Best way to move into a newly build home?

[treg50]

Basically: when moving into a new home what's the best order to do all those things you want to after you gain possession of the house?

Such as getting the flooring done, an alarm system installed, the appliances delivered and installed, the window blinds installed, etc.

I'm thinking I want privacy and security first. So blinds and alarm first? This is a soon to be first time home owner asking, so maybe i'm overthinking this.

Any suggestions based on experience?

[JAYMEZ]

haha blinds for sure!! I had no blinds for a week and it was super awkward!

- Cable , Gas and Electricty , Phone
- Insurance , Change ur Drivers ID
- Security
- Stock your fridge lol

[topmade]

Before you get possession.
- order your blinds a good month before, give them the possesion date and if the timing is good they should be there on your possession day to install.
- order applicances. Do this a good 2 months before you move in because you don't want to be without applicances when you get possession.
- Set up all the Gas, electricity, utilities, phone, cable, insurance, etc, etc.
- go to the post office and foward all your mail. Even if you have changed this already it's a good idea in case you missed something, it's cheap and lasts 6 months.
- Security same thing as blinds start getting quotes before you move in and setup install date asap with the one you decide to go with.

On possession day.
- I would suggest to shampoo your carpets before moving in. Especially if you have young children who have their face in the floor half the time.

Flooring Done? not sure what you mean here, shouldn't the builder do this? or are you talking about the basement? or installing hardwood over laminate?

[TimG]

agreed about the carpet shampooing before you bring in all your furniture.

If you're installing a new floor, paint your walls first.

[Orbie]

Don't most builders include the 5 standard applicances now? You shouldn't have to have appliances delivered, the standard ones at least (if you didn't upgrade them) should be waiting for you on possession.

[STi403]

i would also get new door locks...

[treg50]

Wow, good tips!

Originally posted by topmade
Flooring Done? not sure what you mean here, shouldn't the builder do this? or are you talking about the basement? or installing hardwood over laminate?

I'm getting the normal carpet from the builder but I'm thinking have hardwood installed by a hardwood company (better colours and quality).

Originally posted by Orbie
Don't most builders include the 5 standard applicances now? You shouldn't have to have appliances delivered, the standard ones at least (if you didn't upgrade them) should be waiting for you on possession.

Yeah, my builder had the same offer, but I took the cash value of the appliances instead offered and put it back against the cost of the house. The 'free' appliances are usually basic white and base quality which these ones were. Plus I want the stainless look, better quality, etc.

[Sharpie]

Originally posted by treg50
Wow, good tips!



I'm getting the normal carpet from the builder but I'm thinking have hardwood installed by a hardwood company (better colours and quality).



Yeah, my builder had the same offer, but I took the cash value of the appliances instead offered and put it back against the cost of the house. The 'free' appliances are usually basic white and base quality which these ones were. Plus I want the stainless look, better quality, etc.

If you are getting hard wood put in i would definitely wait till that s all done. Also why didn't you get the builder to do that it would be alot easier and less hassle. Also again if your getting hardwood done, wait till it is done to get/put your appliances(unless your not flooring the kitchen)

[Mangina]

Why would you pay to have carpet put in, then pay someone to rip it out and put hardwood in?

Tell the builder your putting in your own hardwood and not to put in any carpet. You should get a credit.

[treg50]

Originally posted by Mangina
Why would you pay to have carpet put in, then pay someone to rip it out and put hardwood in?

Tell the builder your putting in your own hardwood and not to put in any carpet. You should get a credit.

I know, that sounds logical to me too. I asked and the builder says they have to (??) put the carpet in. The most they can do is not pin it down. I'll probably rip it out myself to save that cost.

[Masked Bandit]

I don't understand the "shampoo the carpet" comments? Can someone let me know why one would need to shampoo new carpets?

Same question for the door locks.

[blinkme_210]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit
I don't understand the "shampoo the carpet" comments? Can someone let me know why one would need to shampoo new carpets?

Same question for the door locks.

The carpet is full of dust and dirt leftover from construction. They usually just place plastic over the carpet while they work on the walls, railings, ceilings, etc. Shit breaks through the plastic, and we all know how well of a job the cleaning ladies do when they go through with their vacuums....

If you've ever seen house under construction from start to finish you would know what I'm talking about.

As for doorlocks, construction people could have made copies of your key. They could just break in and steal everything you've moved into the new house, before you start living there.

[Maddog55]

Any reputible builders hires professional cleaners to clean the house from top to bottom right before posession. Who's your builder that isn't doing this?? They also hire a duct cleaner to completely clean all your ducts. This is done even before the cleaners come in. I do work in Cedarglens, Reidbuilts, Broadviews, Hearthstones, Heartlands, Morrison, Jaymans and they ALL do this.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by blinkme_210


The carpet is full of dust and dirt leftover from construction. They usually just place plastic over the carpet while they work on the walls, railings, ceilings, etc. Shit breaks through the plastic, and we all know how well of a job the cleaning ladies do when they go through with their vacuums....

