Common Repairs to Do When Moving Home

As you take pictures off the walls, move furniture, and prepare your things for moving out, you will inevitably come across some minor repairs that need fixing.

Things such as scrapes and scuffs, or holes left in walls are typically things that will need to be fixed before you finally leave your old home.

This is especially important if you want to ensure that you get your tenancy deposit back.

And when you arrive at your new home there are likely to be some things that will need fixing immediately, mainly for safety reasons.

It is often a good idea to have young children looked after away from the chaos of moving day.

However, to ensure your new home is childproof and safe for them to be in, you may want to keep them out of harm’s way for another day or two.

Consider also if it is worth keeping pets in boarding kennels for a few days after you move into your new home so that you can ensure the new home and garden are safe for them.

Of course, this is not always practical to do but is something to seriously think about if you have lots of things to immediately fix.

So, we are not talking about major repairs, but things that you can quickly and easily fix that ensure you leave your old home in good condition, and that your new home is safe for you, your family, and any pets that you have.

Must read: How to Protect Walls, Floors, Stairs, Doors, and Ceilings When Moving Home. In this guide, we look at protecting all the surfaces in your home from damage during a home move. A comprehensive and thorough guide on keeping your home safe.

Read on to discover quick and easy tips for repairs when moving home:

What Should I Fix Before Moving Out?

You are under no obligation to do any repairs when moving out (unless you are a tenant) as the home is sold as seen, and most people will expect that there will be holes in walls etc.

However, sometimes damage is caused when moving out your furniture, especially if you or the removal company have not protected the walls and floors sufficiently.

In such circumstances, it would be the right thing to do to fix any such damage.

The most common repairs to do before you leave your old home include:

• Filling Nail Holes in Walls
• Getting Scuffs off of Walls
• Repairing Scratches to Wooden Floor
• Repairing Rips and Tears in Vinyl Flooring
• Touch-Up Paint

How to Fill Nail Holes in a Wall

Repairing holes in walls left by nails or screws is fairly straightforward and no special DIY skills are required.

For very small panel pin-sized holes you could easily and quickly fill those with a rub-over of soap or white toothpaste. It is a temporary but quick and easy fix.

For more obvious and larger holes in walls you will need the following supplies:

• Filler
• Putty knife (or anything with a flat edge)
• Fine sandpaper
• Paint (optional)

#1 Fill The Hole: Decorator’s caulk is very cheap and is easy to use, most of the pound-shop type stores sell it. Just squeeze a small amount onto your finger or directly into the hole. Fill the hole so that the filler very slightly protrudes above the surface of the wall.

#2 Level the Filler: Using a straight edge of cardboard or an old credit card (anything with a straight edge), drag it over the hole to remove any access filler so that it is almost flush with the wall. Allow the filler to dry.

#3 Sand Flat: Using fine-grade sandpaper lightly sand the filler until it is totally flush with the wall.

#4 Paint: To finish the job nicely you could paint over the filler, it is entirely up to you. You only need to buy a tester pot of paint if you have none left from when it was originally painted.

You may be interested to read: How to Tell Your Landlord You Are Moving Out. From determining what type of lease you have, to how much notice you have to give, to how to write an End of Tenancy letter, this is essential reading if you are moving out of a rented property.

How Do You Get Scuff Marks Off a Painted Wall?

When you are moving heavy and large pieces of furniture or appliances it is easy to scuff a wall. You may also find that there are scuff marks on a wall where the back of a sofa or chairs have been.

These scuffs are usually quick and easy to remove and require no special tools.

To remove scuffs from painted walls you will need:

• A Soft Cloth
• Cleaning agents such as CIF or washing-up liquid
• Filler (if the wall is gouged)
• Straight Edge
• Sandpaper
• Paint

Using a soft cloth with a cleaning solution such as CIF, gently scrub the marks on the wall.

Using a circular motion, with increased pressure on the heavily scuffed areas, they should easily come off.

