Moving into a new house is an exciting milestone for you! But the same goes for the new owners of your beloved home. Adding a few extra touches like cleaning and gathering user manuals can be a good karma move for you and your former space! Here are some tips to help welcome your new home owners as they begin their new chapter at “home”.

Cleaning

As you pack up your belongings, you might be surprised at the bits of debris that can be left behind.

• Seek out the nooks and crannies you don’t think about needing to clean: wipe down the insides cabinets and drawers, built-in shelving, light fixtures and switches, doors and knobs and trim, glass (windows, fireplace glass, doors, mirrors), and baseboards and walls (especially the high traffic areas and places hidden behind furniture). Don’t forget to clean inside the appliances that are staying with the house!
• Sweep the outdoor entrance ways
• Mop and shine the hardwood floors
• Vacuum last, and do each room as you exit the area. How lovely is it to walk into a freshly vacuumed space with no footprints?!
• Pro Tip: wash your exterior doors in a solution with a few drops of lemon essential oil added in for a FRESH pop as they walk in!

Small Damage Repair

Noticing all the holes left behind as you take down wall art? Did you find sharpie marks on the wall behind the dresser as you pulled it out? Keep a small paint can of your wall color to do a quick touchup over the imperfections or dried patching.

• Pro Tip: be sure to leave the extra paint cans or tiles in the garage for easy access if the new owners run into any bumps while moving in!

Last Lawn Mowing

If you’re moving during grass-growing season, do a final once over on the lawn and landscaping. Your new owners will most likely leave yard work as the last thing they can get to, and this helps buy time before needing it again!

Leave your home’s new family a “Gift Basket”

This could include helpful tools, welcoming gifts, or all the user guides you can find. Things you might include:

• Quick cleaning supplies such as clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, dish soap and sponge, a roll of toilet paper and paper towels - or any or your favorite cleaning must-have supplies! A nice candle to ignite a warm welcoming scent or a small house plant to add ambience for the new owners!
• Spare Keys - this is something most people may not think about. Sure you get your two copies of a key at closing, but then you’ll need to get extras for hidden spots or trusted family members. This takes a small step out of the process for them!
• Useful Information (such as appliance manuals, warranties, HVAC documents, location of main valves they may need to know about, or service providers you recommend) If you have these stored somewhere, you certainly don’t need to carry them with you to the new house. Gather your documents and leave them in a nice pile or folder for the new family!
• House-specific supplies - If you have additional hardware pieces for anything left in the home, such as spare knobs, hinges, remotes to lights or fireplaces, or pool supplies, you’ll want to leave these behind to help make any future repairs or maintenance simple. You might also leave extra light bulbs you use in certain areas to help them determine which ones to buy later on that match the lighting styles.
• “Welcome Home” card - this is a great personal touch that could be cherished by the new owners. Have a tip on how to best enjoy the gas fireplace - add it! Is there a special place in the backyard you’d like them to know about? Do you have a memory to share about how the kids sliding down the stairs on pillows? They might love knowing how special this space has been for its former family. If nothing else, a simple greeting of best wishes in their new home can help make this milestone even more special for them!