If you've ever seen house under construction from start to finish you would know what I'm talking about.

As for doorlocks, construction people could have made copies of your key. They could just break in and steal everything you've moved into the new house, before you start living there.

do you work in construction????? Any new home construction has "construction locks" up until possession. Those are the locks that all us tradesmen have keys for. These locks are not the same that the homeowner is given. At "turnover" or posession these locks are changed over to the "owner" locks. No one has access to these locks as they're not even on site until the actual owner is presented with the new key.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by Mangina
Why would you pay to have carpet put in, then pay someone to rip it out and put hardwood in?

Tell the builder your putting in your own hardwood and not to put in any carpet. You should get a credit.

You can't get your occupancy permit without finished floors.

Treg, if you're getting the HW done independantly, you'll need a good two to three weeks lead time. All HW companies are backed up big time right now. I can give you names and numbers of guys who can do it quicker and cheaper, but you'll have to get the materials yourself. Then you pay these guys cash. To go through the big flooring/hardwood companies will take you weeks for an install time. When it IS scheduled...rip the carpet and smooth-edge out yourself. No skill involved and you'll save $$$. The flooring companies charge you bigtime to have it done.

As for your utilities...the builder will have this all set up with the utility companies. You shouldn't have to do this yourself at all. The services are allready at the house...just the name is changed over to the new owner.

Who's your builder anyways?? All these questions should be answered and taken care of by them.

[Masked Bandit]

Originally posted by blinkme_210


The carpet is full of dust and dirt leftover from construction. They usually just place plastic over the carpet while they work on the walls, railings, ceilings, etc. Shit breaks through the plastic, and we all know how well of a job the cleaning ladies do when they go through with their vacuums....

If you've ever seen house under construction from start to finish you would know what I'm talking about.

As for doorlocks, construction people could have made copies of your key. They could just break in and steal everything you've moved into the new house, before you start living there.

I don't know about your house but the one that we are in now (built five years ago) had the carpet installed two days before we moved in. I'm not real worried about two days worth of dust.

As far as the locks go, the construction locks were pulled out and permanent ones installed the morning we got possession.

[topmade]

Originally posted by Masked Bandit


I don't know about your house but the one that we are in now (built five years ago) had the carpet installed two days before we moved in. I'm not real worried about two days worth of dust.

As far as the locks go, the construction locks were pulled out and permanent ones installed the morning we got possession.

Five years ago, all the tradesmen knew what they were doing and everything was well planned and organized. Our house, now 1 year old had the carpets in quite early. We checked it very regularily and they never put any plastic over it and were still doing the ceiling, cabinets, trim work, painting, etc... it was dirty as hell. The construction guy said we didn't need to clean it because they go through it with a "commercial" vacuum, but when I shampooed it, the water that came out was almost completely black with all sorts of debris.

[blinkme_210]

Originally posted by Maddog55
Any reputible builders hires professional cleaners to clean the house from top to bottom right before posession. Who's your builder that isn't doing this?? They also hire a duct cleaner to completely clean all your ducts. This is done even before the cleaners come in. I do work in Cedarglens, Reidbuilts, Broadviews, Hearthstones, Heartlands, Morrison, Jaymans and they ALL do this.

My house was built by Landmark, maybe they had a different order of tradespeople come in and do the work. The "professional cleaners", yeh right.... They're just old ladies that could give half a rats ass about how clean of a job they do, as long as they get rid of the big debris and any major scuffs/marks on the walls & windows.

[Maddog55]

Originally posted by blinkme_210


My house was built by Landmark, maybe they had a different order of tradespeople come in and do the work. The "professional cleaners", yeh right.... They're just old ladies that could give half a rats ass about how clean of a job they do, as long as they get rid of the big debris and any major scuffs/marks on the walls & windows.

Good to know then, blinkme. Lesson to everyone: Never EVER buy a home from Landmark. I will spread the word around that they are a two-bit builder.
All of the builders I do work for; when the cleaning crew comes in (usually about 4 or 5 ppl) the house is so clean you could eat of the floor of the unfinished basement part. Literally. You couldn't find a spot of dust with a microscope in the houses when they turn it over. And I work in roughly 200 new homes per year, by about 10 different builders and they're all the same.
I've never heard of a builder giving "homeowner" keys to tradespeople. Like every other builder in Calgary, the owner locks are not installed until posession day. If your house was done differently they screwed up big time, and they can be held legally accountable by doing that.

[KLCC]

Hi,

Sorry to bring up this dated thread, but I would like to know about the build quality (craftsmanship) by LANDMARK home?

Thanks