If the wall is actually gouged then you can fill in the gouges using decorators caulk.

#1 Fill The Hole: Decorator’s caulk is very cheap and is easy to use, most of the pound-shop type stores sell it. Just squeeze a small amount onto your finger or directly into the hole. Fill the hole so that the filler very slightly protrudes above the surface of the wall.

#2 Level the Filler: Using a straight edge of cardboard or an old credit card (anything with a straight edge), drag it over the hole to remove any access filler so that it is almost flush with the wall. Allow the filler to dry.

#3 Sand Flat: Using fine-grade sandpaper lightly sand the filler until it is totally flush with the wall.

#4 Paint: To finish the job nicely you could paint over the filler, it is entirely up to you. You only need to buy a tester pot of paint if you have none left from when it was originally painted.

Must Read: Step-By-Step Guide to Choosing a Good Removal Company. The best way to prevent any damage to your home or furniture when moving is to employ a professional removal team. They will have all the right equipment and skills to prevent damage to your home or possessions. This guide shows you how to choose the best removal company for your move.

How to Fix Scratches in a Wood Floor

Although wood floors look great and are hard-wearing, it is easy to scratch them when you are moving your furniture.

Of course, prevention is better than cure, so ensure that when moving furniture or appliances over wooden floors you properly protect them or use furniture sliders.

However, should you scratch your wood floor, it is fairly easy to repair them.

To repair scratches on a wooden floor you will need:

• Walnuts
• Crayon
• Soft Cloth
• Scratch Repair Kit
• Wood Putty
• Putty Knife
• Fine Sandpaper
• Wood Satin

How to Remove Scratches From Wood

If your wooden floor only has some surface scratches then these can easily be removed.

#1 Wood Polish and Walnuts: If using wood polish does not cover the scratches then warm a de-shelled walnut up in the palms of your hand and then rub the nut along the scratches. The walnut will release natural oils which will help remove the surface scratches. Wait for the oil to dry then buff with a soft cloth.

#2 Crayon: Using a crayon of a similar colour to the wood, rub the crayon along the scratch. Wait for the wax to dry then buff the wood with a soft cloth.

#3 Scratch Repair Kit: Deeper scratches may require a scratch repair kit which you can get from any DIY store.

#4 Deep Scratch Repair: If your wooden floor has a deep scratch then you may need to fill it using wood putty. Fill the scratches with putty and scrape off any excess filler using a stiff straight edge, like a credit card or piece of cardboard. Once dry, lightly sand with a very fine-grained sandpaper. Clean to remove any dust. Finally, paint over using a wood stain to match the existing wood colour.

Good to Know: How to Move Heavy and Large Furniture. Knowing how to move furniture without causing any damage to your home or possessions is essential. Not only will this save you money but a lot of heartache, a useful guide if you are planning to move without the help of a professional removal team.

How to Repair Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring can easily get damaged when you are moving your furniture or appliances if you don’t protect the floor well enough or do not use the proper furniture moving equipment.

In the event that you do rip or tear your vinyl flooring though, it can be a fairly quick and easy task to repair it.

To repair a rip or tear in vinyl flooring you will need:

• Cloth
• Glue

To repair a tear or rip in the vinyl carefully lift the ripped piece of vinyl, apply glue to the underside of the flap, and press it back down into place. Wipe any excess glue off with a cloth.

How to Touch-Up Paint

Unless you are moving out of rented accommodation and want to guarantee that you get your deposit back, it is rarely worth painting when moving out.

In all likelihood, the new owners will want to change the colour or have their own decorating ideas so it is not worth your time or effort to make all the paintwork spotless in your old home.

There may however be odd spots that just need a touch-up, where door frames or walls have been scuffed when moving your furniture and boxes.

 In such cases, a simple wipe-over with a detergent and a soft cloth may get the scuffs off.

