homes after renovations are completed. They pay special attention to every single detail.

For example, many people will test the faucets, showers, drains, etc. in their homes after the renovation is completed.

However, during this period, since we haven't moved in yet, we are still in the preparation stage.

Therefore, if there is a problem with the water in our home, the consequences will be very serious.

Because the newly renovated house is located on a waterway, there are indeed some problems:

① Water leakage may occur at the joints or connections of the sanitary ware. Since many sanitary ware units are newly installed, water leakage at the installation points could flood the entire house.

② Regarding the faucets, we haven't used them for extended periods, so we can't test their functionality. We only check them briefly each day, and sometimes we don't even check them for several days at a time, which makes the leaking problems quite serious.

③ After the bathroom fixtures and other household appliances are installed, pressure tests are rarely conducted. If the installation is not done properly, water leaks may occur in various locations.

④ Cost losses. If water leaks in any part of our home and floods the apartment below, the losses from this item could amount to several thousand yuan.

Recommended approach:

① Turn off the water. This means that before moving into a new home, we should completely turn off the water. For example, we can close the valve after the water meter to completely shut off the water supply, so we don't have to worry about leaks.

② Pressure test. If conditions permit, conduct a pressure test after all sanitary ware, kitchen sinks, etc., are installed. This ensures that there are no leaks at any connection points.

Written at the end of the article

After your new house is renovated, don't rush to move in immediately, because there are many things to do during this time.

This article shares five things to do before moving into a new home. As you can see from the analysis above, failing to do these five things could result in losses far exceeding tens of thousands of yuan, and could even delay your move-in. Therefore, please pay close attention to these aspects.