Be wary that touching up any areas with fresh paint may be more noticeable than leaving the area unpainted.

If not, then using a small brush and a tester pot of paint, if you have none of the original paint left, should do the job.

Dab the brush onto the area you want to cover rather than using brush strokes as this makes the repair less noticeable. As you get to the edge of the area you are covering use lighter and lighter dabs so that it almost disappears into the surrounding areas.

Recommended Reading: What to Do When Moving Out of a Rented Property. Including a checklist for moving out of a rented home and ways to ensure you get your full deposit back, this is a very useful guide.

What Should I Fix When Moving Into a New Home?

Now that you are satisfied that you have left your old home in good condition, it is time to focus on the immediate needs of your new home.

There will likely be things that will need your immediate attention to ensure the safety of you and your family. This could include:

• Replace all Interior and Exterior Locks
• Change Alarm Codes
• Replace Bulbs
• Change Batteries
• Childproof Home and Garden
• Pet Proof Home and Garden

Replace Existing Locks on All Doors

You never know who has copies of the keys to your new home, so as a priority, you should look to replace all the key barrels with new ones on each external door, not forgetting the garage.

If you have neither the time nor the skills to change the lock barrels on moving in day then arrange it for as soon as you can after moving in.

At a minimum, have some door wedges that you can use to temporarily jam the doors from the inside on your first night in your new home. You can buy these really cheaply from any DIY or B&M-type store.

A broom handle or length of wood laid along the slide of a patio door will prevent the door from being opened from the outside until you get new locks fitted.

Don’t forget to replace all padlocks on gates or sheds.

Must read: Essential Tools for Moving Day. A complete list of tools and spares that you may need on moving day. From DIY tools to furniture moving equipment, to essentials to have in your car on moving day this guide is essential for anyone moving home.

Change Alarm Codes

Before moving into your new home ensure that the existing owners will leave the alarm code and instruction manuals.

Change the alarm codes as soon as you can after moving in as you do not know who the previous code has been given to.

Essential Reading: Top Tips for Securing Your New Home. A step-by-step guide to ensuring your new home is safe and secure. With lots of practical tips to follow before, during, and after your home move.

Replace Blown Light Bulbs

Have a good supply of various fitment and different wattage bulbs so that you can replace any that are blown.

Replace All Batteries

Replace the batteries in alarm PIRs, smoke detectors, and carbon monoxide detectors. You do not know whether the existing batteries are old or new or even work, so it is better to replace them all.

Must Read: Fire Safety in the Home: Top Tips and Advice. You will have plenty of things to think about in this guide to fire safety in your home and garden. With practical tips and ideas including how to create a fire evacuation plan for your home. A must-read for everyone.

Child-Proof Your New Home

You will want to make sure that your home is a safe place for your kids to be, so go through your new home and remove or repair anything that could be a hazard to your children.

Be sure to check the garden perimeter is secure with no gaps that they could get out of and that all gates are easily closed and locked shut.

Must read: How to Childproof Your Home Room-by-Room. In this comprehensive guide, we go through each room of your home to ensure that you create as safe an environment as possible for your children.

Pet-Proof Your New Home

Walk the perimeter of your garden and ensure that there is no way that your pet could escape. Ensure that gates can be closed and locked.

Must read: The Complete Guide of How to Dog Proof Your Home, Garden, and Car. From a balcony to shoes, cables to door frames, this is a comprehensive and exhaustive list of ways to protect your home from your dog and your dog from your home. Essential reading for anyone moving into a new home with a dog.

Whenever you move into a new home for some reason things that need repair or urgent attention become glaringly obvious.

No matter how many home viewings you did, you still did not notice these things before.

But as long as you attend to the things that make your home safe and secure on the first day you move in, and that you can have a warm and comfortable night’s sleep, all those other jobs can be faced tomorrow.

For more home moving tips and guides to save you time and money moving home, be sure to visit our award-winning home moving blog.